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Is a Facebook page or Google Business Profile enough, or do you need a website too?
· 4 min read
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Use all three if you can. A free Google Business Profile puts you on Maps, a Facebook page helps with referrals, and a website is the one place where you set the rules. Google and Meta can both suspend accounts under their policies; a site on your own domain keeps working.
Plenty of trade businesses run on a Facebook page and a Google profile alone, and for some that's genuinely enough. This page explains what each one does, what you're relying on when a platform hosts your business, and when it's worth adding a website. For the setup steps, use the Google Business Profile checklist. For the broader question, see does my business need a website?
What does each one actually do?
| Google Business Profile | Facebook page | Your own website | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free (ads cost extra) | Paid: a plan or a build, plus a domain |
| Where people find it | Google Search and Maps for "near me" searches | Facebook, local groups, shares from friends | Google Search, your profile's link, your truck and invoices |
| What you can show | Services, hours, photos, reviews, a short description | Posts, photos, reviews or recommendations, messages | Anything: every service, every town, prices, a quote form |
| Who sets the rules | Google's guidelines | Meta's Community Standards | You, within the law |
| Can it be suspended? | Yes, for not following guidelines. Appeals are allowed once | Accounts can be restricted after strikes, or disabled | Only if you stop paying or break your host's terms |
| Your address on the web | Google's | Facebook's | Yours, if the domain is in your name |
Why do you want both a profile and a website?
They do different jobs. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and your profile is how you get into the map results. A website is where people go to decide: they read your services, look at your work, check the towns you cover, and call or send a quote request.
Google's profile also has a website field, and its guidelines say: "Do not provide phone numbers or URLs that redirect or 'refer' users to landing pages or phone numbers other than those of the actual business, including pages created on social media sites." Your own website is the cleanest link to put there.
What happens if a platform suspends you or changes the rules?
- Google: Google says it may suspend or disable profiles that don't follow its guidelines. While a profile is removed, the public can't see it. You can appeal through Google's appeals tool with evidence like a business registration, license or utility bill, and "appeals can only be submitted once." If the owner's Google Account is removed, Google removes all the locations that user owns.
- Meta: Meta's Transparency Center says repeated violations lead to growing restrictions on what an account can do, that Pages that keep breaking the rules can be shown less, and that it may disable accounts after repeated warnings, or after one severe violation. It also says, "Sometimes we might make mistakes," and lets you ask for a review.
- Your website: it stays up as long as your hosting is paid and you follow your provider's terms. With your domain in your name, you can move it to another provider if you ever need to.
None of this means a suspension is likely. It means it's worth not having your whole business live on one platform's servers.
Google says not to create a new Business Profile for the same business while a suspended one is under appeal. Fix the problem and appeal instead.
When is a profile alone enough?
- Your calendar is full from repeat customers and referrals, and you don't want more work.
- You're just starting and want to test demand before paying for anything. Start with a complete Google profile.
- Your customers mostly find you through local Facebook groups and word of mouth, which is common in pressure washing, handyman work and house cleaning.
Whatever you use, answer the phone. The missed-call calculator shows what unanswered calls cost, whether they come from your profile, your page or your site. For our plan prices, see makeasite.co pricing. Compare next: lead apps vs your own website or web designer vs agency, or go back to the overview: does my business need a website?
Disclosure: makeasite.co sells done-for-you websites, so we're one of the options on this page, and we've said plainly where something else is the better pick. Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Yelp, Facebook, Meta and Google are trademarks of their owners. makeasite.co isn't affiliated with any of them.
Questions trade pros ask
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
Not to appear on Google Maps. But the profile has limited space, Google can change or suspend it, and it asks for a website link. A site gives people your full services, towns and photos, and a quote form.
Is a Facebook page enough for a small business?
It can be enough to get started, especially for referral-driven work. But people who search Google may never see it, Meta controls how it's shown, and Meta can restrict accounts that break its rules. Most pros add a Google profile next, then a website.
Can I use my Facebook page as my website on Google?
Google's guidelines say not to provide URLs that redirect or refer users to landing pages other than those of the actual business, "including pages created on social media sites." Your own website is the cleanest link to put there.
What happens if my Google Business Profile is suspended?
Google says the public can't see a removed profile, and you can appeal through its appeals tool, once, with evidence like a business license or utility bill. Don't create a new profile for the same business while you wait.
Sources
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help) Website & phone section. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Fix suspended or disabled profiles (Google Business Profile Help) Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Restricting accounts (Meta Transparency Center, updated Nov 12, 2024) Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Disabling accounts (Meta Transparency Center, updated Jul 17, 2025) Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- How Google determines local ranking (Google Business Profile Help) Relevance, distance and prominence. Checked Oct 17, 2026.