FREE WEBSITE VS. FACEBOOK – WHICH FIRST?

So you’ve decided it is time to establish an online presence for your business. Your buddy suggests getting your own website; your teenage nephew says, Facebook Page is free and not to mention the millions of users you can reach!

NOW WHICH ONE DO YOU CHOOSE, YOUR OWN WEBSITE OR A FACEBOOK PAGE?

Creating a Facebook Page is easy. Signup. Write. Post. Tada! Your page is now accessible to millions of potential customers.

Facebook Pages, or any social networking sites give you an extra reach you don’t get with your website. It can help you promote your business to a massive audience without costing you a dime. It allows you to develop your company image and get creative with your audiences and customers.

However, to develop a long term business strategy and loyal customers, you need your own website, and here’s why.

Problems with social networking sites:

1. No ownership, no control. Social networking sites can change its policies, lose data, or one day goes out of business, all at their own discretion.
2. Not everyone is on social media networking sites. For example, the majority of Facebook users in the United States are female between the ages of 18-25.
3. A social media networking site URL doesn’t deliver the professionalism a website URL does. Would you buy from an online business that only has a Facebook Page and not their own website?

Your website should always be the foundation of your company’s online presence. It plays an important part in how your business is seen online.

If the main reason why you would consider a Facebook Page and not your own website is because setting up a Facebook Page is free, then maybe you should know that setting up your own website with your own domain name is not as expensive as you’d think. Many free web hosting companies offer free web hosting services if you purchase a domain name from them. Take advantage of the competitive web hosting market, look for a free web hosting company that also offers free email services, a free website creator and applications to help you build your website, and most of all, no forced ads.