Do I Need a Website for My Small Business?

Do I need a website for my small business? Yes, if you want customers who do not already know you. A new business running on referrals can start with a Google Business Profile and add a one-page site later. A business that wants to be found on Google or run ads needs a website now. Answer five questions to see where yours stands.

We are Venbit, a web design and SEO team in Mill Creek, Washington. We have worked with small businesses across the Puget Sound, the US and Canada since 2011, and the rest of this page explains each answer.

The short answer

Most small businesses need a website. When you need it depends on how you get customers today and how you want to grow. A new solo business that runs on referrals and word of mouth can go without one for a while. To be found by people who do not already know you, through Google search, paid ads or anything beyond your own network, you need a website.

A Google Business Profile and social media pages do part of a website's job. Their limits show up when you try to use them to grow.

What each option can and cannot do

What a Google Business Profile is good for

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is worth keeping up whether or not you have a website. It puts your business on Google Maps, shows your hours and contact details in search results, and lets customers leave reviews, which local buyers read before they call. It is free and takes a few hours to set up well. Every local business should have one.

A GBP cannot rank for searches outside the local map results, publish pages that build search rankings, collect lead details through a form, or give you a platform you own. It is a listing. A business that relies on it alone misses most of the searches its customers make. Our guide on getting on the first page of Google explains how the two work together.

When you can wait on a website

A website can wait when other costs come first. If most of these apply to you, it is reasonable to start without one:

• You're brand-new and still testing whether there's demand for your product or service.
• You're a solo tradesperson or service provider and most new clients come from referrals or existing relationships.
• Your market is local and niche enough that word of mouth is keeping you at capacity.
• Budget is limited and other essentials (inventory, tools, insurance) need to come first.

When a one-page site is enough

A one-page site is a real business website. For many service businesses, a single page that says what you do, who you serve and where, with a contact form or phone number, does the job. A one-page site on Squarespace or a simple WordPress theme covers the basics a GBP alone cannot. If you are choosing how to build it, compare a web designer, an agency and doing it yourself.

• You offer one primary service and don't need to rank for multiple keyword categories.
• Your business depends on calls and appointments.
• You're a solo operator or a very small team without complex content needs.
• You plan to invest in a full site later and need a credible site now.

When you need a real website

Once any of these is true, you need a website:

• You want to rank in Google for search keywords that bring in customers who don't already know you.
• You run Google Ads or social ads, or plan to. Ads need a landing page, and a GBP or social profile does not work as one.
• You offer multiple services and want to be found for each of them separately.
• You want to build trust and credibility with potential customers before they contact you.
• Your competitors have websites. When they show up in search and you don't, those customers call them.
• You want to collect email addresses, offer lead magnets, or build any kind of owned audience.

Most of the small businesses that tell us they don't need a website get their customers from referrals today. When referrals slow down, a website is how new customers find you.

What we see with our clients

Since 2011 we have seen the same pattern in the businesses we work with. Once a business is past the referral-only stage, the ones that build a website and keep it up win more search traffic than the ones that wait. The gap grows with time, because search rankings build slowly and competitors keep adding pages while you have none. For a sense of the numbers, see how much traffic a small business website gets.

If you are new, testing demand or running on referrals with a tight budget, a GBP and a one-page site are a reasonable start. If you have been in business a year or more with no working website, competitors with websites are winning customers who searched for what you sell. When you are ready, see our web design service or get in touch.