# How to Find Businesses Without a Website on Google Maps

URL: https://leadraft.co/blog/find-businesses-without-websites
Summary: How to find businesses without websites on Google Maps, by hand or from an export, check they still operate, and reach them by phone, Facebook or in person.

[ All articles](https://leadraft.co/blog)

# How to find businesses without a website (and sell them one)

How to find businesses without websites on Google Maps, by hand or from an export, check they still operate, and reach them by phone, Facebook or in person.

The Leadraft teamLeadraft

Published

October 31, 2026

Updated

November 3, 2026

Read time

10 min

Category

Playbook

To find businesses without a website, search a trade and a place on Google Maps and note every listing that has no Website button. For more than a few dozen, export the businesses to a spreadsheet and filter the website column for blanks, then flag links that point to facebook.com, which are "Facebook-only" businesses. Before you pitch, check each one still operates: recent reviews, listed hours and a phone that answers. Expect to reach most of them by phone, social message or in person, because a business without a website rarely has an email you can find.

**The short version, in three steps:**

1.  **Get every business in the trade and area** from Google Maps, not just the first page of results.
2.  **Filter the website column** for blanks, Facebook or Instagram links, and old `http://` sites.
3.  **Keep the ones that still operate** (recent reviews, listed hours, a phone that answers), then call, message or visit.

## How many businesses don't have a website?[#](#how-many-businesses-dont-have-a-website)

Fewer than most pitches assume, and the share depends on the trade. In Clutch's 2025 small business survey, 83% of small businesses had a website, up from 64% in 2018, which leaves about 17% without one. Over a third of those without a site said they don't think one is relevant and rely on social media or marketplaces instead, and 28% of them have no online presence at all \[5\].

Three things to keep in mind when you see other figures:

-   **Surveys and listings measure different things.** A survey asks owners. A Google Maps export shows whether the _listing_ links to a website, and some businesses with a site never add it to their profile.
-   **Vendor figures vary widely.** Tools that sell "no website" lists, and databases that report how many of their records lack a website, publish numbers that range from a few percent to well over half. They count different populations, so don't compare them directly.
-   **Your own export is the real answer.** Count the blank website cells in your trade and city. Solo trades, mobile services and home-based businesses tend to have more blanks than clinics or offices, but check rather than assume.

We haven't published a measured Leadraft figure for this yet.

## Why sell websites to businesses without one?[#](#why-sell-websites-to-businesses-without-one)

Because the gap is visible and easy to explain. A customer who finds the business on Google Maps and taps through for prices, photos or services has nowhere to go. For a trade where one job is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, a simple site pays for itself quickly, and that's the argument you'll make.

Not every business without a site is a good prospect. Some are fully booked from referrals. Some are side businesses. Some have closed but still have a listing. Most of the work below is sorting the good ones from the rest.

## How do I find businesses without websites on Google Maps by hand?[#](#how-do-i-find-businesses-without-websites-on-google-maps-by-hand)

Do it free, one listing at a time:

1.  **Search** "\[trade\] in \[city\]" on Google Maps, for example "roofer in Columbus, OH".
2.  **Open each result.** A listing with a website shows a Website button; a listing without one doesn't.
3.  **Note the ones without**, with name, phone, address, rating and review count.
4.  **Check the link on the ones with a Website button too.** If it opens a Facebook page, that business is Facebook-only.
5.  **Zoom or move the map and search again.** One search stops after roughly 120 results, so a big city needs several searches by neighborhood or ZIP code.

That's a few dozen businesses an hour. It's the right method for testing a niche before you spend anything.

## How do I find businesses without websites at scale?[#](#how-do-i-find-businesses-without-websites-at-scale)

Work from an export. Whatever tool you use, you want one row per business with at least business, category, phone, website, rating, reviews and address. Then in Google Sheets or Excel, with the website in column F:

Scroll horizontally if needed →

| What you want | Formula or filter |
| --- | --- |
| No website | Filter column F for blanks, or `=F2=""` |
| Facebook-only | `=ISNUMBER(SEARCH("facebook.com", F2))` |
| Instagram or other social as the "website" | `=ISNUMBER(SEARCH("instagram.com", F2))` |
| Link starts with http (hint only, confirm by opening) | `=LEFT(F2, 7)="http://"` |
| Established businesses (20 or more reviews) | `=H2>=20` with reviews in column H |

Combine them: "no website AND 20 or more reviews AND rating 4.0 or higher" is a short list of established, well-liked businesses with an obvious gap. Those are the best prospects in the set.

Cover the whole area first, though. Filtering a list that only has Google's first page of results leaves out most of the market. Our post on [why Google Maps stops at about 120 results](https://leadraft.co/blog/google-maps-120-results-limit) explains how to split the area so nothing is missed.

One search stops after a few hundred results, mostly near the middle. Searching the area tile by tile reaches the edges. Measured once: Portland coffee shops, 230 from one search vs 457 tiled (measured on one city and one keyword.)

## Where else can I find businesses without websites?[#](#where-else-can-i-find-businesses-without-websites)

Google Maps is the fastest source, but not the only one. These public lists include many businesses that never built a site:

-   **State licensing boards.** Contractor, electrician, plumbing, cosmetology and barber boards publish license lookups, and some offer downloadable licensee lists. A licensed tradesperson with no website is a common pattern.
-   **New business filings.** A company formed last month rarely has a site yet. Our guide to [finding new businesses in your area](https://leadraft.co/blog/find-new-businesses-in-my-area) lists where each state publishes them.
-   **City business licenses.** Many cities publish new and active licenses as open data, with name, address and business type. See [how to get a list of businesses in your area](https://leadraft.co/blog/list-of-businesses-in-my-area).
-   **Facebook and Instagram.** Searching a trade and city on Facebook turns up businesses that use a Page as their only web presence.

Cross-check each one on Google Maps before you call, to confirm the business is still operating and really has no site.

## How do I check a business without a website still operates?[#](#how-do-i-check-a-business-without-a-website-still-operates)

Check three things before you add it to your outreach list. A listing can outlive the business by years.

-   **Recent reviews.** At least one review in the last six to twelve months is a good sign. Reviews that stop dead in 2022 are not.
-   **Hours and status.** Hours listed, and no "Permanently closed" or "Temporarily closed" label.
-   **The phone.** Call it. A disconnected number answers the question for you.

Optional, for high-value prospects: check the state's business registry for an active filing, and look at their Facebook page for recent posts.

## How do I reach a business that has no website or email?[#](#how-do-i-reach-a-business-that-has-no-website-or-email)

Plan for no email. If a business has no website, there's usually nowhere public for an email address to be. You have four channels:

Scroll horizontally if needed →

| Channel | Best for | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Phone | Trades and offices that answer during the day | Call at quiet times (mid-morning, mid-afternoon), never during a lunch rush |
| Facebook or Instagram message | Facebook-only businesses | Many pages are rarely checked; keep it short and personal |
| In person | Shops, salons, restaurants near you | Go at a quiet hour, bring a printed one-page mockup, leave if they're busy |
| Mail | Offices and clinics | Slow, but a printed mockup with their name on it stands out |

A good phone opener is honest and short:

```
"Hi, is this {{business}}? My name is [Name], I build websites for
{{category}} businesses around {{city}}. I noticed you don't have a
website on your Google listing. Is that on purpose, or something
you've been meaning to sort out?"
```

That question does the qualifying for you. "We're booked six weeks out" means move on. "I've been meaning to" means ask if you can send a mockup.

For the Facebook-only segment, a message works well when it shows you've looked:

```
Hi, I came across {{business}} on Google Maps. Your listing links to
this page instead of a website. I build simple sites for {{category}}
businesses that pull in your reviews and make it easy to call or book.
Would a free mockup be useful? No worries if not.
```

If a business does have a published email address, our [cold email templates for local businesses](https://leadraft.co/blog/cold-email-templates-local-businesses) include a no-website version.

## What should I offer and how should I price it?[#](#what-should-i-offer-and-how-should-i-price-it)

Offer a small, fixed-price site with a clear result: a page per main service, the area they cover, their Google reviews, click-to-call and a quote form. Add a monthly plan for hosting and edits. Owners of small businesses want a total before they'll agree to anything, and a mockup with their own name and reviews on it is the most persuasive thing you can show.

Our [guide to getting web design clients from Google Maps](https://leadraft.co/blog/how-to-get-web-design-clients) covers offer angles, pricing structure and email scripts in more detail.

## What are the ethics and rules of this kind of outreach?[#](#what-are-the-ethics-and-rules-of-this-kind-of-outreach)

Treat people the way you'd want a stranger selling to your business to treat you:

-   **Say who you are and why you're calling** in the first sentence.
-   **Accept the first no.** Add them to a do-not-contact list and don't contact them again on any channel.
-   **Don't fake familiarity.** No "following up on our conversation" when there wasn't one.
-   **Don't build a site they didn't ask for and then bill them,** or register their business name as a domain to pressure them.

On the legal side, in the US the FTC says most calls to a business to solicit sales from that business are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry provisions. That doesn't cover everything: autodialed calls, prerecorded messages and texts to mobile numbers have their own rules, and many small businesses use the owner's personal cell. Dial by hand, and don't mass-text. If you email, CAN-SPAM applies to business email: honest headers and subject, a postal address and an opt-out honored within 10 business days. Separately, Google's Maps Platform terms forbid exporting or scraping Maps content, which is a contract question. Public business data, personal data and contract terms are different things; see [cold email laws](https://leadraft.co/blog/cold-email-laws) and get legal advice for your situation.

If you'd rather not build the list one listing at a time, Leadraft finds every business in a trade for the area you choose, with the `website` and `website_platform` columns ready to filter. Try it on your own city on the [free plan](https://leadraft.co/pricing), or see how [agencies](https://leadraft.co/solutions/agencies) use it.

## FAQ[#](#faq)

### How do I find businesses without websites on Google Maps?[#](#how-do-i-find-businesses-without-websites-on-google-maps)

Search a trade and a place on Google Maps, open each listing, and note the ones with no Website button. To do it at scale, export the businesses to a spreadsheet and filter the website column for empty cells, then also flag website links that point to facebook.com.

### Can I find businesses without websites for free?[#](#can-i-find-businesses-without-websites-for-free)

Yes, by hand on Google Maps: it costs only time. A few dozen listings an hour is realistic. Tools save time when you need hundreds or thousands across a whole city or county.

### How do I contact a business with no website?[#](#how-do-i-contact-a-business-with-no-website)

Usually not by email, because a business without a website rarely has a findable address. Use the phone number on the listing, a message to their Facebook or Instagram page, or a visit in person during a quiet hour.

### Why do some businesses not have a website?[#](#why-do-some-businesses-not-have-a-website)

Common reasons: they get enough work from referrals, they rely on a Facebook page, they think a site is expensive, or they are very new or very small. The first reason means they may not want more work, so ask before you pitch.

### Is it ethical to cold-call businesses without websites?[#](#is-it-ethical-to-cold-call-businesses-without-websites)

It can be, if you call at reasonable times, say who you are straight away, accept a no the first time, and keep a do-not-contact list. Don't use autodialers, prerecorded messages or mass texts, which carry their own legal rules.

### What percentage of small businesses don't have a website?[#](#what-percentage-of-small-businesses-dont-have-a-website)

About 17%, according to Clutch's 2025 small business survey, which found 83% had one, up from 64% in 2018. The share varies by trade and survey. For your own market, count the listings with no website in a Google Maps export for one trade and city.

## Sources[#](#sources)

1.  Federal Trade Commission, [Q&A for Telemarketers and Sellers about the Do Not Call Provisions of the TSR](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/qa-telemarketers-sellers-about-dnc-provisions-tsr-0) (business-to-business calls).
2.  Federal Trade Commission, [CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business).
3.  Google, [Google Maps Platform Terms of Service](https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms), section 3.2.3.
4.  Leadraft, [Lead fields reference](https://leadraft.co/docs/webhooks#fields).
5.  Clutch, [No-code tools fuel website growth, yet 17% of small businesses are still offline](https://clutch.co/press-releases/smb-websites-2025) (press release, August 21, 2025).

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Last built: 2026-11-09