Written by Marco Ruiz on , revised
Search Google for the service you offer in your town and look at who comes up. Every person who makes that search and doesn't find you ends up calling another business, and you can estimate how many that is with your own figures.
How much you could be losing each month without a website
Let's run the numbers with a made-up example, so you can repeat them with your own. Suppose around 200 people a month search Google for your service in your area. Far from all of them will call you. But imagine that, with a website that ranks well, 4 of them become customers; without a website, most likely none of them knows you exist.
If each new customer is worth €120 to you on average (a clinic visit, a physio session, a night at a rural cottage), those 4 customers are €480 a month going to your competition. It's an example, not a promise: every business, sector and area is different. Run it with your own data (how many people search for what you do and what a customer is worth to you) and you'll see what's at stake.
What does a website cost? From €349 as a one-off payment, with no commitment. Paid monthly, the Website Pack is from €39/month with nothing upfront (12 months commitment; after that, the website and the domain are yours). Prices exclude VAT. Compare that with your average ticket.
| Without a website | With a website that ranks |
|---|---|
| People who don't know you yet can't find you | You show up when they search for your service |
| You depend only on word of mouth | You add a new source of customers |
| Your presence depends on other people's platforms | Your website and domain are yours |
| Customers don't know your hours or services | All your information and contact details in one place |
The problem with depending only on social media
"I already have Instagram, why do I need a website?" It's what I hear most from local business owners. I get it: Instagram costs nothing and it reaches people. But relying only on social media is like opening a shop on rented land where the owner can change the rules whenever they like, and they have:
- Algorithm changes: Instagram has changed its algorithm several times, and many businesses saw their reach drop overnight without changing anything.
- Outages: in October 2021, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp went down for around 6 hours. Businesses that only dealt with customers through WhatsApp couldn't talk to them all that time.
- Bans: TikTok has been blocked in some countries (in India, for example, since 2020), and people who depended only on that platform lost their audience with no warning.
Your Instagram followers already know you. The new customer searching "physiotherapist near me" or "rural cottage this weekend" does it on Google, and without a website what they find is the competitors who have one.
Your website lives on your domain, and nobody changes the rules on you
Nobody can close the account on your own website. What you publish there stays for months and years, while an Instagram post sinks in the feed within days.
Your website also gives you data: how many people visit, where they come from, which pages they read and for how long.
You don't have to quit social media: it gets attention, and the website is where that attention becomes a call or a booking.
What your website does that social media can't
Show up on Google. When someone searches for a service like yours, your website can rank; an Instagram profile rarely does. These are people who didn't know you and find you because they need what you offer.
Look serious. Many people judge a business by its website. When a customer is choosing between you and a competitor, a clear website helps.
Stay open outside your hours. At 11 pm someone can see your services, read your reviews and send you a WhatsApp that you answer in the morning.
Take enquiries and bookings. A contact form and WhatsApp button always visible. If you need online bookings or appointments, the website with bookings is from €700 one-off, depending on how many services, staff and opening hours it needs, or the All-in-one Pack from €99/month.
If your business is in a specific sector, I have pages with prices for dental clinics, physiotherapists and rural accommodation.
"But I get enough clients from word of mouth"
Word of mouth has a ceiling: it depends on how many clients you have, whether they talk about you and whether they talk to the right person at the right moment. It also does nothing when a competitor with a website opens nearby and starts taking customers from Google, or when a slow month comes and you need more work.
A website adds a source of new customers that doesn't depend on someone recommending you.
The cost of waiting another month
Continuing the made-up example: if you missed 3 customers a month by not showing up on Google, and each one were worth €120 on average:
- 1 month waiting: €360 that never comes in
- 3 months waiting: €1,080 that never comes in
- 6 months waiting: €2,160 that never comes in
I can't promise how many customers a website will bring you: that depends on your sector, your area and your competition. I can tell you what it costs: from €349 paid once, with no commitment, or the Website Pack from €39/month if you'd rather pay monthly. All prices are on the pricing page.
Social media, website and Google profile: what each one does
- Social media to get attention and build a community
- Your website to turn visits into customers and show up on Google
- Your Google Business Profile to reach people who are searching for your service right now
According to BrightLocal's 2020 consumer survey, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. After reading them, many go to the business's website, and without one they're left with whatever fits on your Google profile.
What to do today
If you don't have a website, or yours is more than 5 years old and brings no customers, start by searching for your service on Google and comparing what the businesses that show up have with what you have.