I build websites for a living, so you would expect me to say every business needs one. I won't, because it isn't true. Some businesses genuinely don't need a website. Most do, and the reason has changed over the last couple of years. Here is how to tell which side you are on.
When you honestly don't need a website
- Your books are full from word of mouth, and you want them to stay that way. A plumber with a six-week waiting list and no plans to grow gains very little from being found by more people.
- You sell only through a marketplace. If every sale happens on Etsy, eBay or a delivery app, and you are happy paying their fees, the marketplace is your shop front.
- You are winding down. No point investing in the next five years of customers if there won't be five years.
If that is you, keep your Google Business Profile tidy and carry on. No hard feelings.
When you do need a website
You want customers who don't know you yet. Regulars find you on Facebook. Strangers find you by searching. Someone new to the area who types "barber near me", "cafe in Crosby" or "garage open Saturday" is shown websites and Google listings, and the businesses without a website are simply not in the running.
People check you out after a referral. This is the one most owners miss. Word of mouth still works, but it now ends with a search. A neighbour gives your name, the person looks you up before ringing, and if nothing comes up, or only a Facebook page with no prices, plenty of them ring the next name instead.
AI tools are now part of how people search. More than a third of UK consumers have used an AI tool to find a local business in the last month. Those tools read websites far more easily than social pages. A site that says plainly what you do, where you are and what people think of you gives them something to work with. How AI search finds local businesses covers this in detail.
You want to look like a real business. Fair or not, a business with a website and a business without one are judged differently, especially for anything that costs more than a coffee.
Facebook, Instagram and Google on their own
They are all worth having, and none of them is a website.
A Facebook page is brilliant for people who already follow you. It is poor at being found by people who don't, and it shows your content in whatever order Facebook decides. Facebook page or website? goes through the difference properly.
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that puts you on the map, and every local business should claim it. It works far better with a website attached, because Google uses the site to understand what you do, and the profile links people to it.
What the minimum website looks like
Five pages, built for phones first: home, what you do or your menu, about, reviews and contact, with your opening hours and a map. That is enough to be found and enough to get someone to ring, and it is all you need to pay for. What pages does a small business website need? walks through each one.
What it costs and how long it takes
With me it is a one-off £595, no monthly fees, and the only ongoing cost is your web address at about £10 to £20 a year. The demo is free and takes a week. You look at it on your phone and decide. The pricing page has everything that is included.
Questions
I'm just starting out. Should I wait until the business is established?
The other way round, usually. A new business has no regulars yet, so nearly every customer is someone who found you. That is exactly what a website is for.
Isn't a website expensive to keep going?
It shouldn't be. Avoid monthly plans, own your web address, and the only recurring cost is the renewal. Do you have to pay monthly fees for a website? explains what is genuinely recurring and what isn't.
Can I see what mine would look like before deciding?
Yes. That is the whole idea. Tell me about your business and I will build the real site for free within a week. If it wouldn't earn its keep, don't buy it.
