Should a small business have more than one website?
Usually not. Most small service businesses do better with one website that covers all their services and areas. A second site often splits the work, the updates and the attention customers give you, and it can leave people unsure which one is real. A separate site tends to make sense only for a genuinely separate business or brand, with its own name and its own customers.
Why one site usually wins
- One place to keep current. Two sites means two sets of hours, services and phone numbers to update, and one of them often falls behind.
- Less confusion. A customer who finds two sites with different details can wonder which business they are dealing with, or whether either is still open.
- Effort adds up in one place. New pages, photos and improvements all help the same site instead of being split across two.
- Simpler records. Inquiries arrive through one set of forms and one phone number, so it is easier to see where each came from.
When a second site can make sense
A separate site can make sense when the second operation is truly separate: a different business name, different customers and a different reason to hire you. A residential cleaning company and an unrelated equipment rental business, for example, may each be clearer on their own.
A new service or a new area is usually not a reason for a new site. A page or section on the main site is often enough, and the related answer on how to get found for a new service covers that. For a single offer or campaign, the related answer on landing pages explains when one page does the job.
What to do with old extra sites
If you already have an old or extra site, it is usually best to fold it into the main one rather than leave it running. Ask whoever looks after your website to make sure anyone using an old address, link or bookmark still reaches your main site.
Keep renewing the old domain names for a good while, even once the old site is gone. Old links, printed material and saved bookmarks can keep using them for years, and a lapsed domain can be picked up by someone else.
A quick check
Search for your business name and your phone number and note every website that comes up. If you find more than one that you control, decide which is the main site, and plan to retire the rest in the way described above.
Related answers
- How do you get found for a new service you just started offering?
- What is a landing page, and when does a small business need one?
- How do you choose a domain name for a small business?
Websites, upgraded or built
Most businesses do not need a new website. They need the one they have to load fast, say clearly what they do and ask the visitor to take one step.