Which is better: a website or Facebook page?

facebook vs website

Which do you need to have for your t-shirt business:  a business website or a business Facebook page?

The short answer?

Both.

You need to have both.

You shouldn’t replace a website with a Facebook page.

There are differences between Facebook, and other social media as well, and your business website.

So, no, you should not use a Facebook page as your website.

You still need a website even if you have a Facebook page.

It is just as important to have a website for your t-shirt business as it is to have a Facebook page.

Here’s why.

 

Facebook vs. Business Website

Having a social media presence is almost a must these days, but having your own website is just as important as well.

The key, here, is making sure you utilize them both correctly.

Facebook is not a platform to host a website. It is a social media platform.

Facebook, and other social media, is a good way to reach people at a social level. Facebook is where many people are spending their time, so you want to be on there and be part of the conversation, making personal connections with your customers or potential customers.

We have a Facebook page where we share lots of useful information in regards to heat applied transfers, applying transfers, design ideas and inspirations, and other t-shirt business tips. Some of the tips we share are exclusive to our Facebook fans. (So if you haven’t yet liked our page, you might want to!)

Transfer Express Facebook page

You can also use your Facebook business page to promote your business, whether it is posting photos of your finished apparel, having a contest, or using it for ads. In regards to a sales funnel, this is at the top of the funnel – the awareness stage.

Therefore, Facebook is good to collect leads and connect with customers.

Because a Facebook business page is free to have, there is that temptation of only having a Facebook page, and not having your own website, too.

However, this mistake should be avoided!

Think of Facebook as rented land and anything you build on your page, you do not own. Just like if you are renting a house, you do not own any improvements you make to the property. The same is true for social media pages. Any followers or fan base that you build up on these platforms, you do not own.

The rules of the game can change at any time and without warning. One day you can reach out to all of your followers, and the next you have to pay to reach them. That’s exactly what happened.

There is little control over who sees your posts organically. To increase each post exposure, you need to pay to boost your post to even your own followers.

This is where having your own website comes into play. When using Facebook to promote your business, always try to point back and link to your own website.

Don’t just build up a following on your Facebook page, but instead, get them to also join your email list (which requires you to actually have an email list).

Facebook is a good place to start to build awareness. Your website is where you can nurture them into sales.

By engaging them to your own website, over time, you will build up your own loyal tribe of followers. You own your email list. Facebook does not.

[Related Content: How to Engage Users on Your T-Shirt Website]

Make sure to give your email list lots of value. On average, a person will consume about 7 pieces of content from a company before they make a purchase.

[Related Content: 9 Reasons Content Marketing Can Help Your T-Shirt Business]

That does not mean 7 ads. The more you blast your email list with ads and promotions, the less likely they will be to stick around and find value.

They may like an occasional coupon code, but be careful on the frequency you offer coupons.

[Related Content: T-Shirt Marketing 101: Promotion]

Going back to the sales funnel, your emails and website will help push people down the funnel towards making a purchase when done correctly.

Your website is a place that can answer more questions about your products and services.

It should help overcome customer objections.

There are lots of sales funnel theories out there, but a basic sales funnel looks something like this:

sales funnel(image source)

As visitors and email subscribers progress down the sales funnel, they gain interest and consider your products/services.

As you get more sophisticated with your website, you can use your emails to engage with your list at various points of action that they have taken on your site.

You can control who you talk to with specific messages.

As time progresses, you can test and figure out what really works to convert your customers to solidify your sales process.

[Related Content: 7 Tests to Grow Your T-Shirt Business]

 

Conclusion

So to sum up, use both Facebook and a business website for your t-shirt business. Facebook is a good place to create awareness and collect leads.

Then, use your business website to nurture those leads into sales.

Need help creating a website?

Here’s our guide on How to Create a Website for Your T-Shirt Business Using WordPress.

 

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