A lot of NZ builders and tradies run their business entirely off a Facebook page. It works. Up to a point.
The question isn't whether Facebook is useful. It is. The question is whether it does the same job as a website. It doesn't. They do different things, and understanding the difference is what decides whether you need both or whether one is enough for where you are right now.
What a Facebook page does well
Facebook is good at a few specific things:
- Posting photos of finished jobs so your existing followers see them
- Collecting reviews from past customers
- Community groups where locals ask for trade recommendations
- Running paid ads to people in a specific area
- Giving people a place to message you directly
It's free to set up and most people already know how to use it. If someone's in a local Facebook group asking "who does good tiling in Palmerston North?" and your page has photos and reviews, that's a real lead.
What a Facebook page can't do
Here's where the gap opens up.
Facebook pages don't rank on Google. If someone searches "builder Christchurch" or "roofer Wellington," Google shows websites in the search results. It doesn't show Facebook pages the same way. A Facebook page is essentially invisible to anyone searching on Google who doesn't already know your business exists.
You don't own your Facebook page. Meta owns it. They can change the algorithm so your posts reach 3% of your followers instead of 30%. They can restrict your account if their automated system flags something. They can shut pages down. None of this is under your control.
A Facebook page looks less professional to certain types of clients. Property managers, commercial clients, body corporates, and anyone ordering a larger project will often Google a business before sending work their way. If the only thing they find is a Facebook page, they may look elsewhere. It's not that Facebook is untrustworthy; it's that a website signals you're running a proper business, not a side operation.
What a website does
A website gives you something that lives on the open web, indexed by Google, visible to anyone searching for your trade in your area. The key things it does:
- Ranks in Google search results for "builder [suburb]" or "plumber [city]"
- Works 24/7 without you posting anything
- Gives commercial and property clients something to assess you by
- Shows up when someone Googles your business name after a referral
- Gives you a professional email address and domain you own
- Looks correct when you include it on quotes, invoices, or signage
A website is your home base. It's where everything else points to. Your Google Business Profile links to it. Your Facebook page links to it. Your email signature links to it. The goal is to own a piece of the web that you control completely and that keeps working without ongoing effort.
The scenario that decides it
Say a property manager in Auckland is looking for a reliable builder to manage maintenance across a portfolio of rentals. They've heard your name from another tradie. They Google "your business name."
Option A: They find a website. It has photos of your work, lists what you do, shows your service area, and has a phone number and contact form. They call you.
Option B: They find a Facebook page with 180 followers and your last post from seven months ago. They're not sure you're still operating at that scale. They move on to someone else.
Option C: They find nothing. They conclude you're too small or not the right fit. They move on.
That's not a hypothetical. It's what happens. Property managers and commercial clients don't spend time chasing leads. If your online presence doesn't reassure them in 30 seconds, you're not getting that call.
The real answer: use both
Facebook and a website aren't competing. They're doing different jobs. Facebook gets you visibility inside social communities, referrals from local groups, and a place to post your work casually. A website gets you Google traffic, a professional presence, and leads from people who've never heard of you before.
Most tradies who build a website don't abandon Facebook. They keep posting. They just stop relying on it as their only presence. The website handles the Google side. Facebook handles the community side. Both send leads.
The mistake is treating a Facebook page as a substitute for a website. It isn't. It's a supplement.
What about Instagram?
Instagram is great for visual trades. Builders, painters, landscapers, and tilers do well with photo content there. But Instagram has the same core problem: you don't own it, and it doesn't rank on Google. Use it for audience building. Your website is still your home base.
Getting started
If you don't have a website yet, Site Sorted builds one for you in about 15 minutes for $299 with no monthly fees. It's built for NZ tradies, mobile-first, and set up to rank for your trade and your area. One payment, done.
For a full breakdown of what different website options cost, read How Much Does a Tradie Website Cost in NZ?
And if you're still on the fence about whether you need one at all, Does My Trade Business Need a Website in 2026? covers that question directly.
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