Why Websites Still Matter in a Facebook World

There are some who say that you no longer need a website because, Facebook is taking over the world. Facebook has become the biggest walled garden of content, much of which is not public and therefore only accessible in Facebook. This “darkweb” phenomenon has made it “the” web destination site, right after Google. So, why do websites still matter?

Some of us can’t use Facebook 24/7

Facebook at work is usually frowned upon or even BLOCKED. This leaves a very important part of the population unable to access the content you’ve laboriously placed on Facebook.

Flexibility

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You are special, your content is too. There is something to be said for constraint as in, It’s often hard for contractors to say no to misguided ideas. However, when that power is used correctly, you can end up with a far more competitive product, one that you can’t afford to be without.

Discoverability

In general people Google for information first. People expect you to have a website, Facebook is still an optional second for many businesses. Even in markets where a Facebook page is expected, it is not expected that you’ll have ALL your content there.

Integrations

Integrating third party tools into your Facebook page such as a Pinterest button, a VR Tour, a live chat system, or any integration with competing services is not always possible. For instace, it’s widely known that Facebook penalizes youtube videos posted on Facebook. These are not a limitations you’ll find in a typical website.

Analytics and Privacy

Many larger businesses are quite conservative about their data. As such, asking clients to handover their data to Facebook before interacting with you is quite a high bar. Not to mention that Facebook is one of the most frequently blocked services by corporate firewalls. Facebook’s statistics are also notoriously inacurate, counting video and page views for people who scroll by their timeline.

In short, your website should be the number one priority when it comes to getting your image, brand and message across in a way that meets your business goals. It should serve as a jumping point from which your content spreads across NextDoor, Pinterest, SnapChat, Twitter and of course, Facebook.