Short answer
Yes, if customers check you out on Google before they call. A free Google Business Profile can carry a new sole trader for a while. But a website is the one place you own to show services, prices and proof. Published NZ prices for a basic site start at $299 + GST. DIY builders cost $25 to $150 a month, ex GST (2026).
- A free Google Business Profile is the first step for any local business. A website is the second.
- Facebook and directories are useful extras, but you don’t own them and they’re hard to find on Google.
- AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini pull facts about businesses from websites and Google profiles.
- A small site usually needs to win only one or two jobs to pay for itself.
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Do you need a website yet? The short answer by situation
Most NZ businesses that want new local customers need a website, but a brand-new sole trader working by word of mouth can start with a free Google profile. Find your situation below.
| Your situation | Website needed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Just starting, all work by word of mouth | Not yet | Set up a free Google profile first. Add a site when you want new customers. |
| Tradie or service business wanting new local jobs | Yes | People compare you with others on Google before they call. |
| Café or restaurant | Yes, a small one | Menu, hours and bookings in one place you control. |
| Professional service (accountant, lawyer, consultant) | Yes | Clients check credentials and services before they make contact. |
| You want to quote higher prices than the cheapest competitor | Yes | A site is where you show why you’re worth it. |
| Fully booked with no plans to grow | Optional | A 1-page site still protects your name and reputation. |
Is a Google profile alone enough?
A free Google Business Profile is enough for a new sole trader working in one suburb, but not once you want to rank beyond your own suburb, explain several services or show prices. A Google Business Profile puts you on Google Maps with your hours, phone, reviews and photos, and Google lets you create or claim one for free.
Your profile has limited space, and Google controls it. Whitespark’s 2026 survey rates dedicated service pages as the top factor for local organic results. Those pages live on a website.
What can you use instead of a website?
You can use a Google Business Profile, a Facebook page, directories or a DIY builder, but each has limits, and none of the free options is yours to control. Use them alongside a website, not instead of one. They all point people somewhere. A website is the place you control.
| Option | Cost (ex GST) | Good for | The limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Free | Maps, reviews, calls | Little room to explain services; Google controls it |
| Facebook page | Free | Updates, photos, messages | Rarely ranks for service searches; you don’t own it |
| Directories and lead-gen sites | Free to paid | Being found by people already on that site | You sit next to competitors; rules can change |
| DIY website builder | $25 to $150 a month | A real site, on a budget | 20 to 40 hours of your time to build |
DIY builder costs, ex GST: our NZ website prices survey (published prices Aug 2025 to Oct 2026).
Will AI search make websites pointless?
No. AI tools need facts to recommend a business, and in our experience they get many of them from websites. When we checked on 2 Oct 2026, ChatGPT named Web Smart HQ in its top 3 for “local SEO company West Auckland”. It quoted our prices from our own website.
Google’s guide to AI features and your website tells local businesses to use Google Business Profiles. Its AI answers also cite websites. The reasons AI tools gave for picking businesses were concrete: rating, review count, published prices, location and niche. A website is where most of those facts are written down.
Is a website worth paying for?
A small website is usually worth paying for, because it often needs to win only one job to cover its cost. Say an average job is worth $600 to you. A $499 + GST site then needs about one job to pay for itself. That’s an illustration, not a promise. Your numbers will differ.
Compare it with paying for clicks instead. Google Ads clicks for “plumber auckland” cost about $12.52 each (ex GST, Oct 2026). A $499 budget buys roughly 40 clicks, once. A website keeps working for as long as it’s live.
| Search | Searches a month | Cost per click (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|
| plumber auckland | 2,900 | ~$12.52 |
| electrician auckland | 1,000 | ~$8.10 |
| landscaper auckland | 320 | ~$10.59 |
| accountant auckland | 590 | ~$16.86 |
| cafe auckland | 5,400 | ~$0.25 |
Google Ads data via DataForSEO, NZD, ex GST, pulled 3 Oct 2026.
What does a small business website need?
A small business website needs your own domain, a clear statement of what you do and where, a page per main service, real photos, a working contact form, your reviews and basic SEO setup.
The essentials
- Your domain, registered in your name (.co.nz or .nz).
- What you do, where you do it, and how to contact you, in the first screen.
- A page or clear section for each main service.
- Real photos of your work, you on the job, or your premises.
- A contact form that works on a phone.
- A link to your Google reviews.
- Basic SEO setup: page titles, descriptions, a sitemap.
Where Web Smart HQ fits
Web Smart HQ builds a 1-page site for $499 + GST (Business Lite) or 5 pages for $899 + GST (Business Plus). Business Lite includes SEO setup, a contact form, Google Business Profile setup, and a domain and hosting for the first year. See pricing or small business websites.
You see your homepage before you pay the balance. Your domain, content, Google profile and analytics are in your name. We host the site, and you can move it any time. Not sure you need a site yet? Ask for a free website check. We check 12 things and send you the three fixes that matter most, in plain English.