How to set up a Facebook Business page

Creating an online presence can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling all the other tasks involved with starting a business. But if you want to establish a strong digital footprint without navigating one of the best website builders, setting up a Facebook Business Page is the perfect place to start. 

Facebook isn’t just a place to share your favourite cat memes. Its low barrier to entry, familiar interface, and global network of over 3.07 billion global users have made it a go-to platform for businesses, with 30% of UK SMEs currently using the platform to reach audiences and generate sales. 

Setting up a Business Page on Facebook involves a few more steps than creating a regular profile, however. To help you create a page that actually gets seen, we guide you through every part of the process, from creating and editing your page to optimising it so it reaches the right customers.

What is a Facebook Page, and why get started with one?

A Facebook Page is a public profile designed specifically for businesses, organisations and public figures. Unlike Facebook profiles, pages aren’t intended for personal use. Instead, they act as a dedicated digital shop front for businesses, allowing them to publicly display their products and services, list useful information, and connect to customers directly. 

For new entrepreneurs, getting started on Facebook is a no-brainer. Business Pages are free to set up, easy to use, and they provide immediate access to billions of potential customers already on the platform. You can have a page up and running in minutes without fussing around with code, too, making it particularly accessible for business owners who don’t have heaps of technical expertise.

Yet, while Facebook Pages offer a quick and effective way to build an online presence, they’re no replacement for a dedicated website or online store. If you want full creative control over your online brand, are planning to scale up in the future, or want to sell products and services directly online, you’d be better off building a site with one of the best ecommerce website builders instead. 

How to set up your Facebook Business Page in six simple steps

To set up your page properly, follow these six key steps:

1. Log in to your Facebook account and click “Create New Page”

You’ll need a personal profile in order to create a business page. So, after you’ve logged into your profile, do the following:

• Select ‘Menu’
• Choose ‘Pages’ from the shortcuts
• Select ‘Create Page’ and then click ‘Get Started’
• Pick your page name (the name of your business)

2. Add your business name, category, and short description

Now that your page’s basic format is created, you’ll have to enter your business’s name. This should be the same or similar to your business’s official brand name, so customers will be able to identify you easily. 

Next, you’ll have to display your industry by selecting a category. This is an important step, as categories help Facebook users to find the particular pages they are looking for in the search results.

You can select up to three categories, so choose them wisely and ensure they are relatable to your business. For example, if you are running a beauty salon, you would select categories such as ‘beauty, cosmetic & personal care’.

Creating a bio is optional, but we recommend adding a short description of your business. The word count maximum for the “About” section is only 100 characters, so just include key details like what you do or sell, a location if applicable, and your business hours. 

We also recommend using keywords in your description to improve your page’s visibility. Start by researching relevant keywords, and then avoid keyword stuffing by naturally integrating them into the description. 

3. Upload your brand materials

Now it’s time to bring your Business Page to life with your own branded imagery. Facebook is an inherently visual platform, so choosing the right images will positively benefit your page’s discoverability, engagement, and professionalism. 

When it comes to selecting your profile picture, we advise using your official logo as it provides instant brand recognition. Just ensure it’s still identifiable when displayed small and cropped into a circle, and use a high-quality image to avoid pixelation. For best practice, upload a square image that’s anywhere from 180 to 320 pixels squared.

Your cover photo will act as the billboard for your Business Facebook Page. The space is a great chance to communicate what your business is about visually, so an ideal image would include products and services, your team, or a special offer your company is promoting. 

Just like with your profile picture, you should only use high-resolution images. To ensure your image is compatible for mobile and desktop, aim for an image that is 820 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall. 

Refer to Facebook’s cover photo and profile picture specs to learn more about the platform’s image specifications. 

4. Add your contact details

Your Facebook Business Page should clearly signpost how customers can get in touch with you. This will involve adding the details to your business profile:

• Phone number (can include a landline, mobile or WhatsApp number)
• Email address (use a professional email over a personal one, if possible)
• Website (if your business already has one)

During this stage, you should also add important information like your businesses’:

• Hours of operation (and your holiday schedule)
• Location (if your business has a physical location)

Important: double check all this information is accurate, and be sure it is all kept up to date so customers know the important info (like opening hours – nobody wants to get to a shop to find it closed)

5. Add a CTA button to your website

Adding a CTA is crucial, as it guides Facebook users who visit your page towards a certain action. Whether that be a sign-up to your website, or a visit to your online store. 

There are plenty of CTA buttons available for you to use (and test), which is one of the many positives about having a Facebook Business Page, compared to static online business listings. 

6. Invite friends and make your first post

You can begin building your page’s audience by inviting the users you are already connected with on your personal profile. This is a great way for your business to gain some early traction, particularly from your biggest fan (in our case, our mums).

Once you’ve secured a captive audience, it’s time for your welcome post. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend keeping your first post short and eye-catching.

Simply welcome users to your business, explain succinctly (and effectively) what the purpose of your business is, the products you offer, and why you are different from the thousands of other UK businesses on Facebook. Don’t be afraid of using emojis or other media like images or videos, as they attract more attention than text-only posts.

How to optimise your page for visibility and trust

You can create the best Facebook Business page in the world, but it won’t matter if it doesn’t get seen. To ensure your business profile finds the right audience and reaches new customers, you’ll have a number of steps to actively optimise it.

Set up messaging or auto-responses

79% of consumers expect brands to respond within 24 hours of them sending a message. To keep your customer base sweet, we recommend implementing instant replies for common questions or “away messages” when you’re unavailable. This way, customers will know you value their time and won’t grow impatient waiting for a response. 

Add featured images or videos

Leverage Facebook’s “Featured” section to display premium content.

Highlight your best visual content using Facebook’s “Featured” option. This feature lets you pin your best-performing content – from high-quality photos or videos of your top products to behind-the-scenes glimpses of your services – to give your page more of a curated feel. 

Post regularly – even simple updates or FAQs

You don’t want your Facebook page ending up like a ghost town. Posting regularly keeps your audience engaged and signals an active presence. You don’t need to break the internet with each post; simply sharing quick updates, industry news, or answering frequently asked questions is enough to maintain a strong and consistent brand presence. 

Enable reviews if appropriate and respond to comments

Customer reviews act as powerful social proof, helping to sway unsure customers and boost your visibility in Facebook’s search results. So, we recommend enabling reviews on your page, encouraging satisfied clients to leave reviews and, critically, responding to all comments – positive or negative. 

Showcase testimonials, case studies, or customer highlights

Beyond reviews, dedicate posts to more in-depth customer success stories. For example, share testimonials with photos and stories, brief case studies outlining problems you solved, or highlight customers using your products. Posting about real-world stories helps customers to trust your brand and gain more confidence in your products or services. 

Add a services or menu section

You don’t want to make potential customers dig for information. So, if you’re a restaurant, upload your menu, and if you’re a service-based business, detail each service, its benefits, and pricing on your Facebook Page. Clearly displaying useful information keeps users on your page and increases the chance of them converting to paying customers. 

How to measure the success of your Facebook Business Page

The hard work isn’t quite over after you’ve set up and optimised your page. If you’re serious about your page meeting its intended purpose, you’ll also have to consistently monitor its performance. 

However, before you figure out what’s working and what isn’t, you’ll have to define your metrics for success. These metrics will depend on the primary purpose of your Facebook Business Page. I.e, are you aiming to boost engagement, reach, sales conversions, or traffic to your website? 

• Use Facebook Page Insights: Facebook Page Insights is a free, built-in analytics tool essential for understanding your page’s performance. It tracks follower growth, post reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares), audience demographics, and video views, helping you to optimise content.
• Use Google Analytics: Google Analytics can be used to measure referral traffic, such as how many people are driven to your website, and from which source (e.g. Facebook). You can also use Google Analytics to see results from page views and website conversions, helping you realise what is and isn’t working on your page.
• Use social media management tools: analysing and interpreting insights does take time, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. If you want to save yourself stress, you could turn to a social media management tool like Hubspot or Sprout Social to do the hard work for you.

Check out some of the best social media management tools available for small businesses in our guide.

When should you upgrade to a website?

Facebook offers a great springboard for new businesses wanting to get the word out – but it has a ceiling. When you set up a Business Page on the platform, you’re essentially operating on rented land rather than owned property. You’ll be subject to Facebook’s ever-changing terms and content policies, its evolving algorithms that impact discoverability, and its limited customisation options. 

As the needs of your business grow, creating your own dedicated website will help you overcome these limitations. By giving you full agency over your digital real estate, helping you create a more professional image, equipping you with a suite of useful ecommerce, SEO, and lead generation features, it’ll help you build a more robust foundation for your business. 

Still unsure whether a Facebook Page or a dedicated website is the best path for you? It’ll be time to scale up your online presence if: 

• You want to take payments online
• You want more control over your branding and design 
• You want your online presence to be more professional 
• You want full control over your site’s SEO
• You want to create and manage customer accounts

Thanks to the variety of affordable, no-code solutions, you don’t need to invest huge amounts of energy and money into elevating your online image. All you need is a clear vision, a couple of hours, and the right website-building platform.

Find out how to create a business website in simple steps.