Are Facebook pages more important than brands´ websites?

by Stratton Craig

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The way brands interact with consumers is a key factor for creating engagement and loyalty, marketers believe. It is no longer enough to provide consumers with an informative and well-designed website, they should be reached over different channels and by various tools, experts say.
Having a wide range of options to interact with a brand has changed the way consumers see businesses, as well. According to a new survey from market research company Lab42, half of those polled say that they find a brand´s Facebook page more useful than its official website, Mashable reports.
Overall, 87% of those polled have “liked” a brand on Facebook, while 13% have never followed a business. Furthermore, over four in five respondents say Facebook is an appropriate place to interact with a brand. The importance of peer influence also plays a part and this is demonstrated by the fact that more than two in three people have liked a brand just because a friend of theirs´ did.
However, most consumers are following a brand on social media with one goal in mind – getting coupons or a discount. Some three-quarters of consumers say they have saved money after deciding to “like” a brand page, the poll finds.
Almost three in four respondents claim they have no second thoughts about un-liking a brand if they get too many posts from a business, suggesting that consumers have no qualms about turning away if they become disappointed or bored by a brand.