Does Your Small Business Actually Need a Website?

If you run a small business in Norfolk or Suffolk, you might have wondered whether you actually need a website.

After all, you've got a Facebook page. Maybe an Instagram account. Your customers already know your phone number. And plenty of your work comes through recommendations anyway.

So is a website really worth bothering with?

For most small businesses, I'd say yes – but perhaps not for the reasons you think.

People are already looking for you online

Think about what you do when someone recommends a business to you.

Maybe a friend tells you about a brilliant local builder. Someone recommends a physiotherapist. You spot a van for a company you've never heard of, or somebody mentions a great independent business nearby.

Chances are, one of the first things you do is Google them.

That's where your website comes in.

It doesn't need to be enormous, complicated or particularly clever. It just needs to reassure someone that they've found the right business and make it easy for them to take the next step.

A website helps people find you in the first place

Recommendations are brilliant, but they're not the only way people find local businesses anymore.

Every day, people search things like:

• plumber in Lowestoft

• physiotherapist near Beccles

• electrician in Suffolk

• accountant in Norfolk

• local landscaping company

• independent business near me

Having your own website gives Google something to find, understand and show to those potential customers.

A good small business website should make it clear what you do, where you do it and how somebody can contact you.

That sounds incredibly simple, but it can make a huge difference.

Your Facebook page isn't quite the same thing

Social media can be really useful for a small business, and I'm definitely not suggesting you abandon it.

But your Facebook or Instagram page belongs to the platform. Your website belongs to you.

You also have much more control over what someone sees when they land on your own website.

Instead of old posts, opening hours and whatever the algorithm decides to display, you can give potential customers exactly what they need:

This is who we are. This is what we do. This is where we work. This is why you can trust us. And this is how you get in touch.

That's a pretty useful little sales tool to have working for you 24 hours a day.

It makes your business feel established

This is especially important when somebody hasn't used you before.

A clear, professional website gives people somewhere to check you out before they make contact.

They can see your work, learn a little about you, understand your services and decide whether you're the right fit without having to ring you first.

For small and independent businesses, that trust matters.

And a good website doesn't need to make you look like a huge corporation.

In fact, I think the opposite is often better.

If you're a brilliant two-person business in Suffolk, your website should feel like a brilliant two-person business in Suffolk – not pretend you've got 400 employees and a glass office in London.

What does a small business website actually need?

Usually, much less than you think.

You don't necessarily need dozens of pages, fancy animations or endless paragraphs of marketing speak.

For lots of local businesses, a really good website simply needs:

• a clear explanation of what you do

• information about your main services

• the areas you work in

• examples of your work, where relevant

• a little about the people behind the business

• an easy way to contact you

• good foundations for Google and search engines

• a design that works properly on phones, tablets and computers

That's it.

The goal isn't to win an award for having the world's most complicated website.

It's to help the right people find your business and feel confident getting in touch.

What if you already have an old website?

You don't necessarily have to throw all of the useful stuff away.

If your current website has good information on it but looks dated, is difficult to use or just doesn't represent your business anymore, that content can be a really useful starting point for a new website.

You already know your business. You may already have years of photographs, service information and useful wording.

It can all be reviewed, tidied up and turned into something much better.

What if you don't have time to write a website?

This is probably one of the biggest reasons small businesses put websites off.

You know you need one.

Then someone asks you to provide five pages of beautifully written copy about your business and suddenly the job sits on your to-do list for the next three years.

I don't think it needs to work like that.

At Hey Website!, I build friendly, straightforward websites for independent and growing businesses, and I can help with the words too.

You don't need to become a copywriter, web designer or SEO expert just because you happen to run a business.

You can tell me about what you do in normal human language, and I can turn that into a website.

Website design for businesses in Norfolk & Suffolk

I'm based locally and build websites for businesses across Norfolk, Suffolk and beyond.

My websites are designed to be straightforward: clear pricing, friendly help and no unnecessary jargon.

Whether you're starting from scratch, replacing an old website or simply want something that better represents the business you've built, I'd be very happy to have a chat.

Need a new website for your business?

Take a look at my website packages or get in touch with Hey Website! and tell me what you need.

No jargon. No hard sell. Just a lovely website that does its job.