Small businesses with websites often experience greater growth, enhanced customer engagement, and increased credibility compared to those without. While a website is crucial for online presence and reaching a wider audience, many small businesses still lack one. This can lead to missed opportunities for sales and brand recognition.
In today’s digital-first world, your website serves as your business’s digital storefront, operating 24/7 to attract customers, showcase your products or services, and build lasting relationships with your audience. Whether you’re a local bakery, a consulting firm, or a specialty retailer, having an online presence isn’t just an advantage—it’s becoming essential for survival and growth.
What Percentage of Small Businesses Have a Website?
Approximately 70% of small businesses have websites, indicating a growing trend of online presence. However, this means that nearly 30% of small businesses are still operating without this crucial digital asset.
Is your business part of that 30%?
This gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses looking to grow.
The statistics become even more compelling when we consider that businesses with websites report significantly higher revenue growth rates compared to those without. According to recent studies, small businesses with websites see an average revenue increase of 15-20% within their first year of going online.
Growth, Engagement, and Trust: The Website Advantage
A significant portion of consumers (81%) conduct online research before making a purchase, emphasizing the importance of a website. This behavior has only intensified in recent years.
Businesses with websites tend to grow faster and experience higher levels of customer engagement.
Here’s why:
Enhanced Discoverability: A website makes your business findable through search engines, local directories, and social media platforms. Without a website, you’re essentially invisible to the vast majority of potential customers who start their buying journey online.
24/7 Accessibility: Unlike physical stores with limited hours, your website works around the clock. Customers can learn about your services, view your portfolio, read testimonials, and even make purchases at their convenience.
Professional Credibility: A professional website enhances a business’s credibility and builds trust with potential customers. In fact, 75% of consumers admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on their website design.
Customer Service Efficiency: Websites can answer frequently asked questions, provide detailed product information, and offer multiple ways for customers to contact you, reducing the burden on your staff while improving customer satisfaction.
Marketing Integration: Your website serves as the central hub for all your marketing efforts, from social media campaigns to email marketing, providing a cohesive brand experience and better tracking of your marketing ROI.
Does Your Small Business Need A Website?
The short answer is yes, but let’s address the most common objections we hear from small business owners.
Most small business owners will typically point to one of these reasons for not having a website:
“My business is too small for a website”
This is perhaps the most common misconception we encounter. The truth is, there’s no business too small to benefit from a website. Whether you’re a solo freelancer, a family-owned restaurant, or a local service provider, a website levels the playing field and allows you to compete with larger businesses.
Consider this: your “small” business could be exactly what someone across town is searching for right now. Without a website, they’ll never find you. Even if you only serve your immediate neighborhood, a website helps local customers discover you, learn about your services, check your hours, and contact you easily.
A simple, professional website can make a one-person operation look as established and trustworthy as a much larger company. It’s not about the size of your business—it’s about the professional image you present to potential customers.
“Google and/or Facebook Business pages are enough”
While Google My Business and Facebook pages are valuable tools, they’re not replacements for a website—they’re complements to it. Here’s why relying solely on these platforms falls short:
Limited Control: These platforms can change their algorithms, policies, or even shut down your page without warning. When you rely entirely on third-party platforms, you’re building your digital presence on rented land.
Restricted Customization: Social media pages and Google listings offer limited customization options. You can’t fully control the user experience or brand presentation the way you can with your own website.
SEO Limitations: While these platforms can help with local SEO, they don’t provide the same opportunities for content marketing, blog posts, and comprehensive search engine optimization that a website offers.
Professional Perception: Many customers expect businesses to have their own websites. A Facebook page alone can make your business appear less established or professional than competitors with dedicated websites.
Analytics and Data: Your own website provides comprehensive analytics about visitor behavior, popular content, and conversion rates—data that’s crucial for making informed business decisions.
“How Much is the Website Going to Cost?”
The perceived cost and complexity of website creation often deter small businesses, but this concern is largely based on outdated information. Modern website creation has become significantly more affordable and user-friendly than ever before.
Cost Reality Check: A professional website can cost less than many businesses spend on monthly advertising. When you consider that a website works 24/7 to attract and convert customers, the return on investment is typically substantial.
Complexity Myth: Today’s website builders and content management systems are designed for non-technical users. Many platforms offer drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-designed templates, and step-by-step guides that make website creation accessible to anyone.
Long-term Investment: Unlike traditional advertising that requires ongoing costs, a website is a one-time investment that continues to generate value over time. The cost per customer acquisition through your website typically decreases as your site gains authority and ranking in search engines.
“I Don’t Have Enough Computer Skills to Build a Website”
Many business owners assume they need extensive technical knowledge to create and maintain a website, but this barrier is largely psychological rather than practical. The reality is that if you can send emails, use social media, or operate basic business software, you already have the foundational skills needed to build a website.
Our Free Website Design Course Makes It Simple: This is exactly why we created our comprehensive, free website design course specifically for small business owners. This course was designed with the non-technical business owner in mind, breaking down the entire website creation process into manageable, easy-to-follow steps.
Here’s what makes our course different:
- No Technical Jargon: We explain everything in plain English, using business terms you already understand rather than confusing technical language.
- Step-by-Step Video Tutorials: Each lesson includes detailed video walkthroughs where you can see exactly what to click, where to type, and how each step should look when completed.
- Real Business Examples: Instead of generic examples, we use actual small business scenarios that mirror what you’re trying to accomplish with your own website.
- Progressive Learning: The course starts with absolute basics like choosing a domain name and gradually builds your skills through design, content creation, and launch.
- WordPress Focus: We teach you to build on WordPress, which powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. This means you’ll be learning a valuable, widely-supported platform.
- Lifetime Access: Once you enroll, you have permanent access to all course materials, so you can learn at your own pace and return to review concepts whenever needed.
Start Simple, Grow Over Time: You don’t need to launch with a complex, feature-rich website. Our course teaches you to start with a simple, professional site that covers the essentials, then shows you how to expand and add features as your comfort level and business needs grow.
If you need help along the way, we offer affordable hourly rates to help fix the issues you have.
The Reality: Your Business is Missing Out
The fact of the matter is, your small business is missing out on a huge opportunity by not having a website and relying solely on Google or Facebook business pages. Every day without a website is a day of lost potential customers, missed sales opportunities, and reduced competitive positioning.
Consider these missed opportunities:
- Search Engine Traffic: Millions of searches happen daily for products and services like yours. Without a website, you’re invisible to these potential customers. Granted, your Facebook page and google my business page are driving you business, but your website would be available to rank organically for searches in addition to that.
- Referral Business: Happy customers want to share your business with friends and family, but without a website, they can only share limited information from your social media pages.
- Professional Networking: Other businesses, potential partners, and industry professionals expect to find you online. A website legitimizes your business in professional circles.
- Customer Convenience: Today’s customers expect to find information quickly and easily. If they can’t find what they need on your website, they’ll find it on a competitor’s site instead.
The Reality: Your Business is Missing Out
At WebsiteDesignForSmallBusiness.com, we understand that every small business has unique needs and budget constraints. That’s why we offer multiple pathways to get your business online:
Free Website Design Course: We offer a comprehensive, free website design course that shows you how to build your own WordPress website for a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional designer. This step-by-step course covers everything from choosing a domain name to launching your finished site.
Flexible Support Options: We offer hourly website design consultation rates for help as you need it along the way. Whether you need guidance on design decisions, technical troubleshooting, or optimization strategies, our experts are available to help you succeed.
Professional Design Services: For businesses that prefer to have professionals handle the entire process, we offer affordable à la carte pricing for website design services. Our packages are designed to fit small business budgets while delivering professional results.
Get an Affordable Website Today!
In today’s competitive business environment, having a website isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. The barriers that once prevented small businesses from establishing an online presence have largely disappeared, while the benefits have never been greater.
Don’t let your business be part of the 30% still operating without a website. The longer you wait, the more opportunities you’re missing and the further behind your competitors you’re falling.
Your customers are online, searching for businesses like yours right now. Make sure they can find you. Your website is your always-open storefront, your 24/7 sales representative, and your most cost-effective marketing tool all rolled into one.
The question isn’t whether you can afford to build a website—it’s whether you can afford not to have one. Take the first step today, and watch your small business grow in ways you never thought possible.
Take the next step and work with us to start building your small business website today.