"We don't need a website — we have Facebook." I hear this almost every week from cafés, salons, workshops and small shops. And I understand it: the page is free, your customers are already there, and posting takes two minutes. But a social media page is rented space on someone else's property. In this article I'll show you when a page really is enough, when it quietly costs you clients, and how to decide in about 15 minutes.
Where Bulgarian businesses actually stand
Bulgaria is an interesting case, because neither websites nor social media are as common here as you might think. According to the National Statistical Institute, in 2025 only about half of Bulgarian enterprises with 10 or more employees had a website, and fewer than half used social media at all. Eurostat's 2025 data put Bulgaria last in the EU for business use of social media.
What this means in practice: if you run a small business in Pleven, Ruse or Plovdiv, a well-made website is still a way to stand out, not just to catch up. Half of your competitors don't have one. And the micro-businesses with fewer than 10 people — most of my clients — aren't even in those numbers.
The real problem: you don't own your page
A Facebook or Instagram page belongs to Meta. You can lose it overnight, and it has happened to many small businesses. In August 2025 the Small Business Development Corporation of Western Australia warned local businesses after beauty, fitness and photography owners had their Facebook and Instagram accounts shut down without warning. Media reports at the time spoke of around 10 million disabled accounts since the start of 2025. Their advice was simple: build your own website, keep an email list, and don't rely on one platform.
Social media is where people discover you. Your website is where they decide to buy.— the short version of this article
Even when nothing goes wrong, the platform decides who sees your posts, what your page looks like and how people can contact you. You can't add a proper price list, a booking form that fits your process, or a page that ranks in Google for "dentist Pleven" or "kitchen furniture to order".
When a social media page is enough (for now)
I won't pretend every business needs a website from day one. A page alone can work if:
- you're testing an idea and don't know yet if it will last six months;
- all your clients come from personal recommendations and you're fully booked;
- you sell very visual, impulsive products to people who already follow you;
- you have a complete Google Business Profile, so you still show up on Google Maps.
If that's you, keep posting — but start collecting customer emails or phone numbers now, so you're not starting from zero if the account disappears.
When a page alone costs you clients
People search on Google
When someone types "electrician Pleven" or "wedding cake order", Google shows websites and Maps listings. A Facebook page rarely ranks for these searches.
You sell to other businesses
B2B buyers check whether you look established. A company without its own domain and email often doesn't make the shortlist.
Your service needs explaining
Prices, packages, process, FAQ, guarantees — a feed buries all of this in a week. A website keeps it one tap away.
You want online orders or bookings
Taking orders through Messenger works until you have 20 a day. Then you lose track, and customers lose patience.
Your customers don't use Facebook
Younger people, many professionals and foreign clients simply aren't there — or don't want to log in to see your info.
AI search answers the question
Google's AI answers and AI assistants draw on content they can read on the open web. A clear website with your services and prices gives them something to quote.
Website and social media: how they should work together
The right answer is almost never "website or Facebook". It's a hub and spokes: the website is the hub you own, and everything else points to it.
Posts disappear in the feed. Prices are in a pinned post from 2023. Orders arrive in Messenger at 23:00. If the account is blocked, so is your business.
Social posts bring attention and link to the site. The site has current prices, a contact form, a booking button and your own email address. Google Maps links to it too.
The 15-minute test: do you need a website?
Grab a phone and do this today:
- Search like a stranger. Open a private browser tab and google your service plus your town. Do you show up? Who does?
- Log out and look at your page. Can a person without a Facebook account see your prices, hours and phone number?
- Count your lost questions. How many messages last week asked something a single web page could answer ("how much?", "where are you?", "do you deliver?")?
- Imagine the account is gone tomorrow. How would your customers find you? Do you have their contacts anywhere else?
- Check your email address. Is it @gmail.com or @abv.bg? For B2B this alone can cost you trust.
If you answered "no" or "I don't know" to two or more of these, a website will very likely pay for itself.
What a first website should include
You don't need a 30-page site. For most small businesses I start with:
- a clear homepage that says what you do, where, and for whom;
- services with real prices or "from" prices in euro;
- a contact page with phone, map, hours and a simple form;
- your own domain and a professional email (name@yourbusiness.bg);
- links to your social media and Google Business Profile — both ways;
- the legal basics: company details, privacy policy and cookie consent if you use tracking.
Where to start
If you already have a website that nobody visits, the problem may not be social media at all — it may be the site. Run the free website check — it takes a minute and shows you speed, mobile issues and basic SEO problems you can fix.
If you only have a page and the 15-minute test made you uneasy, take a look at how I design websites for small businesses. Keep your Facebook and Instagram — just give them somewhere solid to send people. And if you're based in Bulgaria and want to talk it through in person or online, here's more about working with a web designer in Bulgaria.