Do I actually need a website for my small business?

I build websites for a living, so you'd expect me to say yes every time. I'm not going to. Some businesses really don't need one yet. Most do.

When you probably don't need one

• You're fully booked from word of mouth and you're not trying to grow.
• You sell entirely through a marketplace like Etsy or eBay and that's the whole plan.
• You're testing an idea and want to see if anyone bites before spending anything.

In those cases a tidy Google Business Profile and an active social account will hold you for a while. Save your money.

When you do need one

The moment you want people who've never heard of you to find you and trust you, you need a website. That's really what it comes down to.

People check before they buy. Someone gets your name from a friend, then searches it. If nothing comes up, or the only thing that comes up is a Facebook page last updated in 2023, that hesitation costs you the job. It isn't fair, but it's how people behave.

What a website does that social media can't

You own it

Your Instagram account is rented. Accounts get hacked, suspended or throttled and there's no phone number to ring. If your entire business lives on someone else's platform, one bad morning can wipe it out. Your own site is yours.

It shows up in search

When someone types 'emergency electrician Nuneaton' into Google, they're ready to spend money right now. A website can show up for that. A social post almost never does.

It answers questions while you work

Prices, areas covered, what you do and don't take on, how quickly you reply. A good site filters out the wrong enquiries before they reach your phone. That's hours back every week.

It makes you look like a proper business

Fair or not, a business with a real site and a real email address gets taken more seriously than one with a Gmail address and a mobile number. It matters most when you're quoting for bigger jobs.

It matters in industries you wouldn't expect, too. Vacca Nutrition sells advice to livestock farmers, who aren't exactly known for browsing the web for fun. They still check who they're dealing with before they pick up the phone.

But my customers all come from Facebook

Great. Keep doing that. A website isn't a replacement for social, it's the place you send people to. Social gets attention. The site turns attention into an enquiry. They do different jobs.

How small can you start?

Smaller than most people think. A single well written page with what you do, where you do it, some photos of real work and an easy way to get in touch will outperform a bloated ten page site every time. You can add to it later.

Start with one page. Get it live. See what people ask you, then build the answers into the site.

If you're weighing it up and want a straight opinion on whether it's worth it for your business, send me a message. I'll tell you if I think you should wait.