02How a website helps you get found locally
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence draws on information from across the web, including links to your business and reviews, in its guide to improving your local ranking. A website linked from your Business Profile gives Google more to understand what you do and gives other sites something to link to.
AI assistants work similarly: they answer questions about local businesses from what they can read online. A clear website with your services, area and prices makes it more likely an assistant describes you accurately. How to show up in Google AI Overviews covers that side.
03When you might not need one (yet)
Some businesses do fine without a website: a café with a loyal neighborhood following and an active Instagram, a market stall, a sole trader booked solid through referrals. In a Hacker News discussion, one commenter described a local coffee shop thriving on Instagram alone. If people already find you and your calendar is full, a website is lower priority.
04What a simple small business site needs
It does not need to be big. One clear page or a handful of short pages covers most businesses. What pages does a small business website need? goes into detail.
- 1Say what you do and where"Family dental practice in Austin" in the headline.
- 2List services and pricesExact prices or starting prices; this answers the most common question.
- 3Show proofReviews, photos of real work, years in business.
- 4Make contact easyPhone, booking or a short form visible on every page.
- 5Add hours and locationAnd keep them consistent with your Google Business Profile.
What people who tried it say
Hacker News and Indie Hackers discussions are split: some point to businesses doing well on Instagram and maps alone, while others argue customers expect a web presence and warn about depending on platforms that can ban accounts or change algorithms.
- My local coffee shop is 100% on Instagram onlyHacker News
A commenter describes a coffee shop thriving on Instagram alone, prompting replies about platform risk and the customers who look for a website first.
- Should your small business have a website?Indie Hackers
Argues local search intent makes a website worthwhile alongside a Google Business Profile, with replies discussing cost and maintenance.
Looking for more first-hand opinions? Search Reddit for “do small businesses still need a website”. We link the live threads rather than summarizing them, so you read them in full.
Our take
every business that wants customers it does not already know should have a website, even a single page. It is the cheapest insurance against depending on someone else's platform.
Where this falls short
There is little rigorous data comparing businesses with and without websites; most claims come from surveys by companies selling websites. Whether a site pays off depends on how your customers find and choose businesses like yours.
Orlume builds a clean small business site from a description, including services, prices, reviews and contact, and publishes it in one click; the free plan includes 10 message credits.
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Sources
- 1.How to improve your local ranking on Google · Google Business Profile Help
- 2.Users love simple and familiar designs · Google Research
Researched and written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026
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