I always assumed having a website was basically mandatory if you were running a business.
But after spending some time looking up local services recently, I realized that a lot of businesses are operating just fine without one. Some are active on social platforms, some rely entirely on referrals, and some barely have an online presence at all.
It honestly changed how I think about what’s “required” versus what’s just convention. In a lot of cases, it seems like the business model, reputation, and relationships matter more than the tools themselves.
Curious if anyone else has had moments like that where something you assumed was essential turned out not to be.
Something I’ve noticed about small businesses lately
byu/greenslime54 inEntrepreneur
Posted by greenslime54
6 Comments
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I tried selling them websites but none of them care
I always recommend a website as an asset to establish your brand and messaging. I know that many businesses are successful without a website. I would avoid being dependant on 3rd party social networks and their changing algorithms to rely upon. However, SEO for websites is undergoing a change in relevance and it’s a less reliable platform for increasing visibility. I’m not opposed to relying on social, but I think a website remains a wise investment and a home base for you core brand and identity.
Having a website completely depends upon what the business is offering. I mean – if I am to pay someone 50 bucks to fix my drainage, I don’t need to check their website. In most cases, I ll just google and check their rating there. On the other hand, if I am to pay a consultant 50k to fix my supply chain, there better be a website or it seems like they are a rookie. So yes- it clearly isn’t a must for every business.
Having said that, if a business does source leads and everything sits on instagram, they run the risk of building their house on rented land. Imagine meta updates their algorithm or your account gets flagged- boom, everything gone in a day. It’s good to use social media as a discovery platform, but it’s important to capture emails- it doesn’t have to be a fancy website, but a domain you own- this is not to drive growth, but as an insurance against “being thrown out by the landlord”.
Cheers
Websites depends on the project. If it’s for local people, then website will not be needed
I live in an area where many service businesses are strictly on social media, IG in particular. I don’t use IG. I hate businesses that don’t have a website. It seems low effort.
So just because you can, doesn’t mean you should, because you will turn away would-be customers as you attempt to scale.