Meet the business owners without a website

Téa Smith has carved out a career building websites and copywriting under the business name Kintsugi. But she's never bothered building one for herself.

The Perth woman insists that most people search for her by name. And she's right there on LinkedIn, she points out.

"People have recommended me and so a new client often picks up the phone. My business has grown slowly and steadily over the years. I just haven't seen the relevance of having a website. I don't see the point."

Smith admits running a business without a website has relied on an element of luck. "I've been leaning on my LinkedIn profile and my blog, which builds my personal brand."

But Smith is by no means alone. Plenty of other business owners don't bother with a website, and it's usually got nothing to do with trying to save a buck. A website just isn't needed, they say.

Hacking was the beginning of the end

Richard De Vries is a corporate interior designer based in Sydney. His business, DCI Partnership, employs four contractors and he regularly handles client budgets of up to $4 million. Clients are mostly SMEs in Sydney, Melbourne and occasionally New Zealand. His turnover is around $1.2 million per year.

He initially launched the business with a website in 2011, but the website was hacked, forcing him to take it down.

Since then, he's relied entirely on word-of-mouth referrals, which have come from his networking efforts. "Referrals are a heck of a lot better than cold calls. I'm not selling widgets. We become the client's eyes and ears during a project, and we're trusted to make buying decisions on their behalf."

He's reluctant to put up a new website because he doesn't want his business to grow any larger than it is. "I've thought long and hard about it, but every time I think perhaps I should put up a website, I get too busy and think better of it.

"Business growth would mean I'd have to hire more people. I like the bespoke nature of what we do."

No need

Melanie Quirk insists she'll never bother with a website, either. She runs a boutique marketing and PR company on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

She also relies on word of mouth, and has clients ranging from clothing brands and interior designers to pubs and players in the fashion industry, mostly in the local area. Her business turns over around $150,000 each year.

"I intended to build a website, but only got as far as the domain name. I've now come to the conclusion that my business doesn't even need a website.

"I meet with most of the clients I work with, and form more of a relationship than a website could ever cater for. I've got no intention of building a website, I just don't need it. One job rolls into another, so why would I?"

Social media trumps a website

Melburnian Sheeren Kiddle is also adamant she doesn't need a website. The PR professional has worked with controversial website Ashley Madison, handled media for Victorian Australian of the Year events and has clients in the charitable and not-for-profit sector. Turnover is around $100,000 a year.

"I started working from home more than a decade ago, and my business has also grown without the need of a website.

"I've never actually met a lot of my clients. Communicating via email is sufficient. In the PR world, stories are secured with the back and forth of emails and by picking up the phone," she insists.

Kiddle does have a Facebook page for her PR business, MILKK, which she updates regularly.

"Social media content can be far more meaningful than what I could say about myself on a website," she says.

"Facebook in particular gives potential customers a far richer and more interactive experience to see campaigns I've been involved in. It's a far better medium than a website for my business."

Smith over in Perth, however, admits she's getting to a point that social proof is needed, with some opportunities to work with the government bypassing her, which she puts down to the lack of a website.

But if she does succumb and build a site one day, it would only be a one-pager with contact details, she says. "I wouldn't ever list prices or services on a site," she says.

More common than you'd think

Not having a website is more common than you think in Australia. According to the Sensis e-business report from last year, only 61 per cent of SMEs have a website.

However, the survey found SMEs that have built a website have realised it's good for business – 60 per cent of SMEs with websites believe this has improved the effectiveness of their business, primarily by increasing their exposure, following by providing customers with information.

The report also reveals expenditure on building and maintaining a website averaged $3300 in 2015, which was up from $2500 from the year before.

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