Do I need a website if I have a Facebook page?
If all your work comes from word of mouth and you're fully booked, a Facebook page might be enough for now. But if you want new customers who search Google or ask an AI assistant for a tradesperson, you'll struggle without a website. Facebook is a good shop window inside Facebook; a website is how you get found everywhere else, on terms you control.
The honest answer
Plenty of tradespeople run a busy business with just a Facebook page and a phone number. If that's you, and you're turning work away, you don't need us telling you otherwise. A website isn't magic.
The question is really about where your next customers come from. If you want more work, different work (more installs, fewer callouts), or work from towns where nobody knows you yet, Facebook alone has some real limits.
What Facebook does well
- It's free and quick to set up
- Local community groups are a genuine source of recommendations
- Posting photos of finished jobs is easy from your phone
- Customers can message you and leave recommendations
- People who already know you can find and share you easily
Where Facebook falls short
It doesn't do much for Google searches
When someone types "emergency plumber Bournemouth" or "electrician near me", Google mostly shows its map results and websites. A Facebook page may show up if someone searches your exact business name, but it rarely competes for the searches that bring in new customers.
You don't own it
Your page lives on Facebook's platform and follows its rules. Accounts get hacked, locked or restricted, sometimes with little explanation and no easy way to get help. If that happens, your reviews, photos and contact details can disappear overnight. A website on a domain in your name is yours.
Not everyone uses Facebook
Some customers don't have an account or don't like logging in. Others are put off by a business that only exists on social media, especially for bigger jobs where they're spending thousands.
It's hard to explain what you do
A Facebook page has one "About" section and a stream of posts. It's not built for clear pages on each service, the areas you cover, your accreditations and your prices. Customers have to scroll to work out whether you do what they need.
What a website adds
Showing up on Google
Separate pages for each service and area give Google something to match to searches like "boiler service Christchurch". A website also strengthens your Google Business Profile, because Google can check your details against it.
Showing up in AI assistants
More people now ask ChatGPT, Copilot or Google's AI answers to recommend a local tradesperson. These tools draw on information they can read across the web, and a clear website is one of the best sources you can give them. See our guide on getting recommended by ChatGPT.
Ownership
Your domain, your content, your contact form. If a platform changes its rules, your website and the enquiries it brings in keep working.
Trust
A tidy website with your accreditations, insurance, real photos and reviews reassures people before they call, especially those who've found you through a recommendation and want to check you out.
Use both, not one or the other
The best setup for most tradespeople is simple: a website as your home base, a properly set up Google Business Profile, and Facebook for community groups and showing off recent jobs. Link them together. Put your website on your Facebook page and your Google profile, and share new website pages and project photos on Facebook.
That way, every customer who finds you anywhere ends up somewhere you control, with a clear way to call or ask for a quote.
When Facebook alone might be fine
- You're fully booked months ahead from repeat customers and referrals
- You work in a small, close community where everyone knows you
- You're just testing whether a side business will work
Even then, it's worth registering your business name as a domain now, so nobody else takes it.
What a website costs
It doesn't have to be expensive. Our guide on how much a small business website costs in the UK covers the options honestly, from DIY builders to agencies. If you'd like to see what we'd build for your trade, look at our pages for plumbers, electricians, builders and cleaners, or compare our packages.
Questions
Can a Facebook page rank on Google?
A Facebook page can appear when someone searches your business name, but it rarely ranks for searches like "plumber near me" or "electrician Poole". Those results tend to go to websites and Google Business Profiles.
Should I stop using Facebook if I get a website?
No. Keep using Facebook for local groups, recommendations and showing recent jobs. Link it to your website so the two support each other.
Is a Google Business Profile enough on its own?
It's the most important free listing for a local business, and some businesses get by on it. A website gives Google and customers more detail, which usually helps your profile perform better too.
What is the cheapest way to get a proper website?
A DIY builder is cheapest in money but costs time. A simple freelancer site or a pay-monthly plan are the usual next steps. Whatever you choose, make sure the domain is in your name.
Wondering what you're missing without a website?
Get a free check: where you appear on Google for your trade and town, and whether AI assistants can find you.
More guides: all guides · website costs in the UK · getting on Google Maps