Yes. A website is no longer optional for small businesses that want to compete. Even if you run a purely local operation—a plumber in Ottawa, a bakery in Montreal—your potential customers are searching Google before they call or visit. Studies consistently show 97% of consumers research businesses online before making a purchase decision, and 84% won't trust a business without a website. Social media pages don't replace websites. You don't own your Facebook or Instagram presence; the platform does. It can change algorithms, suspend accounts, or introduce barriers between you and your audience. A website gives you full control over your content, messaging, and customer data. It also ranks in Google search results where social profiles often don't, especially for service-based queries. A basic business website provides three critical functions. First, it establishes legitimacy—consumers view businesses with professional websites as more trustworthy than those without. Second, it works 24/7 as a sales and information hub, answering common questions and capturing leads while you sleep. Third, it gives you a destination for all other marketing—your Google Business Profile, ads, email campaigns, and business cards all need somewhere to send traffic. Cost is not the barrier it once was. A functional small business website can run between $800 and $3,000 CAD for a basic WordPress setup, with hosting costing $15–$50 monthly. That's less than most businesses spend on a single month of local advertising. For service businesses, even a simple five-page site with services, contact info, and a few customer testimonials delivers measurable return. At Ottawa SEO Inc., we've seen dozens of small businesses double their lead volume within 90 days of launching their first website, simply because they became discoverable for searches they were previously invisible to. The question isn't whether you need one—it's whether you can afford to keep operating without one while competitors capture your market share.