I don't need a website

People tell me their business doesn't need a website. Not in their line of work. Contractors booked weeks out. Salons with a waiting list. They've done fine without one for years, and I believe them.

I still find it a little strange. Here's my side, including when you're right.

It's all word of mouth

Nobody hires a contractor for their homepage. They hire the one a neighbor swears by. But a referral is a name, not a decision. A lot of people look you up before they call. I do, every time. If they can't find much, some of them call the next name instead. You never hear about it. The neighbor thinks they sent you work. You think it was a slow month. That's what gets me. Earning the referral is the hard part, and you already did it. A site just has to not drop it.

I'm already on Google

Stay there. A free Business Profile puts your hours and reviews right in the search results. Reviews tell people you're good. They don't always say if you do jobs like theirs. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, after reading good reviews of a local business, 54% said they'd visit its website next. Only 24% said they'd check its social media.

I have a Facebook page

Keep it. It's free, and it's a good place for photos of your work. But it's Meta's page, not yours. They decide who sees your posts, and they can shut it off. Facebook also dates every post. If your last one is two summers old, some people will wonder if you closed.

I'm busy enough already

Then you don't need more calls. You need fewer that go nowhere. A site answers the questions you hear ten times a week. Do you come out this far? Do you take cards? It screens out jobs you'd turn down anyway. But it has to be a good one. A site that crawls on a phone can be worse than none. So can one with last year's prices, or a contact form that quietly broke in March. Keeping it working shouldn't be your job.

When you don't need one

Sometimes you really don't. Google's own ranking tips don't mention having a website. If your customers only need your hours and phone number, a free Google Business Profile might cover it. I said the same in Why not just use Wix? If your work comes from three clients who've known you for years, a site won't change much. Retiring next year? Don't spend the money. I'll tell you that myself.

Otherwise, here's what it costs. Put that next to what one lost customer is worth to you.

Searched your own name and didn't like what came up? Send me a message.