← Blog · · Building a site · 3 min read
Recommendations still win work, but people look you up before they get in touch. If there's nothing to find, the job goes elsewhere. What that says about trust.
Plenty of small businesses are brilliant at what they do, get recommended constantly, and still lose jobs to competitors. Not because the competitors are better. Because they have websites and look more established online.
That says a lot about how we decide who to trust online. And honestly? We’re all a bit shallow about it.
Think about the last time you needed a local service. What did you do? You Googled them. Everyone does.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: if someone doesn’t show up properly in that search (or worse, they show up with a Facebook page that hasn’t been updated since 2019), we move on. We don’t even think about it. Just… next.
I do it. You probably do it too.
Word of mouth still works. The problem is what happens next.
Someone hears your name, thinks “I should look them up,” types it into Google… and finds nothing useful. Maybe a few old reviews scattered around. Maybe a phone number with no context.
Meanwhile, the competitor has a clean website with photos of recent work, clear pricing, and a simple contact form. The referral got you considered. But without anywhere to land, it doesn’t turn into a job.
I used to be sceptical of the whole web design industry, honestly. I’d seen too many small businesses get burned by agencies charging £10k+ for sites that were outdated within a year. The whole thing felt like a bit of a racket.
But the tools have genuinely improved. What used to require a team of developers can now be done properly by one person who knows what they’re doing. The hosting is cheaper. The frameworks are better.
That’s why I can offer sites from £70/month with no upfront cost. Not because I’m cutting corners, but because the corners don’t need to exist anymore. Custom design, mobile-friendly, basic SEO, ongoing maintenance: all included.
Most business owners I talk to don’t want a website because they’re worried it’ll be another thing to manage. So I just… do it for you. Need to update your prices? Drop me a message. Usually done the same day, always within a working day.
Depends on your situation, honestly. If you’re genuinely getting all the work you need through existing channels and you’re not planning to grow, maybe not. I’m not going to pretend everyone needs a website.
But if you’re losing even one job a month because you look less established than competitors online? A £70 investment that brings in a £200+ job is a pretty obvious trade.
If you’re curious whether a website makes sense for your specific situation, I’m happy to chat through it. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just an honest look at whether it’d actually help. Get in touch and we’ll figure it out.
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