Why do I need a website when there's Facebook?

I have yet to meet any business owner that knows what he or she is doing with Facebook.

I dont know what the hohaa is all about I get tons more buisness from my good old fashioned websites rather than mucking about all day with social media.

When someone asks me the "why should I because I already have" Question I would simply say; I love to eat Pizza but it doesn't stop me looking at Hamburgers because I dont want to miss out on something nice.

I try to get clients to cover all the stops, if they want to truly dominate the local market.

Ask him if he had a website ten years ago and why he branched out into the internet as well as using his usual form of advertising?

I would tell him that I could almost guarantee that the option he decided against would be the one to bring the most rewards.

Yes, i have moved last year from webdesigner to facebook designer and break the profits!

Facebook, outside of your personal or business profile, doesn't set you apart from anyone else. Facebook is only an extension of an overall traffic (customer) generation strategy, it can't, neither should any other platform, be the BASE of operations.

Brand identity must begin with a business' real estate - in traditional business, it is an office - online real estate is a custom website. Its' OK to meet with customers' at Starbucks but Starbucks can't serve as your office. The website vs. Facebook comparison is really no different. Just my two-cents.

Use the GREAT example of something that was once free that many businesses relied upon for traffic and then had the rug pulled out from under them of the Google Product Feed. Do they really want to be relying on Facebook (a for profit company) for 100% of their online presence?

Well, i don't see any reason why you should have a website of your own. How are you going to communicate and pass messages to potential customers? Facebook is only there to make people know you and your brand.

Come on... You seriously got this objection???

What did you say?

That's when you have to educate your client about the importance of the local search traffic they're missing out on from Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

You have to show them the amount of searches for their niche that the Google Keyword tool shows, and then explain to them how their facebook page will not show up in the Google, Yahoo, and Bing, map and local pages.

This is assuming they haven't claimed their local pages amd used their facebook page as their website.

To carry this a step further, you could even set up a PPC campaign and run it for a few days to show them exactly how many serches are triggered by their niche keywords.

Sure you're on Facebook, nice job embracing social media, however, you're missing out on the 400 plus potential customers a month that are searching for your product or service through the search engines. Then again, I'm sure your competition appreciates that.

After you have educated them about the potential and shown them the numbers, and they still don't get it, they go into your sales funnel.

You can't save everybody from themselves.

A website is something you own and a Facebook fanpage is just a page on Facebook that's owned by it. You have to follow Facebook's guidelines and when you have your own site you can do whatever you want.

Agree with one of the above posts that don't see much value in FB apart from exposing personal staff to the public, like photos etc. Call me an old-fashion, I don't take FB seriously... And almost nobody I know does...

Dead simple to handle that one.

Just ask a few questions.

Great, so how is that working out for you in terms of 'return on investment'?

So what kind of revenues is facebook bringing in for you at the moment?

Have you ever considered a strategy of finding folks on facebook and bringing them to your very own website?

That seems to be the way the big boys are making money using facebook, is that something that might interest you?

If I could show you a way to quickly leverage your facebook page to produce some real revenue would you be happy to have a 10 minute chat about it?

I can think of plenty more but I think you'll get the idea.

.

Because any fool can sign up for a facebook account and make a facebook page,
but it takes a real professional business to have a real professional website that
handles orders and maintains customers email addresses and looks and performs
much better than a free facebook account

1. Better design and layout
2. Best way to memorize a URL
3. Much plugins and options.
4. It's way more better to have both 2 of them

I agree with krtheriault, capitalizing on Facebook/Social media. You didn't say what kind of business you're talking about but honestly, many of them do not need a website. For example quick service restaurants, dry cleaners, smog check/oil change, etc., most people looking for these get whatever pops up in Yelp and Google Places and it's a wrap. If I'm looking for a quick lunch, I don't care about the website, especially since most don't update them, most still use flash and have a host of other problems. In fact, most of them can get by with making sure their yelp profile is thorough.

If you're talking more researched purchases, such as home repair, dentistry, medical, etc., then the website has its benefits. But for quick service inexpensive things... they have a point.

The thing is a website isn't all that to a lot of offline businesses, the cost and expense to build, maintain and do SEO doesn't necessarily provide ROI depending on the business they are in.

A local deli that's very popular has a website but all their interaction is on FB, they post their daily specials there and update frequently. Know why? because a six year old with a smart phone can figure out how to post to facebook, rather than have to go through a cumbersome procedure, or figure out WordPress, or be held hostage by their website designer to update their website.

So when they say that, say "glad you asked, since Facebook is your preferred method of having an online presence, you can consider our social media domination package, we customize your facebook page with a custom timeline cover, profile image and custom deals apps so that you can interact w your customers and offer specials, we also have a special integration that allows you to build an email AND mobile marketing list right from within facebook. We can also integrate a few videos/commercials/infomercials for your business and promote them on facebook, youtube and other social media, tying it all together quite nicely."

No comments about it.

I think generally people like to know you have a website for the following reasons:

1. They can confirm your actual existence
2. For more information that is not available on Facebook

Cheers

Jake

It's not always necessary to create a website of your own. If you are a beginner, then you can take help of the social networks. When your position will be a bit stable, then make your own website.

1. To present visitors the user experience you want...not what FB wants.

2. To control the content. To say what you want to say, regardless of someone else's Terms and Conditions.

3. To have somewhere you can build content, critical mass, and draw traffic from search engines to.

4. To have a place you can present your own offers however you want.

5. To use Flash easily if you wish.

"Good point, Mr. Prospect -- but what about the 50% of the population that can't access your FB page because they aren't Facebook members?"

"What if I could show you an easy way to get 100% of all Internet users to learn more about your webpage, and based on the statistics of people NOT using FB, virtually double your business you get from the Internet -- you wouldn't be interested in anything like that, would you?"

When a woman asks me any question like that one, I say to myself that she doesn't know anything about marketing and I am now free to hang up on her so that I can call someone who does.

Just say, Facebook is big.

But the internet is BIGGER.

Isn't FB already limiting your fan page messages to a small % of your "likes" then wanting to charge you for more? It goes to show they can change policy on you in a heartbeat.

Secondly, invoke their competition using other avenues such as own website, mobile, PPC, offline, QR codes, reputation mgt etc...

Facebook is where you can post your latest announcements and can easily engaged with your customers. Websites where they can find more info about your company/services/products.

It's like asking - why did you put on that pant when you are already wearing a shirt? They both do same thing - cover your body - but you can't substitute one for another.

And then you can juice it up and prove the worth of websites with excellent suggestions made by fellow warriors like - @rearden, @jason @dave147 @helisell and others.

You need a website and a facebook. Don't make something useful into a trash...
Take all the wisdom and just enjoy the benefits...

Personally, I don't like fb. But I just use it to get clients. There is no comparison between your own website and facebook.

Why do you need a house when you can rent an apartment?

I said once, have your own identity and play in your platform rather than playing in anyone else platform and have it your way.

:rolleyes:

Swrajit

there is such a difference in fb and a website that it would literally take ages to explain, i mean some businesses need a website which is critical to their business and in fairness some businesses do not need a website so i would firstly look at what the business was before arguing the point

There is a great difference of having a website and a Facebook page. And in my opinion a Facebook page cannot replace what a website can do. Of course, if you want for a much bigger success for your business the integration of two will be more effective.