Do You Really Need a Website in 2026 If You Have a Facebook Page?

Plenty of local business owners tell me the same thing: "I've already got a Facebook page, so why would I pay for a website?" It's a fair question. Facebook is free, everyone's on it, and setting up a page takes ten minutes. So let's answer it properly, without the sales pitch.

Here's the uncomfortable truth. A Facebook page is rented land. You don't own it, you don't control it, and you're at the mercy of an algorithm that decides how many of your own followers even see your posts. One policy change, one wrongful suspension, one shift in what Facebook decides to show, and the audience you spent years building can vanish overnight. It happens to Australian businesses every week, and there's no phone number to call when it does.

A website is land you own. Your domain, your content, your customer data, your rules.

But ownership isn't even the main reason. The main reason is how people actually look for you. When someone in Dapto needs an electrician, or a family in Shellharbour wants a cafe for Sunday breakfast, they don't open Facebook and search. They open Google. And when they Google "electrician near me" or "cafe Shellharbour", Facebook pages almost never show up in the results that matter, the map pack and the top organic listings. Websites do. If you're relying on Facebook alone, you're invisible at the exact moment a ready-to-buy customer is looking for you.

There's also the trust factor. A customer about to spend real money on a bathroom renovation or a wedding photographer will check you out first. A proper website with your services, your prices or quote process, real photos of your work, and genuine reviews says "this is a real, established business." A Facebook page with three posts from 2023 says the opposite, whether that's fair or not.

So does that mean Facebook is useless? Not at all. Facebook is a brilliant tool for building awareness, showing personality, and staying in front of people who already know you. The mistake is treating it as your whole online presence instead of one piece of it. The businesses that win use Facebook to catch attention and a website to convert that attention into booked jobs, and they link the two together.

Here's the simple test. Ask yourself: if Facebook disappeared tomorrow, could a new customer still find me, learn what I do, and contact me? If the answer is no, you don't have a business online. You have a page on someone else's platform.

The good news is a website that actually works for a local business doesn't need to be huge or expensive. It needs to load fast, look sharp on a phone, clearly say what you do and where you do it, and make it dead easy to call or book. That's it. A website won't replace your Facebook page. It'll do the job Facebook was never built to do.

If you decide a proper website is the next step, see my web design and SEO services in Wollongong — and if you want to keep running paid social alongside it, here is how I approach Facebook Ads for local businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just use my Facebook page instead of a website?

You can, but you'll miss customers who search on Google rather than Facebook, and you don't own or control the page. Most successful local businesses use both, with Facebook for awareness and a website to convert searchers into customers.

Will a website actually show up on Google when a Facebook page won't?

Yes. Google's local map pack and top organic results are built around websites and Google Business Profiles. Facebook pages rarely appear there, so a website is how you get found when someone searches for your service.

Do I need an expensive website to compete locally?

No. A fast, mobile-friendly site that clearly explains your services, shows your work and makes it easy to call or book is enough to compete. Depth and polish matter more than size.

What happens to my customers if my Facebook page gets suspended?

If you rely on Facebook alone, a suspension can cut off your audience with no warning and no easy recovery. A website you own protects you from that risk because the traffic and customer relationships are yours.