I am always amazed when clients or prospects tell me "I already have a Facebook page, I don’t need a website".

Facebook is a terrific entry level way for start-up or established businesses to generate interest in their products or services. You can make connections with potential clients and help expand your business network with the potential to reach a massive audience (depending on your timeframe and budget). In fact, most of the major social media sites offer some type of ‘business portal’ including, but not limited to, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, as well as video sharing sites Youtube and Vimeo. Plus, they are all super quick to set up and can be free depending on the site and the service.

So that’s it, deal done, case closed. Facebook is the be all and end all… well not quite.

Despite all the positives that accompany having a strong Facebook presence, there is one important element that all social media lacks -- your control of the environment.  Facebook doesn’t let you display your company the way you want and, ultimately, need to establish a unique online brand. Sure, you can change the company header and your profile picture but the static template layout that Facebook provides always remains the same.

A website, on the other hand, enables you to:

• Control the look and feel, adding a much needed hit of character and brand personality.
• Direct people to particular areas of your business, perhaps to a certain product or particular service.
• Meticulously plan and control the content and where it is displayed.
• Differentiate your business from its competitors with a customized, responsive design.

So while Facebook and other social media sites are useful tools, a custom website creates an important point of difference and uniqueness. Used together, this online presence is a great strategy to, firstly, gain interest from a crowd of almost infinite people and, secondly, point them to a professional site that accurately represents your business.