We Don't Need No Stinkin' Web Sites

Even in the Digital Age, many small businesses may not need to invest the time and money it takes to launch and maintain a full-blown site

By Gene Marks

A few months ago I was at a technology conference and things were abuzz. The results of a recent survey had just been announced and—gasp—it found that an astonishing 40% of small businesses don't have a Web site (another survey put the number closer to 60%). How could this be? Considering there are more than 20 million small businesses in the U.S., are we actually saying that something like 10 million small businesses in this country don't have a Web site? Shocking. Ignorant. Appalling.

"Oh, they just soooo don't get it," said one conference attendee, a turtleneck-and-vest-wearing, greasy-haired propeller head drinking a Red Bull. Others around him clucked their agreement while sending this shocking news to their Twitter accounts by way of their Apple (AAPL) iPhones.

Are those small business owners as naive as these very smart and witty technologists believe? I don't think so. Most are probably smarter than many who attended the conference. Why? Because millions of business owners may know something that we're not prepared to admit. Some people don't really need a Web site at all. Maybe a Web page. But not a Web site.

Learning from the Alexa Toolbar

First, let me explain the difference. A Web page is simple. A Web page has basic, but important, information—like contact data and maybe a photo or two. A Web page doesn't need a lot of maintenance. It doesn't need a lot of creativity. And it certainly doesn't need any turtleneck-and-vest-wearing, greasy-haired propeller heads drinking Red Bull to maintain it. In fact, it can be hosted for less than $10 a month by any one of a dozen companies that do that sort of thing. Some companies, like Synthasite and Weebly let you set up, for free, very simple Web sites that are akin to pages. Other popular destinations, like Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace (NWS), can also be used.

A site is, by definition, a collection of many Web pages. I'm sure you've seen them. Lots of pretty pictures. Flash videos. Pop-up windows. High-definition graphics. And those are just the NSFW sites I visit. I hear business sites have a lot of this stuff, too.

But here's a fun exercise for you to do. Go to Amazon.com's (AMZN) Alexa and download its free toolbar. Whenever you go to a Web site, Alexa will show you where that site ranks in its universe of Web sites. Alexa.com has its limitations. But for a free site, it provides some pretty interesting information. For example, you know the guy who spent a ton of money with one of those turtleneck-and-vest-wearing, greasy-haired propeller heads to plan, create, develop, implement, and then maintain a Web site for his hardware store? Well, his site is ranked No. 98,388,756,442. This is just a few spots behind my company's Web site. Which means that no one, other than his mother (and my mother), is visiting it.