Do I Need a Website If I Have a Google Business Profile or Facebook Page?

Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile or Facebook Page? It’s a fair question. With so many free tools available—Google Business Profiles, Facebook Pages, Instagram—do small businesses still need a website in 2025?

The short answer? Yes.

Platforms like Google, Facebook, TikTok, and other social media channels play a big role in local discovery. They help customers find you, check your reviews, and get in touch. But they’re not substitutes for a proper website. Not if you want to grow, compete, and stay in control of your digital presence.

Why Your Online Presence Needs More Than Just Social Media

Having a Facebook Page or Google listing helps you get found. But they don’t give you full control.

These platforms limit your branding, restrict layout options, and frequently change their rules and algorithms. One small update on their end can mean fewer people seeing your posts—or worse, getting locked out of your account.

When you rely entirely on these platforms, you’re renting digital space. A website is the only part of your online presence you truly own.

That matters.

Your business website becomes the central hub. It's where potential customers learn about your services, book appointments, or explore products—without distractions or restrictions.

And if you work with experienced web developers in Australia, your site can be built to load fast, rank well, and work beautifully on mobile. That’s something no Facebook Page can match.

Key Takeaways

• A website gives you full ownership and control over your digital brand
  
  
• Social media and listings are helpful but limited by platform rules and design constraints
  
  
• Custom web design services make your business stand out and perform better across devices
  
  
• A professional web developer ensures your site is secure, scalable, and SEO-ready

‍

Control and Consistency Across Your Brand

Why control matters

When someone visits your website, it’s your space. You control the look, feel, message, and flow. No ads. No unrelated posts. No platform restrictions.

You can highlight your services, share testimonials, publish blog content, and add features like live chat or booking forms—all tailored to your business goals.

Brand-first web design

This flexibility is what makes custom web design services so valuable. You're not stuck with cookie-cutter templates. You get a design that aligns with your brand and delivers the experience your customers expect.

That’s especially important in B2B environments, where trust and professionalism make or break decisions.

For a closer look at what custom web design really means—and why it’s important for growing businesses—read our blog on What Are Custom Web Designs & Why They Matter for Your Business.

SEO Starts with the Right Foundation

Google loves websites that are fast, mobile-friendly, and well-structured. A properly built site allows for on-page SEO, structured content, and technical enhancements that listings simply can’t support.

And while Google Business Profiles help with local visibility, they don’t give you the content depth or control that a dedicated website offers.

A website allows you to create landing pages for specific services, publish optimised blog posts, and fine-tune meta titles and descriptions—core strategies that help you rank.

When you invest in a site built by a skilled web developer in Australia, you're also investing in long-term visibility. Your site can be optimised for both local and broader search intent—bringing in leads consistently over time.

If you want to dive deeper into SEO—especially from a Brisbane business owner’s perspective—this guide, SEO Basics for a New Website, offers a solid starting point.

‍

Driving Conversions and Business Growth

Your Facebook Page might generate likes. Your Google listing might earn clicks. But they’re not built to convert.

A website, on the other hand, is a conversion engine.

Whether it’s contact forms, email sign-ups, appointment bookings, or direct purchases, your website turns interest into action. With smart design and strategic content, it guides users from curiosity to conversion.

Crucially, your website also provides robust analytics tools, giving you data on user behaviour, traffic sources, and marketing effectiveness—something social platforms simply can’t match.

This is where custom web design services really shine—structuring your site around your audience’s intent and your business goals.

And if you’re planning for long-term growth, you might want to explore how Webflow handles growing website needs to ensure your platform can scale with your business

Why Risk Everything on Third-Party Platforms?

Accounts can be banned. Algorithms can change. Features can disappear. You don’t control any of it.

And when your whole business depends on platforms you don’t own, you’re always at risk.

Websites offer security. Once it’s built, it's yours. You decide the rules, the updates, the future.

Some businesses have lost years of content or customer engagement because of a hacked social account or a flagged post. Having your own website protects you from these uncertainties.

Working with a local web developer in Australia helps ensure your website is stable, future-ready, and connected to platforms that boost—not replace—your digital footprint.

If you're located in Queensland, you can view our Caboolture locality page to see how we support businesses in the area with web development built for local success.

Integration Is Key—Not Replacement

This isn’t about choosing one or the other. A smart digital strategy uses both.

Google Business Profiles help you show up on maps and get reviews. Facebook keeps your community engaged. Your website connects everything—offering depth, credibility, and functionality that no third-party profile can match.

You can embed Google reviews on your site. Link your blog posts to Facebook. Add your website URL to every profile you have. It all works together.

But your website remains the centrepiece. It’s the place people go to learn more, make decisions, and take action.

Even in 2025, nothing drives digital credibility like a well-built website.

Final Thoughts: The Long-Term Value of Your Own Website

IIn 2025, a website is still one of the smartest investments any business can make.

It anchors your online presence, serves as your ultimate digital credential, builds trust, drives conversions, and helps you grow sustainably. And with the help of experienced web developers, it doesn’t have to be hard.

You don’t need to ditch your Facebook Page or Google listing—but they should point back to something you own, control, and optimise.

Your business deserves a digital home that works just as hard as you do.

If you found this helpful, feel free to explore more of our blogs on SEO, web design, and digital strategy. And if you're ready to build a website that gives you full control and lasting impact, our team’s here to help—reach out any time.

‍