Could your business use a website?

Wondering whether your small business needs a website? If you've been getting by on word of mouth and a Facebook page, you're in very good company. Here's a friendly look at who tends to benefit, and what it can mean.

Updated by John Hoac

Three local businesses at work: a cafe owner serving a customer, a painter rolling a deep blue wall, and a florist arranging flowers

You're not alone

Plenty of businesses
are in the same boat.

  • 59%

    of the Australian small businesses surveyed didn't have a website.

  • 47%

    of those without one were thinking about building one within a year.

  • 56%

    of those who had one said it improved how easily people found them on Google.

From a GoDaddy study run by YouGov Galaxy in April 2019, which asked 425 small business owners and managers across Australia. It's a few years old and a fairly small group, so please treat it as a rough guide. In the same study, 59% of owners with a website said it helped them receive customer enquiries.

What holds people back

Sound
familiar?

The same study asked why some businesses hadn't got a website yet. These were the three most common answers, and honestly, they all make sense.

  1. 44%

    Too small

    “My business is too small”

    Our takeIt's a common worry, but a simple, well-made website can help a one-person business look just as trusted as a big one.

  2. 30%

    Too expensive

    “It sounds expensive”

    Our takeThat's fair, which is why our prices are out in the open: one build price of $2,500, then packages from $30 a month.

  3. 17%

    No time

    “I don't have the time”

    Our takeThat's what we're here for. You tell us about your business, we do the heavy lifting, and you can be as involved as you like.

Who might benefit

Maybe you're
one of these?

This is nowhere near a complete list, but if you spot yourself in here, a website could be a lovely thing to have. And if you're not on it, that's fine too. Just ask us. You'll find plenty of these businesses around Western Sydney, from Fairfield to Penrith, as well as across the rest of Sydney.

A painter rolling a deep blue wall in an empty room

Trades & home services

If you're the tradie people ring when something breaks, a website helps them find your number at 9pm on a Sunday.

  • Plumbers
  • Electricians
  • Painters
  • Carpenters
  • Tilers
  • Concreters
  • Landscapers
  • Roofers
  • Air-con installers
  • Handymen
  • Cleaners
  • Pest controllers
  • Removalists
  • Pool builders
  • Fencing & decking
A cafe owner smiling as she serves a coffee to a customer

Food & hospitality

People often find you on a map first. A website tells them your menu, your hours and what makes your place special.

  • Cafés
  • Bakeries
  • Family restaurants
  • Butchers
  • Fruit & veg shops
  • Takeaway
  • Caterers
  • Food trucks
  • Cake makers
  • Sweet shops
A friendly physiotherapist helping a smiling client with a shoulder stretch in a bright clinic

Health & wellbeing

Before someone trusts you with their health, they'd usually like to know a little about you.

  • Physios
  • Chiropractors
  • Dentists
  • Psychologists
  • Massage therapists
  • Podiatrists
  • Personal trainers
  • Yoga & pilates
  • Naturopaths
  • Speech therapists
A hairdresser smiling as she styles a client's hair in a sunlit salon

Beauty & personal care

A place to show off your work, your prices and an easy way to book.

  • Hairdressers
  • Barbers
  • Nail salons
  • Lash & brow artists
  • Makeup artists
  • Skin clinics
  • Mobile beauty
A mechanic showing a customer something on a tablet beside a hatchback with its bonnet open

Cars & getting around

When the car won't start, people search fast. Being easy to find (and easy to call) matters.

  • Mechanics
  • Panel beaters
  • Mobile mechanics
  • Auto electricians
  • Car detailers
  • Driving instructors
  • Tyre shops
  • Towing
A teacher painting with two happy children at a low table in a community hall

Kids, family & community

Parents like to check you out before they sign up, and a website helps them feel at ease.

  • Family day care
  • Tutors
  • Music teachers
  • Dance schools
  • Martial arts
  • Swim schools
  • Kids' party hire
  • Jumping castle hire
  • Face painters
A dog groomer laughing as she dries a happy golden retriever

Pets

Pet people want to know their fur babies are in good hands.

  • Mobile dog groomers
  • Dog trainers
  • Pet sitters
  • Boarding kennels
  • Dog walkers
A designer and photographer smiling beside a laptop at a timber desk

Professional & creative

Often it's your first impression, and sometimes the only one before someone gets in touch.

  • Photographers
  • Videographers
  • Graphic designers
  • Architects
  • Interior designers
A florist arranging a bunch of flowers in her shop

Events & weddings

Show off your best days, and let people see your style before they ask for a quote.

  • Celebrants
  • Florists
  • DJs
  • Balloon stylists
  • Photo booths
  • Marquee hire
  • Wedding cake makers
A potter and shop owner arranging handmade mugs on wooden shelves

Shops & makers

Whether you sell in a shopfront or from your garage, a website opens the door a little wider.

  • Boutiques
  • Gift shops
  • Furniture makers
  • Jewellers
  • Craft sellers
  • Plant nurseries
  • Tailors
  • Handmade & homewares

Real businesses, real results

What it can
look like.

We went looking for stories from Aussie small businesses who got a website and noticed the difference. Here are three we found, all from regional and suburban NSW.

3×

Cherry's Automotive RepairsMaitland, NSW

After getting a website, this workshop reported that bookings tripled. The owner says the phone is ringing from first thing in the morning, with so many extra bookings that they don't start on cars until mid-morning.

171%

DSR PlumbingNew South Wales

A plumbing business that had its website and online listings looked after saw calls rise by 171% within 60 days. They say they've had many more enquiries and quote requests since.

320

Lake Macquarie Mobile LocksmithsBelmont, NSW

With a new website and some local search work alongside it, this mobile locksmith reached the top spot on Google for “Locksmith Belmont” and received 320 direct calls from the website in 60 days. The owner says the volume of work has increased tenfold.

These come from Localsearch's own case studies, so please read them as a bit of inspiration. A couple of them also had listings or search work done alongside the website, and Localsearch notes that results vary. These businesses aren't DACTYL WEBSITES clients.

Thinking it over?

No pressure at all. We're happy to chat whenever you're ready.

Tell us a bit about your business and we'll let you know honestly whether a website could help. There's no obligation, and no jargon either.

Would you like
Dactyl Websites
to build your
website?