Fair question. You're busy, work keeps coming in, and you've survived this long without one. So let's answer it honestly, including the cases where the answer is genuinely 'not yet'.
The moment that decides it
Somebody hears about you, from a neighbor, a van, a Nextdoor thread. What do they do next? They search your name. That search has three possible outcomes: they find a professional website and relax; they find a bare Facebook page and hesitate; or they find nothing and quietly pick the competitor whose site did show up. Word of mouth doesn't replace a website. It feeds people into that exact search.
Why a Facebook page isn't enough
- You don't control it. Layout, reach and rules change whenever Meta decides
- It ranks poorly for searches like 'plumber near me' compared to a real site
- Logged-out visitors get nagged to sign in instead of seeing your work
- It makes a one-person business look like a one-person business, even when your work is better than the big firm's
What about just a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is essential. It's how you appear in the map results. But it works best paired with a website: the profile gets you seen, the website convinces. Profiles with a linked, consistent website give Google more to trust, and give customers somewhere to go when they want detail a profile can't hold. Services, photos, pricing approach, your story. We covered how the two work together in our local SEO guide.
When you genuinely don't need one (yet)
If you're fully booked by repeat clients and referrals, don't want to grow, and never get compared against competitors. You can skip it. Some one-person operations run happily this way for years. The honest test: are you turning work away every week? If yes, enjoy it. If you're quiet some months, or you're invisible when people search your trade in your town, the website is the gap.
The cost objection, handled
The old reason to delay was the £5,000 invoice. That reason is gone: managed monthly plans get you a professionally designed, fully run website from £99/month. If the only thing between you and looking established online is the price of a set of tyres, the maths has changed. Book a free strategy call.
Want the website part handled for you?
We design, build, host and update websites for local businesses, from £99/month plus a small one-off design fee (see pricing). US business? See our US plans.
Book a free strategy call