It's a familiar pattern. A great little Irish business — a café, a salon, a tradesperson — runs everything through a Facebook page. "It works for me," they'll say. Mostly it does. Until it doesn't.
Three quiet ways a Facebook-only presence costs you
1. You're invisible to anyone not on Facebook
Roughly 30% of Irish adults under 35 don't actively use Facebook anymore. They search Google. If your business doesn't appear there with a real website, you don't exist to them.
2. Google can't index a Facebook page properly
Facebook pages rarely rank for "plumber Galway" or "café Stoneybatter." A simple website with the right page titles will outrank a Facebook page for your own business name within weeks.
3. You don't own your audience
Meta decides what your followers see. Organic reach for local Pages is now below 5%. You're paying to reach the audience you already built. A website + an email list is yours forever.
What a basic website fixes
- Shows up on Google Maps and search for your services + town.
- Lets you take bookings, enquiries or orders 24/7.
- Builds an email list nobody can take from you.
- Looks more professional when someone vets you (and they do).
- Costs less per year than one boosted Facebook post per month.
You don't have to leave Facebook
Keep it. Post photos, run promotions, chat with regulars. Just point everything back to your own website. Facebook becomes the megaphone; your site is the shop.
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