Do contractors need a website if they have Facebook? Straight talk for Maine trades

Do contractors need a website if they have Facebook? Straight answer: most do. Keep your Facebook page. It's a good way to show off jobs and stay in touch with people who already know you. But when someone who doesn't know you yet searches Google for a roofer or a plow guy, they mostly see websites and Maps listings, not Facebook posts. A simple website catches those customers. Facebook keeps the ones you already have.

I'm not here to talk you out of Facebook. Here's what it does well, where it falls short for a trade business, and when Facebook alone might honestly be enough.

What Facebook does well for contractors

• It's free and it's quick. Snap a photo of a finished deck, post it from the truck, done.
• Your neighbors are already there. In a lot of Maine towns, the local Facebook group is where people ask "anyone know a good electrician?" A recommendation there is worth a lot.
• It shows you're active. Recent posts tell people you're still in business and busy.
• Messages are easy. Plenty of customers are happy to send a quick message instead of calling.

All of that is real. The trouble is that Facebook was built for keeping up with people, not for being found by strangers who need a job done.

Facebook page vs website for contractors: 6 places Facebook falls short

1. Google searches mostly turn up websites and Maps listings

When someone searches "roofer Bangor" or "kitchen remodel Portland," Google mostly shows the map results and regular websites. A Facebook page can show up for your exact business name, but it rarely competes for the service searches that bring in new customers. If you're not sure why your business isn't showing up, my guide to why a website doesn't show up on Google walks through it.

2. You don't control Facebook

Facebook decides who sees your posts, can change the rules whenever it likes, and accounts do get hacked or locked. If that happens, your page and its history can disappear overnight. With a website, your web address is registered in your name, and the text and photos you provide are yours. If you ever change web designers, your domain and your content go with you.

3. Not everyone uses Facebook

Some of your best customers may never see your page. Commercial clients and property managers usually search Google and check a website before they put you on a bid list. Out-of-state folks who just bought a camp on the lake are searching from home, hours away, with no idea which local groups to join. Some people simply aren't on Facebook at all.

4. It's harder to look established

Fair or not, a website on your own domain makes a small outfit look like a real business. A clear page with your services, the towns you cover and photos of your work says "I've been doing this a while." An email address on your own domain helps too. A Facebook page looks the same as everyone else's.

5. Your Google Business Profile works better with a website

Your Google Business Profile is the free listing that puts you on Google Maps. It has a spot for your website, and linking it to a site that clearly describes your services and service area gives Google more to go on. Filling it in is something you can do yourself; my guide to getting your business to the top of Google in Bangor covers the basics, and they apply anywhere in Maine.

6. A quote form gets you the job details up front

A Facebook message usually starts with "how much for a roof?" and takes five more messages to find out where, how big and when. A quote form on your website asks for the address, the job, the timeline and the best number to call before you ever pick up the phone. You spend less time chasing details and more time on jobs.

Use Facebook, Google and a website together

This isn't a choice between one or the other. They do different jobs, and they work best together:

Keep posting job photos on Facebook, with a link to your website. Put the same link on your Google Business Profile. Your website becomes the place both of them send people when they're ready to ask for a price.

Do contractors need a website if they have Facebook? When it might be enough

Honestly, sometimes it is. If you're booked months out from word of mouth, you're not trying to grow, and every new customer comes from someone who already knows you, a website may not change much for you right now. Same if you work part-time for a handful of regulars.

But if you want new customers, want to pick better jobs, want commercial work or plan to raise your prices, a website starts earning its keep. If you're looking to grow, the answer is yes.

Why it matters in Maine: spring rush, camp season and plow season

• The spring rush. When the snow melts, everyone needs a roofer, a landscaper or a carpenter at once. A quote form lets people get in line while you're out on jobs.
• Summer camp owners. People who own camps on the lakes and the coast often live out of state and hire by searching online. They'll judge you by what they find.
• Plow season. In the fall, folks search for plowing before the first storm. A page with your service area and a sign-up form catches them, even when you're too busy to answer messages.

I build sites for exactly these trades: roofing website design, snow plowing website design and landscaping website design, along with general contractor website design.

What a simple contractor website needs

You don't need a big, complicated site. A good contractor website in Maine covers the basics:

That's the idea behind my simple website for tradesmen. You can also look through examples of contractor websites to see what yours could look like.

A low-risk next step: send me your Facebook page

Here's the easy way to find out if a website is worth it. Fill out the free preview form and paste your Facebook page link into the "Current website" box. I'll design a homepage for your business within 1–2 days, using the photos and details from your page where I can, so there's less for you to do.

If you like it, Starter is $65 a month with no setup fee, and that includes hosting and updates. It's month to month, with no long-term contract. You can see how the free preview works and compare my simple monthly plans. And keep posting on Facebook. Now it has somewhere to send people.