Facebook as de facto URL: Are websites irrelevant?

There are over 500 billion Facebook users worldwide. Currently at 5th, the Philippines is in the running for the title "FB country" with 21,759,280 users (as of January 30, 2011).  Among the local pages, Starbucks Philippines is on top with 758,798 fans; followed by Havaianas Philippines with 343, 557; and Nescafe Philippines with 307,015. With these numbers, there is absolutely no reason for your business to not be on Facebook. (Source: www.socialbakers.com.)

The hype over social media has gone crazier over the past year. Today it's not enough to have just an official address (a website, a custom URL), brands now resort to getting as close to consumers as possible by setting up accounts on premier sites like Facebook and Twitter. Managements have come to understand that interactivity is key to building a steady consumer database.

Facebook is such an inexpensive tool that small businesses without capital for a dotcom turn to it in conducting online transactions. What big brand websites can do, Facebook can too. It's free and feedback-guarantee. It's more convenient for the consumer's end as well.

At the golden age of social media, are corporate websites being pushed to the cave of irrelevance?

Well you may want to rethink on pulling the plug on your website. The thing is, and this may sound stone age but it's true, not everyone is on Facebook. By disregarding a main address, you might be wasting an opportunity to reach out to people with no interest in social networking. And besides, think about it, what if Facebook isn't around forever? Remember when MySpace used to be king? Even the largest passenger steamship sunk when it hit an iceberg.

The key, as we always tell our clients, is integration.

Think of social media as your favorite coffee shop. You frequent it, you probably spend your entire day in it but there's still no place like home.

Alchemy Advertising offers website design, social media management and SEO services. For more information, please visit our website: www.alchemyad.com.