Given the popularity of social media platforms, you might be tempted to think that your website is a luxury that can be dispensed with, but hold back on that decision. No matter how successful any or all of your online marketing strategies may be – you will still need a website to be the hub for all of them. Optimizing the content and SEO of your website can be one of the key ways in which you create sustainable growth online.

Fact: Your website faces less competition than your Facebook page

That’s an important point to note – engagement with Facebook pages has been steadily falling since January 2017 – in the good old days you could post an item and be fairly confident it would reach the vast majority of your audience – these days the figures are tiny compared to 5 years ago – Why? Money of course! Facebook is geared to getting revenue from advertisers and charges at every possible opportunity. Put in simple terms there is now more content being written than there is time to read it, and paid content will of course get priority.

In 2018 the average news-feed displayed around 1500 stories on Facebook and the typical Facebook user increased their totl number of page likes by around 50% The more pages someone likes and the more friends they have the harder it is for a competitor to get noiced at all.

On your website, whilst you will certainly have fewer visitors – you will have one big advantage – you have their complete attention, even if it is only for a short time.

Getting visitors to your website demands a lot of marketing effort, especially if you have a lot of competition for keyword terms, but a progressive and steady content program will likely decrease the competition over time – On the other hand competition on Facebook will only ever increase.

Fact: You control the website experience

Everything on your website is 100% yours – the branding the content and the design. Yes, it’s true that you can customize some parts of the Facebook business page with backgrounds and photo’s but even with the maximum changes, a Facebook page will still always look like a Facebook page!

Your company website is a much better way of telling your story in a clear and individual way. An added bonus its that your website will never be subject to the constant ‘improvements’ and changes to the Facebook algorithm. Whether you like it or not, using any third party sites means you have to stick to their terms of service, end of story.

FACT: You own the data from your website

Facebook may be a great place to attract eyeballs, however that shouldn’t be the end of the journey for your prospects attracting them to your website and acquiring their details should be the next part of your mission. That’s the point at which you leverage your website – to make an offer, and collect the all important email details.

Facebook Page vs. Website: which is best?

The answer is easy, you shold not be relying on one platform – esepecially a platform wehere, if you break the rules, you lose your content and your data. There is no susbtitue for being in control of your own brand and resources.

If your typical buyer does any sort of research before buying or making a decision your website will be the place to provide the best information and guidance – drive the traffic using social media by all means but don’t rely on something you don’t own or control to get the lead or make the sale!