Short answer: for most small businesses, yes. Facebook is good for updates and word of mouth, but it doesn’t replace a website. In auDA’s 2026 research, 45% of Australian consumers surveyed said they wouldn’t buy from a business online if it only had a social media presence and no website. One clear page, linked from your Facebook page and Google profile, helps with that.
What the research says
- 45% of Australian consumers surveyed would not buy from a business online if it had social media but no website (auDA, Why .au? 2026).
- Almost three in four Australian consumers surveyed will only buy from a business online if it has a website (same report).
- 56% of Australian small businesses now have their own website, up from 49% a year earlier (auDA, Digital Lives of Australians 2026). That still leaves plenty of competitors without one, so a good site helps you stand out.
What Facebook does well
- Posting updates, photos and specials for people who already follow you
- Reaching new people through shares and local community groups
- Messages from regulars, at no cost
Where Facebook falls short
- You don’t own it. Meta decides the layout, who sees your posts and the rules. Pages get locked or hacked: in the three months to October 2024, 73% of the digital platform disputes brought to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman involved Facebook or Instagram, and nearly two-thirds of those were hacked accounts (ASBFEO, 2024).
- Not everyone uses it. Some customers won’t log in, and some don’t have an account at all.
- The basics get buried. Prices, services, hours and the suburbs you cover sit under weeks of posts, which is hard work on a phone.
- It looks like everyone else’s page. It’s hard to show why you’re the better choice.
“We’re too small for a website”
Small is exactly why you need one. Customers who don’t know you yet look you up before they call. A website is where you show you’re a real business: who you are, what you charge, where you work and how to reach you.
You don’t need ten pages. One clear page with your services, area, hours, photos and a call button covers most of what people look for.
When Facebook alone is enough
If all your work comes from repeat customers and referrals, you’re booked out, and you never take bookings or payments online, a website can wait. Do set up your Google Business Profile, because that’s where many people will look you up. See Google Business Profile or a website.
What to put on a one-page website
- What you do and the suburbs you cover
- Your prices, or a starting price
- Hours, phone number and a tap-to-call button
- Real photos of your work, team or premises
- Your business name and ABN
- Links to your Facebook page and your Google reviews
Where ShreeNova fits
Our Starter website is one long page with a contact form, Google Maps and click to call or WhatsApp. It’s $990, then $79 a month for hosting and care, and we design your homepage free before you pay anything. See pricing, or read how customers check a business is legit.