Plenty of Australian small businesses run happily on a Facebook page and Instagram. Customers message, the owner replies, jobs get booked. So why pay for a website? The honest answer is that it depends. Here are both sides, so you can decide for yourself.
What Facebook does well
- It is free to start and quick to set up.
- You can reach people who already follow you, and they can message you easily.
- It suits regular updates, photos, specials and local community chat.
- Word of mouth travels well there, especially in local groups.
If your customers mostly find you through friends and local groups, and you are already busy, a good page may be enough for now. There is no need to pay for something you do not need.
Where a page falls short
You do not own it
A page lives on someone else’s platform. The rules, the layout and who sees your posts can change without notice. Accounts can be restricted or hacked, and getting them back can be slow. A website at your own address is yours, and you decide what is on it.
Not everyone is on Facebook, or wants to log in
Some people just want your opening hours and prices. Being asked to sign in, or scrolling through old posts to find a phone number, is enough for them to go elsewhere. A website shows the basics in one glance.
Google searches
When someone types a service and a suburb into Google, they are ready to choose. Your own site and your Google Business Profile are built to answer that search. A Facebook page can turn up too, but you have far less control over how it appears. If you want to see how the Google side works, read our Google Business Profile guide.
It looks less established
Many customers, especially for bigger jobs, check for a website before they trust a business with money or access to their home. A neat site with your details, area and a few photos signals that you are properly set up.
Less room to explain
A page is built around a feed of posts. A website lets you lay out your services, how you work, what you cover and answers to common questions in an order that makes sense to a new visitor.
What a website adds
- A permanent home for your services, prices, hours and contact details.
- A booking link or contact form that works for everyone, not only people on Facebook.
- A place Google can read and show in search results.
- An address you can put on your van, invoices and business card.
- A clear path from “I am curious” to “I have enquired”.
When you can probably wait
Be honest with yourself. You may not need a website yet if you are fully booked, nearly all your work comes from referrals and repeat customers, and nobody has ever asked for a site. Even then, a basic page of details is cheap insurance, because the day you want more customers or a slow patch hits, it is already there.
When you should not wait
- You want new customers who do not know you, not just people who follow you.
- You work in an area where people search before they ring, such as trades, clinics, salons or professional services.
- You cannot keep a page current, and an out-of-date page looks worse than none.
- You want to run Google Ads, which need somewhere good to send people.
- You are worried about relying on one platform you do not control.
What about Instagram, TikTok and the rest?
The same logic applies to every social platform. They are great for showing your work and staying in touch, and each one can change its rules or its reach. If a platform changed tomorrow, would customers still know how to reach you? If the answer depends on one account, that is a risk worth fixing.
Messages are not bookings
Many owners spend a lot of time answering the same questions in messages: where are you, what do you charge, are you open Sunday. A website can answer those before the customer ever messages, and a booking link means the diary fills without back and forth. That alone saves hours over a year.
Keeping it simple
If the idea of a website feels like one more job, remember that a small one is mostly set and forget. You add a post now and then, update your hours when they change, and let it do its work in the background while you get on with running the business. That is a very different thing from keeping a social feed alive every day.
You do not have to choose
The best setup for most small businesses uses all three. A Google Business Profile helps people find you on the map. A website holds the facts and takes the enquiry. Facebook keeps the conversation going with people who already know you. Link them together so each one points to the others.
What a simple website costs
You do not need a big project. At Straight Up Web, a site of up to five pages is $500 + GST, one price. We write the words, link to the booking tool you already use, add a news section you can post to yourself, and set up your Google Business Profile and Search Console. The first three months of Care hosting are included, then Care is $49 a month + GST, month to month. You own the site and the domain. See pricing and what a $500 website includes.
If you are not sure what to put on a site, our guide on what to put on a small business website is a good place to start, and our examples show what a finished one looks like.
A quick way to decide
Ask three questions. If a stranger searched for what I do in my area today, could they find me and trust me? Could they book or enquire in under a minute, without logging in anywhere? Do I control what they see? If the answer to any of those is no, a website will help. If all three are yes, you are in good shape, and you can revisit it when things change.
When you are ready, get started and we will take it from there. If you want to chat first, you are welcome to ask.