There’s always this debate going on about whether or not a website really matters and if you really need one to start or even grow your business. It’s a very common and very fair question to ask. As a web designer myself, who offers web design services,  I really wanted to address this question in a very honest and transparent way with an answer that may very well surprise you. Again, the question being, do you need a website to start (or grow) your business?

In order to really answer this question fully, I’m gonna break it up into 2 pieces. 1) do you need a website to start and 2) do you need a website to grow

Again, my answer may surprise a lot of you! Which is totally fine. I will say however, that this is my opinion and other designers may not agree, which again is totally fine! 🙂

1)Do you need a website to start your business?

My answer, is gonna be a No. Honestly, straight up, no you don’t need a website to start your business. (and yes, this is coming from a web designer but I think it’s the truth). You don’t need a website. There are other ways to sell your product or service in this world.

If you have a product, you can go on the street, to a farmers market, talk to your neighbor, get on facebook groups, start an instagram, tell your friends and family that you’re starting a business and have this product or service and looking for sales. You can absolutely start a business through straight up word of mouth marketing. And you don’t need a website for that.

Now, I definitely believe this depends on the type of business you own. If it’s a physical product that you can sell locally or a business you can build on referrals, then you should solely focus on getting people interested in what you do. But obviously if you’re trying to start a blog or an online course, then you yes, you need some sort of platform to build that on in order to start.

I will also say that I do think that if you have no online presence whatsoever that you are leaving money on the table, you’re missing out on customers and you’re doing yourself a disservice. But even an online presence can be as simple as setting up a free Mailchimp landing page or a google my business account so people know you’re at least there.

So why as a web designer myself, who offers web design services would I tell you that you don’t need a website?! It’s sounds stupid and counterintuitive to say. But really, my goal isn’t just to get new website clients, it’s to help you + empower you to go after what you want, build a business, and do what makes you happy. But in order to do that, you have to keep moving forward. And I’ve seen A LOT of women (+ men) get stuck in building their business because they don’t have a website. Even though they should be focused on simply marketing their business.

2) Do you need a website to grow your business?

What a website does and is supposed to do is allow for growth, establish credibility, instill trust, communicate your message and convert those visitors into email list sign-ups or sales. That’s really the whole point of your website. Make you more money or make it easier for you to make more money.

Again this answer may surprise you but it’s what I believe.

Yes + no. I do think in order to grow your business, you need a website and a strong online presence. Again for all the reasons listed above for what your website is supposed to do.

Now, the only reason I say no, is because it’s very easy and very common to believe that once your website is done, that it will automatically and almost instantly make you more money. Is that possible? Yes. However, the way that becomes possible is because you’re driving traffic + visitors to your website. If it’s your first site and no one knows about it or knows about you and you haven’t marketed or told a soul, your website isn’t going to do anything for you.

0 traffic = 0 sales, 0 conversions + a very unhappy + frustrated you

If you do have traffic already going to your site, maybe it’s a bootstrapped site, a diy-ed site, or one that’s ready to be updated, then your website, if strategically built can bring your more sales and can set you up for long-term growth.

Why does having a website allow for growth?

•You can add more revenue streams like online courses, online shops, new services

•You can increase marketing efforts through blog posts + content creation

•You can add new elements to your business like podcasts

•You own all your content and aren’t reliant on a third-party site (like socials, Spotify, youtube, apple, etc)

•You can increase credibility for your brand

•You can build your email list (although you can do this through a free landing page)

Mini Recap:

Do you need a website to start your business? No, you don’t have to have a website to start your business (unless it’s solely online), but I do highly recommend having some sort of online presence like socials or google my business.

Do you need a website to grow your business? Yes + No, you do need a website to grow your business. The main reason I say no, is because your website’s success won’t happen just because it’s built but more reliant on visitor traffic. And Yes, your website can help you grow because it allows for more revenue streams, a clearer message, opportunities for more content and establishes your businesses credibility.