Yes, almost every business that wants new customers needs a website, even a small one. It isn’t a legal requirement in the UK, and a fully booked sole trader can manage without one for a while. But a website is the only online home you own, it backs up your Google Business Profile, and it gives Google and AI search tools something official to quote.
I get asked “does my business need a website?” a lot, usually by people doing perfectly well on word of mouth and a Facebook page. So here’s my honest answer, including when you can safely wait, what a social page or Google profile can’t do, and the legal bits nobody mentions until it’s too late. If you decide you do need one, it’s exactly what I build as a freelance web designer in London.
Key takeaways
- No UK law says you must have a website, but if you have one, limited companies must show certain company details on it.
- A Google Business Profile and social pages are essential extras, not replacements. You don’t own them and they can’t rank for every service you offer.
- Google says how many websites link to your business feeds into local “prominence”, and AI Overviews can only link to pages Google has indexed.
- You can wait if you’re fully booked for months, testing an idea or winding down. Otherwise, the cost of not having one is enquiries going to competitors.
- A small business website doesn’t need to be big. Five clear pages that answer customers’ questions beat twenty vague ones.
Does my business need a website? A quick decision table
Whether your business needs a website depends on how customers find you and how much more work you want. If strangers ever search for what you do, you need one. If every job comes from a waiting list of people who already know you, you can hold off. Find your situation below.
| Your situation | Do you need a website? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Local trade or service (plumber, cleaner, salon, accountant) | Yes | People search “near me” and check you out before calling. Your website and Google Business Profile work as a pair. |
| You sell products to the public | Yes, usually an online shop | Marketplaces take a cut and put you next to competitors. Your own shop keeps the customer and the margin. |
| Professional services or B2B | Yes | Clients and their finance teams look you up before signing anything. No website looks like a risk. |
| Brand new business testing an idea | Not yet | A Google Business Profile or social page is enough to test demand. Build the website once you know the idea works. |
| Fully booked for months, all from referrals | Not urgently | You can wait, but even referrals search your name first. A simple site protects that word of mouth. |
| Winding down or retiring soon | Probably not | Spend the money elsewhere, unless you want to sell the business. Buyers value an established website. |
Is it a legal requirement to have a website in the UK?
No. There is no UK law that says a business must have a website. The information regulator even gives the example of a physiotherapist with no website who hands out printed privacy notices instead (ICO).
Once you do have a website, though, a few rules apply, and most competitor articles skip them completely:
- Limited companies must show their registered name, registered number, registered office address and the part of the UK they’re registered in on their website, under regulation 25 of the 2015 Trading Disclosures Regulations.
- Any business collecting personal data, even just names and emails through a contact form, needs a privacy notice that’s easy to find. The ICO says a link to it should be visible on your contact form page.
- Cookies: visitors must be told which cookies are used, and you need their agreement for any that aren’t strictly necessary, such as most analytics cookies (ICO).
None of this is hard, but it’s the sort of thing a DIY site often misses. When I build a site, the company details go in the footer and the privacy notice is linked from every form before launch.
What happens when customers can’t find your business website?
When customers can’t find a website, they usually don’t call to ask. They pick the business that answered their questions online. That’s the quiet cost of having no website: you never see the enquiries you lost.
Here’s where it hurts in 2026:
- Referrals check you first. Even a warm recommendation gets Googled. If all they find is a social page last updated months ago, some will go elsewhere.
- Google Maps rankings. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and how well-known a business is, which it calls prominence. Prominence takes into account things like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have (Google Business Profile Help). A website gives other sites something to link to.
- AI search. To be shown as a supporting link in Google’s AI Overviews or AI Mode, a page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a snippet (Google Search Central). No website, no page to cite. The same logic applies to tools like ChatGPT, which I cover in my guide to getting your business recommended by ChatGPT.
- Out of hours. A website takes enquiries at 10pm on a Sunday. Your phone, sensibly, doesn’t.
Is a Facebook page or Google Business Profile enough instead of a website?
A Google Business Profile or Facebook page is not enough on its own for most businesses. They’re brilliant for being found and for reviews, but you rent them rather than own them, you can’t control the layout or the customer journey, and they can’t rank for each service and area you cover the way separate website pages can.
Think of it as a team rather than a choice:
| Your own website | Google Business Profile | Social media page | Directories and marketplaces | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who controls it? | You | The platform | The platform | |
| Can rank for each service and area? | Yes, one page per service | Mainly in Maps for your categories | Rarely | Their page ranks, not yours |
| Competitors shown next to you? | No | Yes | Sometimes, through ads | Yes, usually on the same page |
| Can AI Overviews link to it? | Yes, once indexed | Feeds Google’s business info | Limited | They get the link, not you |
| Best used for | Explaining, convincing and taking enquiries | Local visibility, reviews, calls and directions | Updates, personality, staying in touch | Extra leads in some industries |
You want both. Your profile gets people’s attention in Maps, and your website closes the deal. If your profile needs work, my Google Business Profile checklist walks you through it step by step.
Relying on a Facebook page and hoping for the best? I build brand-new WordPress websites for small businesses, with on-page SEO and competitor keyword research included, so your site works alongside your Google profile from day one. Book a free consultation and I’ll tell you honestly whether you need one yet.
When can a small business manage without a website?
A small business can manage without a website when it has more work than it can handle and doesn’t plan to grow. I’d rather tell you that than sell you something you won’t use. These are the situations where waiting is reasonable:
- You’re booked solid for months and turning work away.
- You’re testing an idea and don’t know yet if it will last. A free Google Business Profile or social page is enough to see if anyone bites.
- You work for one or two big clients on long contracts and don’t need new ones.
- You’re winding down and have no plans to sell the business.
The catch is that each of these can change quickly. A big client leaves, a quiet month arrives, a referral partner retires. A website takes a few weeks to build and longer for Google to trust, so it’s much less stressful to have it in place before you need it.
Can a business survive without a website?
Yes, a business can survive without a website, but it usually survives on less than it could earn. It relies entirely on platforms it doesn’t control and on customers who already know it, and it loses the ones who compare options online before picking up the phone.
The bigger risk is rented ground. If your only presence is a social account or a marketplace listing, a change in their rules, fees or algorithm can cut you off overnight, and there’s nobody to appeal to. A website on your own domain is the one place online that stays yours, and it’s where you can send people from every other channel.
What does a small business website actually need?
A small business website needs to explain what you do, where you do it, why people should trust you and how to get in touch, in that order. It doesn’t need to be big. Here’s the checklist I work through on every build:
- A homepage that says what you do and where in the first line, not a slogan.
- One page per main service, so each can rank for its own searches.
- The areas you cover, written plainly, so locals and Google both know.
- Proof: real photos of your work, your reviews and an About page with your face on it.
- Answers to common questions: prices or how pricing works, timings, what happens next.
- An easy way to contact you: a tap-to-call number, a short form and WhatsApp if you use it.
- The legal basics: company details if you’re a limited company, a privacy notice and a cookie banner if needed.
- Fast, mobile-friendly and set up for Google: titles, descriptions and a sitemap, so your pages can be indexed.
For most local businesses that adds up to about five pages to start with, which is why I often recommend a 5 page website as the starting point.
How much does a small business website cost, and how long does it take?
A small business website can cost anything from a monthly builder subscription to several thousand pounds for a custom build, depending on who builds it and what it needs to do. I’ve broken the real figures down in how much a website costs in London.
On timing, a brochure website I build usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, and an online shop 4 to 8 weeks. Payment is 50% upfront and 50% before launch, and every build includes training at handover plus 14 days of free bug fixes, so you’re not left alone with it on day one.
What I’d do if I were in your shoes
If you’re still asking “does my business need a website?”, here’s the order I’d tackle things in:
- Today: claim and complete your free Google Business Profile, and start asking happy customers for reviews.
- This month: search for your main service plus your area on your phone. Note who shows up and what their websites say.
- Before your next quiet season: get a simple, fast website live with a page for each main service, so it has time to get indexed and start ranking.
- Once it’s live: keep adding useful pages and reviews. That’s where ongoing SEO pays off.
A word of warning: I don’t edit or redesign websites built by other people, so if you already have a site, I’d only take on its monthly SEO. SEO works best on a site I’ve built myself, because it’s optimised from launch.
Ready for a website that brings in enquiries?
If you’ve read this far, your business probably does need a website, and the sooner it’s live the sooner it starts working for you. I’ll build you a brand-new WordPress site that explains what you do, shows up on Google and turns visitors into calls and messages.
Book a free consultation, or call or WhatsApp me on 07404 145722. I’ll look at your business and your local competitors and give you a straight answer on what you need, even if that answer is “not yet”.
Frequently asked questions
Do sole traders need a website?
Sole traders don’t legally need a website, but most benefit from one if they want new customers. Even a simple few-page site makes you look established and gives Google something to show when people search your name or service.
Is a Google Business Profile enough without a website?
It’s a great start and it’s free, but for most businesses it isn’t enough on its own. You don’t control the layout, competitors appear alongside you, and you can’t build separate pages for each service and area you cover.
Is a Facebook page enough for a small business?
A Facebook page is useful for updates and staying in touch, but it’s not a substitute for a website. Information gets buried in old posts, you’re subject to the platform’s rules, and it rarely ranks for the services people search for.
Do I legally need a privacy policy on my website?
If your website collects personal data, such as names and emails through a contact form, the ICO says you need a privacy notice that’s easy to find. You also need to tell visitors about cookies and get agreement for ones that aren’t strictly necessary.
How many pages does a small business website need?
Most local businesses can start with around five: home, services, about, reviews or work, and contact. Add a separate page for each main service as you grow, because each one can rank for its own searches.
