If you run a trades business in Metro Detroit, there's a good chance your online presence is a Facebook page, a Google listing you never finished, and a lot of word of mouth. And honestly, that has probably kept you busy.
So the question is fair: do you actually need a website? Short answer: you don't need a big one. But a Facebook page alone leaves money on the table, and it puts your business on land you don't own. Here's the full picture, including when a Facebook page is enough.
What a Facebook Page Does Well
Give it credit. A Facebook page is free, takes ten minutes, and it's where a lot of your neighbors already are. It's good for:
- •Showing recent jobs with photos while they're fresh
- •Staying in front of past customers and their friends
- •Getting shared in local community groups, which is where a lot of Metro Detroit referrals actually happen
- •Quick messages from people who already know you
If most of your work comes from people who already have your name, Facebook does a lot of the job. Keep posting.
Where a Facebook Page Falls Short
Facebook decides who sees your posts, changes the layout, and can restrict or lock a page. If an account gets flagged or hacked, your business presence can disappear overnight. A website on your own domain stays yours.
Someone who searches "gutter cleaning near me" is usually on Google, not scrolling Facebook. Facebook pages can show up in search, but they rarely beat a local business website and a complete Google Business Profile for the searches that turn into calls.
Some homeowners, especially older ones and landlords managing property, don't use Facebook or don't want to log in to read a business page. If they can't see your services and phone number in two taps, they call the next name.
A good trades site answers four things in seconds: what you do, where you work, how to reach you, and why to trust you. On Facebook those answers sit under posts from three months ago. People don't scroll for them.
Your competitor with a clean, fast site that says "Serving Belleville, Canton, and Van Buren Township, call now" looks like the safe pick next to a page with a profile photo and a few shared memes.
The Test: Do You Need a Website?
Run through this honestly:
- •Do people ever tell you they "looked for you online and couldn't find much"?
- •Do you want work from people outside your own circle, like new homeowners or people who just moved in?
- •Do you turn down or lose jobs because someone else answered first or looked more established?
- •Do you want a link on your truck, yard signs, and invoices that works for everyone, not just people on Facebook?
- •Would you like to know how many people found you through Google?
If you said yes to two or more, a simple website pays for itself quickly. If the answer is no to all of them because you're booked months out through referrals, Facebook plus a finished Google Business Profile may be enough for now.
What a Small Trades Website Actually Needs
You don't need ten pages, a blog, or animations. For a solo operator or small shop, the whole job is this:
- •A headline that says what you do and where ("Roofing in Wayne County, MI")
- •A big tap-to-call button that works on a phone
- •A short list of your services
- •A service area section or map, so Google and customers both know where you work
- •A few real photos of your own work
- •A contact form that emails you
- •Your name, phone number, and town written the same way everywhere online
That fits on one page. It loads fast on a phone, and it gives people a reason to call instead of scroll.
The Cheap Fix: Starter
This is why we built the Starter plan. It's $97 to set up and $79 a month. You get a mobile-friendly one-page site, a contact form that emails you, a click-to-call button, a service area map, hosting, and your domain connected. You also get one small text or photo edit per month.
What it doesn't include, so there are no surprises: no AI chat, no SEO work beyond your page titles and descriptions, and no extra pages. It's built to make you look legitimate and get calls, not to rank you across ten towns. It's month-to-month, and you can cancel anytime with 30-day notice.
When you're ready to compete for Google searches in your towns, Growth adds up to three pages, local SEO basics, a Google Business Profile checklist, and a basic AI chat. You can move up whenever you want.
Do Both: A Simple Setup That Works
You don't have to choose. The setup that works best for most local trades:
- •Website: your home base. Services, area, phone, form.
- •Google Business Profile: how you show up in the map results. Fill out every field and add photos.
- •Facebook: your social proof and referral engine. Post jobs, answer messages, link to your site.
- •One consistent name, address or service area, and phone number across all three.
Link all of them to each other. Your Facebook page should point to your website, and your website should link to your Facebook page. That way a customer can start anywhere and end up calling you.
Next Step
If you're not sure which fits, book a free 15-minute call. Joey will look at what you have now and tell you what's worth doing, even if the answer is "keep it as is for now." Plans start at $97 setup + $79/month, no long-term contracts, cancel anytime with 30-day notice. Have a tight budget? Tell Joey what you can do. Custom plans are on the table.
See Plans and Pricing →Google Business Profile Setup Guide →