Believe it or not, I’ve been asked this very question a number of times over the years. The short answer is yes, but, it’s far from ideal. Consider this: some small retail shops and local services, pull in customers without operating a dedicated business website. In fact, in many cases, they are still able to show up in searches, maps, and social feeds through smart use of free online tools and platforms. But is this ideal if your goal is to build a growing business? I’ll try to answer that in this article.
How Customers Find You When You Don’t Have a Website
Potential customers often start their search for a product or service on Google or other search engines. These sources pull data from local business profiles (e.g. Google Business Profile) and local directories, not just a business’ dedicated website. You can build a strong presence here with just a basic setup and updates.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
When set up and managed correctly, your Google Business Profile can provide your business with greater visibility within local search. This can occur via a more prominent presence in Google Maps and local search results when people look for services near them. Without a website, this your GBP can be your business’ most effective tool for local search visibility.
GBP Best Practices
When setting up your GBP, fill it out completely. That means you should add your exact address, phone number and hours of operation. You should also upload quality images of your store, team, or examples of your products or completed services. You may also want to set your service area to include the cities you serve.
It’s also recommended that you respond to all of your reviews, good or bad, to show that you care. This builds trust and helps give Google a reason to elevate your profile. Keep your business details fresh, like holiday hours, to meet customer expectations.
Third-Party Listings and Directories (Citations)
Listings on websites like Yelp or Facebook help search engines confirm who your business is. These citations send a signal that your business is real and active. Consistent info across all of them boosts your trust and legitimacy.
Social Media
Some businesses rely solely on their Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and/or LinkedIn pages to reach their potential customers.
As such, this enables them to encourage follows and shares or run simple polls, ask questions to spark chats and more. For local reach, engagement and relationship building, tag your location in every post as this can pull in nearby users.
Local SEO Without a Website
Believe it or not, Local SEO works even if you don’t have a business website. That’s because Google ranks local businesses based on ranking signals such as relevance, distance and prominence. The “Map Pack”, those top three spots in the local search results typically with the heading “Places”, “Businesses” or “Locations” (depending on what you’re search for), relies on these factors.
The Importance of Reviews and Ratings
Accumulating reviews on an ongoing basis is an important part of a local search strategy, especially if you don’t have a business website. That’s because Google favors local businesses with more recent, positive reviews. For example, high Google review ratings build credibility and trust both with Google and people who use Google to find what they’re looking for.
Geo-Targeted Signals and Proximity
Mobile users search “near me” a lot, so location matters a lot. Google uses your business profile’s data to match searches to your location. As mentioned earlier, Google uses three signals/factors to rank your local business and those are:
- Relevance: How closely your business profile aligns with what the user is searching for.
- Distance: The proximity of your physical location to the searcher or the location specified in their search.
- Prominence: The trustworthiness and authority of your local business as determined by the number and quality (average star rating) of reviews, and overall web presence.
Renting vs. Owning Your Digital Real Estate
With GBP, Facebook or any other social media platform, you are essentially building your digital presence on someone else’s platform. As such, platforms change their rules, and your profile could get suspended at any time, whereas having your own business website gives you much more control over your digital brand.
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