Does my small business actually need a website?

If you're starting a business, one of the first things people will probably tell you is: "You need a website." But do you?

The honest answer is: maybe. A website can be a really useful part of your business, but not every business needs a big, complicated website. And if you're just getting started, there may be other things that are more important to get right first. Here's how I'd think about it.

Start with the outcome rather than the website. Ask yourself:

• How do people currently find my business?

• What information do they need before contacting me?

• Do I need people to call, email or fill in a form?

• Do I need to show examples of my work?

• Do I sell products online?

• Do people need to book appointments?

• Do I need people to find me when they search Google?

If the answer to several of these questions is yes, a website could be useful. If all you really need is somewhere to display your phone number, opening hours and a few photos, you may not need anything particularly complicated.

If you run a local business, your Google Business Profile is important. It's the information that can appear when someone searches for your business or looks for businesses like yours on Google Maps. Make sure you've claimed your profile and that the basics are right:

• Your business name

• Phone number

• Website, if you have one

• Opening hours

• Business category

• Services

• Photos

• Location or service area

Keep the information up to date too. A website and Google Business Profile aren't alternatives. They can work together. Your Google profile can help people discover you, while your website gives them somewhere to find out more.

• Explain what you do: A website gives you room to explain your services properly rather than trying to fit everything into a social media profile.

• Show your work: If you're a photographer, builder, designer, decorator or tradesperson, showing examples can make a big difference.

• Answer common questions: You can explain your prices, process, service area, availability and anything else customers regularly ask.

• Help people find you: A well-structured website can give Google useful information about what you do and where you operate.

• Give people confidence: A professional website doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to make your business look genuine, explain what you do and make it easy for someone to take the next step.

This is where I think small businesses sometimes get carried away. You don't necessarily need:

• 30 pages

• A complicated booking system

• A blog that you never update

• Lots of animations

• Five different contact forms

• Every social media feed imaginable

For many small businesses, a handful of well-written pages is plenty. A homepage, a few service pages, an About page and a way to get in touch might be all you need. And if one page is enough to start with, that's fine too.

Don't feel you have to build everything on day one. You could start with a simple website that explains:

What you do → Who you help → Where you work → How to contact you

Then add to it as your business grows. It's usually better to have a simple, useful website than to spend six months trying to create the "perfect" one.

If you're not sure whether you need a website, I'd start by looking at what you're trying to achieve. If a free Google Business Profile and social media are enough for now, that's perfectly reasonable.

If people need more information, a simple website could be worthwhile. And if you need something more involved, you can build towards that. You don't have to spend thousands just because someone told you that every business needs a website. Start with what your customers need. That's usually a great place to start.

That's exactly the sort of thing I'm happy to talk through. Tell me what you're doing, what you've got already and what you're hoping to achieve. I'll tell you what I think makes sense. And if I think you don't need a website yet, I'll tell you that too. No hard sell. No obligation. Just a chat.