Website or facebook

[wynn]

Is this the way facebook is going to help business???

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23326034

[dorothyisisz]

Both are effective for business marketing.....

[workshop]

Facebook addresses a very different market. It's instant, real time marketing. Whereas web sites take time and patience. You use Facebook together with web sites, print and word of mouth. The trick, like with anything, is in getting the mix right.

[ians]

We'll I have been experimenting with Facebook and found there is a time and place for it, I have been updating my page and collecting likes and while "playing" managed to land a few sales, do I feel it's worth the time spent engaging with others, I wouldn't invest too much in it.

I have also been playing on forums related to the products I make and sell and found that the forums generate the better sales, especially if you engage with your customers.. However there is a catch, you need to "play nicely" with others, in saying that I think on any social media site, you have to be the nice guy who is always prepared to go the extra mile and say what people want hear and not always what's on your mind😉

I believe you need a website which defines the product you are selling, the terms and condition of the sale and the price...ie what exactly it is you getting in relation to the picture you post. This is something I found gets tricky on social media, especially if you don't attach an image with a clear description of what is included or excluded in the sale.

This exercise has been interesting and I will take what I have learnt from it this year and expand on my experiences into 2014.

One thing I have learnt from all the years I have been in business, if you are in the service industry, you need to get out there and interact with people, get involved in sports activities, clubs etc and make lots of friends, the more friends, the faster and bigger your business will grow. There is no better media than word of mouth to promote business.

Now that I am getting into the sales of products, I am starting to think price is a key factor in sales more so than quality. There are still the few people who would spend the extra rands and buy a solid crafted piece of wood but the majority would buy the pieced which looks like the real thing. I have already proved this theory this year by making both a good quality which everyone would like to have, but the cheaply still out sells. I would bankrupt if I relied on the quality product 😉

[charlly008]

Having a blog and using facebook including forums will help. You can post the full message in your blog and write a summary and post it on facebook and forums and include a link to your blog. This is the best way i think you should market your business.

[Gaynor]

I wouldn't limit to one or the other - both have their own specific set of users, so I'd use both. A website is more static than Facebook and it's easy to put things on and leave them there in one spot, whereas with FB it sort of moves down the page.

[JamesWitty]

For me i think both are effective and it should be useful for any person's company because you may notice by deciding upon up that there are an incredible number of customers who everyday upgrade their promotion, Web Style, e-commerce websites webpages and get immediate Leads produced from such individuals.

[Justloadit]

Something everyone seems to forget here!
We are small companies, in fact SME's, so placing yourself on Facebook or twitter is not the place for you, this is great for the large corporates who are punting brand name, as a small SME, punting your name under these platforms in ludicrous, most of the small companies a service providers, who provide service in a small geographical area, Facebook is across the planet. Getting all these inquiries which do not pertain to your area, simply waste your valuable limited time in addressing your paying customer base. SO lets get real here.

Would an SME advertise on a Bill board when Manchester Unite is playing, if the answer is no, then I rest my case. If the answer is yes, then why has your marketing department not done this already?

[HR Solutions]

punting your name under these platforms in ludicrous,

Sometimes yes ......... but if we have a client that is looking for a driver for example, placing an ad on our FB page will get me about 50 drivers in half an hour !

[Justloadit]

Sometimes yes ......... but if we have a client that is looking for a driver for example, placing an ad on our FB page will get me about 50 drivers in half an hour !

Not quite the same as offering a service or selling stationary in Kloof

[HR Solutions]

It's exactly the same ! We offer a service ! We source the right people for the right application. Believe me we don't just mix and match - our clients pay for a proper service of sourcing.

[Justloadit]

You are reading in the context of your specific business, you have an office in Jhb and an office in CT, if I am an electrician in Durban, putting my services in FB does not mean that I can service anyone out of my region. IN the same note, I may get 50 inquiries in CT, Jhb, Harare, Maputo and Luxenburg. I have to spend time in reading,the inquiry, it takes valuable time, even if rejecting it by not responding. What if a user gets pissed off because I never responded? Places a nasty message on my FB page.

[Dave A]

For the localised business that only services a particular location, the trick is to include locality in your messaging. This applies whether it's your website, Facebook, or any other kind of promotion that might end up before a wider audience than you cover.

Yes, you will still get some requests from outside of your service area, but including locality in your messaging will massively reduce the volume of these "non-productive" enquiries.

And for the ones you do get, at least they will be hopeful that you might be able to assist, rather than expectant that you can.

[taftimes]

Website for sure. Facebook should come later.

[ians]

That is an interesting point. With a website you can allocate images and information and it stays there. I have been running a facebook page and found that even though I have a pricing structure with in an album, people still phone and ask me for prices, so I have to send a link to the album with the prices.

I see hetzner has sent me an email informing me I have to upgrade my webpage. Maybe it is time to make it look pretty and add some more info. Had the website for a couple of years, never had a lead from it to date. I do get a lot of people asking for work.