The six checks
- Open the full listing.On Google Maps, click into the business and read its full listing. The full listing shows website buttons the list leaves out: 270 of the websites we found were only there. Check Apple Maps and Bing too if the business is on them.
- Search the name with the town.Look past Yell, Facebook, Checkatrade, Trustpilot and other directories for a site of its own. Try the name without “Ltd” and with the trade added.
- Search the phone number.Put it in quotes, once as one block of digits and once with a space as they write it. A website with their number on it is theirs, whatever it is called.
- Try the name as a web address.Type it with .co.uk, .com and .uk in the UK, .com in the US and .ca in Canada, with and without hyphens. A parked page or “coming soon” means they own a domain but have no site.
- Read the links on their social profiles.The Website field on a Facebook page and the link in an Instagram bio often point to their site, or to a Linktree, a booking page or WhatsApp, which tells you how customers reach them today.
- Look again on the day you contact them.A list is a snapshot. Businesses add websites all the time.
What counts as a website
| What you find | Has a website? | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| A working site on its own domain | Yes | Not a lead for a first website. It may be one for a better site. |
| A page on a free site builder (wixsite.com, weebly.com, WordPress.com, Google Sites) | Yes, a basic one | A lead for a better site. |
| A parked domain, “for sale” or “coming soon” page | No | They bought the address and never built the site: a warm lead. |
| Only a Facebook or Instagram page | Not one of its own | A lead. Show what a site does that the page can't. |
| A Linktree, booking page (Booksy, Fresha) or WhatsApp link | Not one of its own | A lead. Their bookings already work, so pitch the rest. |
| Nothing at all | No | A lead. Confirm it is still trading first. |
What our checks found
Between 5 and 10 November 2026 we checked 1,137 UK trade businesses (carpet fitters, flooring firms, tilers, plasterers, electricians, landscapers, builders and barbers) whose Google Maps search result showed no website. We had already set aside the ones whose name worked as a web address. 376 of them, one in three, still had a website:
| How the website turned up | Businesses |
|---|---|
| A website button on the full listing, missing from the search list | 270 |
| A site under their name, found by searching the name and town | 88 |
| Their mobile number on a site | 6 |
| Other: their name and town in a site's title, or a page on a free site builder | 12 |
| Total with a website | 376 |
The other 758 passed every check. So treat the search list as a starting point, and run every check before you get in touch.
Lists go stale
On 9 November 2026 we looked again at 1,026 businesses we had found with no working website in late October and early November. 63 now showed a website link on their Google listing. 55 of those were sites on their own domain; the other 8 were Linktree, Facebook or WhatsApp links.
That is about 6% within two weeks. Check again before you call or write, and keep the date of your last check next to every lead.
Questions
How do I know if a business has a website?
Open its full Google listing and look for a website button, then search its name with its town, then its phone number, and try its name as a web address. If none of those finds a site of its own, it almost certainly has none.
Does a Linktree or a booking page count as a website?
Not a website of its own. A Linktree, a WhatsApp link, or a Booksy or Fresha page tells you how the business takes bookings, and it is still a lead for a website. A page on a free site builder, such as a wixsite.com address, is a website, just a basic one.
What does a parked domain mean?
A page saying the domain is for sale, parked or coming soon usually means the business bought its web address and never built the site. It is one of the warmest leads there is: they already wanted a website.
How often should I recheck a list?
On the day you contact each business. Of 1,026 businesses we found with no working website, 63 showed a website link within about two weeks.