A business website or a Google Business Profile? The truth is you need both
It is one of the more common questions we hear from small business owners: "I have a Google Business Profile, people find me, why do I still need a site?". The question is fair, because a Google profile really can do a lot. But a site and a profile are two different tools that do different things and work best as a pair.
What a Google Business Profile gives you
A Google Business Profile (formerly "Google My Business") is the panel that shows up beside the results and on the map: name, opening hours, phone, reviews, photos, directions. Its strength is local discovery:
- you appear when someone searches "hairdresser near me" or "mechanic + city",
- your reviews and rating are visible, crucial for trust,
- it is free and quick to set up.
The profile is great for one thing: getting you found when someone is already looking for something like this nearby.
What the profile will not do
A profile is, however, someone else's house, it belongs to Google, looks the way Google decides and shows only what Google allows. It has real limitations:
- You cannot tell your story. A profile is a set of fields, not a place for building an image, presenting your offer or standing out from the competition.
- You do not fully control it. The look, layout and even visibility depend on Google. The rules can change overnight.
- You cannot sell through it directly. No shop, no elaborate forms, no full control over the customer journey.
- Everyone looks similar. Your profile looks like the competitor's profile next to it. It is hard to stand out.
A profile is like a stall at someone else's market, great for getting noticed. A site is like your own premises, a place you fully control and set up your way.
Why it is best to have both
These tools complement each other, they do not replace. A typical customer journey looks like this: someone finds you in Google via the profile → sees good reviews → clicks the link to the site to learn more, see the offer, prices, past work → and only then calls or buys.
Without a site, that journey breaks halfway. The profile draws attention, but it is the site that turns interest into a customer, it gives you a place to persuade, show more and build trust on your terms. What is more, the presence of a site and consistent data also strengthen the profile itself in Google's eyes.
Your own house vs. a rented corner
There is one more serious argument: on your site you are at home. The domain and site belong to you, nobody can suspend them because of a rule change. A company basing its entire online presence solely on someone else's platform (Google, Facebook, Instagram) builds on rented ground. Your own site is a foundation you genuinely control.
In summary
A Google Business Profile is an excellent, free tool, by all means have it and take care of it. But treat it as a door leading to your real home online, the site. Together they form a whole: the profile attracts, the site persuades.
Have a profile but lack a proper site, or have a site that needs refreshing and care? Get in touch, we will help sort out both.