Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?

Short answer: No, a Google Business Profile is not a substitute for a website, but the two are a strong pair. The profile helps people find you in search and Maps. The website is where you own the full story, show your work, and turn a curious clicker into an enquiry. Most local businesses want both.

What a Google Business Profile does well

A Google Business Profile, the box that appears in search and on Maps, is genuinely useful and free. It shows your name, opening hours, phone number, reviews and location. For local searches like "plumber near me", it is often the first thing people see, and it can drive real calls without anyone visiting a website at all.

If you serve a local area and you have not claimed yours, do that today. It is one of the highest-value free things a local business can set up.

But notice its limits. You do not control the layout. You cannot really explain what makes you different, show a proper portfolio, price up different services, or sell online. It is a listing, not a home. And Google can change or restrict it however it likes.

Where a website picks up

The website is where you say everything the profile cannot. It is the difference between "here is our phone number" and "here is exactly what we do, how we do it, what it costs, and proof we do it well."

When someone taps the website link from your profile, they are often further along, comparing you against one or two others. The site is what tips them. It carries your portfolio, your pricing, your process and the details that build confidence. A profile gets you onto the shortlist. The website wins the job.

There is also the search side. A relevant, well-built website supports your local ranking rather than replacing your profile. Google likes to see a real site behind a real business. If ranking locally is your goal, it is worth reading what is local SEO alongside this.

How they work together

The setup that works is simple. Claim and complete your Google Business Profile. Add your website link to it. Keep reviews coming. Then let the profile do the finding and the website do the convincing.

Your website should make the handover smooth, the same phone number, matching branding, an obvious way to enquire. A tidy, fast web design job keeps people moving toward contact instead of bouncing back to your competitors' listings. If your details are inconsistent between the two, that quietly costs you both trust and ranking.

You do not need a large site for this to work. A handful of clear pages that back up your profile is plenty for most local trades and services.

What it costs

This is usually the sticking point, people assume the profile is free so a website must be an expensive extra. It need not be. A basic BuiltWeb site is a one-off £300, an online shop is £750, with optional add-ons from £60 and hosting that is free, forever. No subscription, you own the site, and most launch in two to four weeks.

For a local business, that one-off cost usually pays for itself the first time the site turns a profile visitor into a booked job. The profile gets you found, the website gets you hired.

See what your website would cost in a couple of minutes, get a clear price.