Do I Really Need A Website For My Business?

by | Mar 18, 2025 | Small Business Marketing

A computer, tablet and phone with the same image of a wood house advertising an architectural firm

If you are wondering about this, then you are not alone.

Every day a business owner will come to me and ask – Do I REALLY need a website?

The next phrase that usually comes out of their mouth is something like…I have a Facebook page (or some other form of social media).

Social media is great! I have built an entire business on it, so, yes, it’s good for a lot of things, but it’s not a website.

The Top 10 Reasons You Need A Website

So, why do you actually need a website? Excellent question.

There are hundreds of reasons, but for now, let’s boil it down to the top 10 reasons you need a website.

A woman with dark brown hair, a white cuffed sleeved shirt and black pants starting at a grey wall with a search cue on it

1) Establishes Credibility and Trust (You are a Real Business!)

Today people search the web for everything. If you need to buy something, need a service or are seeking information – people go online.

Sure, your Facebook page may show up, but right now Meta isn’t exactly getting a lot of love, and many people have deleted their account. That is the same with Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). There is a mass exodus from social media for a variety of reasons, so if you are only on social, they may not even click the link.

On the other hand, if they see a website, it is like having your very own brick and mortar business on Michigan Ave in Chicago. It’s a sign that you are a legitimate business where they can gather information about you and determine the breadth of your offerings and/or products.

2) Meets Customer Expectations (And AI’s)

People want to find businesses that can solve their problems.

They NEED or WANT (just a highly justifiable need, but I digress) whatever it is that you are offering. Not only does the website give them a tailored explanation of what you do, it also gives AI something to crawl. This is important because now when people search, AI is giving results as a summary from websites.

And yes, ChatGPT is as much a search engine as Google right now.

Bottom line – most people just EXPECT you to have a website if you are a legitimate business.

A dark skinned man in a purple long sleeve shirt sitting on the grass looking at his phone with 5 yellow stars in the front of the image. Assuming he is giving a review on a website.

3) Provides Social Proof

Amazon turned the world upside down in 1995 when it created the review system. At the time it was seen as an extremely risky choice because the narrative for any business was controlled by the business. Now, that is definitely not the case.

A few facts to consider:

OVER 99% of people will consult reviews before making a purchase decision!

Think about THAT.

Having reviews on your site is another way to establish credibility and trust. It also allows you to choose the reviews that are showcased, whether it is through an app feed or you enter them in manually.

4) Controls Brand Narrative

Your website is the one place where you can ALWAYS control your brand narrative.

You decide the messaging, the values and the stories that your clients/customers are shown. That is something only a website offers.

5) Increases Visibility and Reach

A website can grow through multiple channels.

You can use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to be found higher in the search engine results, you can link to other sites to be seen more often, you can share blogs or products to multiple sites to bring in greater traffic. These options and others, make it easier for your clients to find you.

If you are only on social media then you are stuck in the algorithm and can only go as far as the feed allows. It is a closed network vs an open source network.

Two women looking at their phones, one leaning over and showing her friend who is staring at it open mouthed

6) Offers a Competitive Advantage

I have someone in my networking group that sells signage to companies. She often says that people make an instant judgement about your brick and mortar business when they look at your signage. Your website is the same way.

When you have a reliable and up to date website, it can be the difference maker in a customers decision.

They may choose your business because they like the up to date and modern message your site offers vs your competitor. And IF your competitor doesn’t have a website at all, then you are the only one available for their business when they are searching online.

7) Facilitates Customer Engagement

I’m not sure why I have this as number 7, this is definitely one of the TOP reasons to have a website.

You need somewhere to send your potential clients/customers!

Your website gives your customers someplace to learn more, to fill out a contact form and download whatever lead generated “freemium” you have created.

Your website is where you can collect emails. And emails are the golden ticket for every business.

8) Supports Digital Marketing Efforts

Like I said earlier, social media is great, but you need somewhere to send your fans/followers for more information and to get their email.

You also never know when a social media platform might implode (we see you Twitter) and then what happens to the thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) of followers you had?

Poof! They are gone.

Two women staring at a tablet celebrating online sales while sitting at a table and surrounded by packages in what looks like a clothing design studio

9) Enables Online Sales

When you have a website you can sell your products 24/7.

How wonderful is it when you wake up in the morning and see that nice little notification that you made a sale? Pretty glorious, right?

Your website is your silent seller when you are not around. It provides information and the option for your customers to make a purchase on their timeline, not yours. And we all appreciate that.

10) Provides Valuable Business Insights

What you don’t measure, you can’t grow.

My previous blog was all about how you need to know where your marketing dollars were going, to ensure you are spending for the max return on your investment. (Read It Here)

Your website is the hub of all of your online activity.

It will tell you if your social media efforts are working, if that mailer you sent out is doing anything, or that latest Google Ad. It will give you insights and help you to make decisions about your future marketing.

Reality Check

If you are a business, you NEED a website.

It let’s customers know that you are real and exist.

Beyond that very important reason, it is where all of your online marketing efforts are centralized.

You drive traffic to your website and measure it. You offer lead generating emails and downloads, and you measure it.

Even if it’s only a one page site, it offers value to your potential clients/customers and provides them with a solution to a problem that your business provides.

What other reasons do you have that need to be added to my list?

Comment below, send me a DM on Bluesky or fill out the contact form on our site. I would love to chat more with you about your business!