Moving from a Facebook page to a proper website you own
If your business started on Facebook and you are ready to grow, a small business website Ballarat customers can find on Google is the next step. I help you make the move without losing what you have built.
Now your business is ready for something it can grow into
I work mostly with small businesses. A lot of the people who contact me only have a Facebook page. It makes sense. A Facebook page is free, quick to set up and great for sharing photos of your work. Plenty of Ballarat businesses got their first customers that way.
Then things start to grow. You want new customers who do not already follow you. You want people to find you when they search Google for what you do. You want to look established when a bigger client checks you out. That is usually when a Facebook page starts holding the business back.
Getting a proper website does not mean walking away from Facebook. It means giving your business a home base you control, with Facebook working alongside it.
Why Facebook alone limits a Ballarat small business
Facebook is a great social tool. It just was not designed to be your whole business presence on the web.
Facebook pages rarely show up when someone in Ballarat searches for a plumber, a florist or a dog groomer. A website can.
Facebook decides who sees your posts. Even your own followers miss most of them unless you pay to boost.
Your page lives on Facebook’s rules. Accounts get locked, hacked or restricted and getting help back is hard.
Your price list and service details sink under newer posts. A website puts them front and centre.
Messages scatter across Messenger, comments and inboxes. A website form sends every enquiry straight to your email.
Plenty of customers do not use Facebook at all or will not log in just to see your details.
Most of the hard work you have already done
The good news is your Facebook page is a great starting point. Years of photos, reviews and posts are all material I can use to build your website, so you are not starting from a blank page.
I look through your page, pick out the best photos of your work and turn your posts into clear service descriptions. Your best customer reviews can be shown on the website too. Then I link the two together so Facebook followers can find your website and website visitors can follow you on Facebook.
I also set up or tidy your Google Business Profile, which is the listing that shows on Google Maps. That one step on its own can bring in calls from people searching nearby.
Fixed prices with GST included and no surprises
Most businesses moving from Facebook start with a Single Page Website or a Complete Website. Every option includes mobile friendly design, a contact form, a Google Map, Google Analytics, SEO ready setup and full access to edit.
$880
A common starting point after Facebook
Most popular
$2200
Room to grow with separate pages
from $3300
Starting price for selling or bookings online
All prices include GST. Domain and hosting are extra. A free first year of WordPress maintenance comes with every build.
A simple process that fits around running your business
You do not need to write everything yourself or know anything about websites. I guide you through it over the phone, email and video calls.
1
I ask about what you do, who your customers are and what you want the website to achieve.
2
I go through your Facebook page for photos, reviews and posts, then write up the pages with you.
3
I design and build the site on WordPress, then send you a link to check and request changes.
4
The site goes live, Facebook and your Google Business Profile are linked to it and you get your logins.
Your page and your website work better together
Facebook is still a great place to share your latest jobs and chat with regular customers. Keep posting. The difference is that now each post can send people somewhere useful, like your price list, a booking page or your contact form.
Over time, your small business website becomes the place Ballarat customers land from Google, from your Google Maps listing and from your Facebook page. Everything points to one spot you own and control. If Facebook changes its rules again, your business keeps going.
When you are ready to go further, local SEO and Google Ads can bring more people to the site. Have a look at my website design page for more on how I work.
What Ballarat business owners ask before taking the step
Got a question that isn’t covered here? Ring me or send a message and you’ll hear back within one business day.
Website Design Ballarat, run by Nick Fritzkowski, helps small businesses in Ballarat move from a Facebook page to a proper website. Nick specialises in small business sites and many of his enquiries come from owners who only have Facebook. He reuses your photos, reviews and posts so the new site reflects the business you have already built.
Turning a Facebook page into a website in Ballarat starts at $880 including GST for a Single Page Website from Website Design Ballarat. A Complete Website with separate pages for each service is $2200. Both include a contact form, Google Map, mobile friendly design and a free first year of WordPress maintenance, with domain and hosting extra.
Ballarat customers often cannot find a Facebook business page on Google because Facebook pages are not built to rank for local service searches. Google prefers websites with clear pages about each service and location. A website plus a Google Business Profile gives you a far better chance of appearing when people nearby search for what you do.
Facebook reviews and recommendations can be shown on a new Ballarat business website, which helps new visitors trust you straight away. Nick picks out your best reviews and adds them to the pages where they help most, such as the homepage or service pages. Linking to your Facebook page lets people read the rest.
Keeping your Facebook page after getting a website is a good idea for most Ballarat businesses. Facebook is still useful for sharing recent work and staying in touch with regular customers. The website becomes your home base. Facebook posts can link back to it so followers land on your services, prices and enquiry form.
A single page website is enough for many small businesses in Ballarat that offer a few services and mainly need to be found and contacted. At $880 it covers your services, photos, reviews, a contact form and a Google Map. If you offer lots of different services, the $2200 Complete Website gives each one its own page.
A Google Business Profile is worth having alongside a website for almost every local business in Victoria. It is the listing that appears on Google Maps and in the local results with your phone number and reviews. Nick sets it up or tidies it as part of moving you from Facebook and links it to your new website.
Moving a Ballarat business from Facebook to a website needs very little preparation because most of the content already sits on your page. Nick goes through your photos, reviews and posts for you. It helps to have a business name, a rough list of services and any logo files ready. He can help with the domain name.
Send me a link to your Facebook page and I will tell you what your new website could look like and what it would cost.
