I get this question from local business owners all the time. "Should I focus on my Facebook page or get a website?" Sometimes it comes with a follow up: "I already post on Instagram. Why would I pay for a website?"
Fair question. Let me give you a fair answer.
Social media and a website are not competing with each other. They do completely different jobs. But if I had to pick one for a local business to invest in first, I know exactly what I would choose.
What Social Media Is Good At
Social media does a few things really well. It keeps you visible. It keeps you in people's feeds. It lets you show personality, share behind the scenes moments, and stay connected with the community.
For a business here in Sedalia, posting in local Facebook groups, sharing photos of your work, responding to comments, all of that builds awareness. People see your name. They recognize your brand. When they need what you offer, you come to mind first.
That's real value. I'm not going to pretend it isn't.
But here's the problem.
You Don't Own Your Social Media
Your Facebook page, your Instagram account, your TikTok following: none of that belongs to you. It belongs to the platform.
Facebook decides who sees your posts. Not you. The organic reach for a business page right now is somewhere between 2% and 5%. That means if you have 500 followers and post something, maybe 10 to 25 people actually see it. The rest never know it existed.
The platform controls the algorithm. They can change the rules tomorrow. They have before, multiple times. Businesses that built their entire presence on Facebook have watched their reach collapse overnight because of an algorithm update they had no control over.
And it gets worse. Accounts get hacked. Pages get reported and disabled by mistake. I have talked to business owners who lost access to their Facebook page and had no backup plan. No website, no email list, no other way for customers to find them. Just gone.
That's a scary position to be in.
What a Website Does Differently
Your website is yours. You own the domain. You own the content. You control what it says, how it looks, and where it shows up. No algorithm is deciding whether people get to see your business information today.
When someone Googles your business name (and they will), your website is what shows up. Not your Facebook page, not your Instagram grid. Your website. That is where people go to decide if they trust you enough to pick up the phone.
A website does three things that social media cannot:
- It builds credibility. A professional website tells people you are a real, established business. No website (or a bad one) makes people wonder if you are still open.
- It ranks on Google. Social media posts don't show up in local search results. Your website does. When someone searches "plumber in Sedalia" or "powder coating near me," Google is pulling from websites, not Facebook pages.
- It converts visitors into customers. Your website has one job: make it easy for someone to understand what you do and contact you. No distractions, no competing posts, no notification popups pulling their attention away.
The Problem I See with Local Businesses
I look at a lot of Sedalia business websites and social media pages. The pattern I see over and over is this: a business will have an active Facebook page with regular posts, good engagement, maybe a couple hundred followers. Then you Google their name and there is no website. Or there is one from 2014 that looks like it was built on a free template and never touched again.
That Facebook page is doing the hard work of getting attention. But when someone takes the next step and Googles the business to learn more, there is nothing there to close the deal. The lead just disappears.
Social media gets you noticed. Your website gets you hired.
The Ideal Setup
In a perfect world, you have both working together. Social media drives awareness. People see your posts, they hear your name, they get curious. Then they Google you. Your website is sitting there, clean and professional, with everything they need to make a decision.
Here is how that actually looks for a local business:
- Post on social media regularly. Share photos of your work. Respond to comments. Be present in local groups. Keep your name in front of people.
- Set up your Google Business Profile. This is free, takes 20 minutes, and puts you on Google Maps. It is the single most important online listing for any local business.
- Have a website that does its job. Clear description of what you do. Real photos. Easy to find contact info. Works on a phone. Loads fast. That is the whole checklist.
Social media warms people up. Your Google Business Profile gets you found on the map. Your website seals the deal. All three working together is the strongest position you can be in.
But If You Can Only Pick One
If a business owner came to me and said "David, I can only do one thing right now," I would tell them to get the website first.
Here is why. Social media without a website means you are building awareness with no place to send people. You are generating interest with no way to convert it. Someone sees your post, gets curious, Googles your name, and finds nothing. Or finds a Facebook page where they have to scroll through posts to figure out what you even do and how to contact you.
A website without social media still works. People Google local businesses every day. If your site shows up, looks professional, and makes it easy to call you, it is doing its job. You can always add social media later to amplify things.
The website is the foundation. Everything else builds on top of it.
What This Actually Costs
Social media is free to use. That is its biggest advantage. But it costs time. Real, consistent, daily time. And if you are running a business, your time is not free.
A website costs money upfront but works for you 24/7 without you having to post, engage, or respond to keep it visible. It just sits there, doing its job, every time someone searches for your type of business.
For most small businesses, the smart move is a solid website first, then social media as a layer on top when you have the time and energy for it.
The Bottom Line
Social media and your website are not enemies. They serve different purposes and they work best together. But if you are relying only on social media for your online presence, you are building on rented land. One algorithm change, one account issue, and you could lose everything you built.
Your website is the one piece of your online presence that you actually own and control. Start there.
If you are not sure where your business stands, or if your current website is actually doing its job, reach out and let's talk about it. I will give you an honest answer.