Google Business Profile vs. Website: What Does a SWFL Business Really Need?

Most Southwest Florida businesses need both a Google Business Profile and a website because they do different jobs. Your profile helps people find you on Google Search and Maps. Your website, on your own domain, gives them a place to check your services, contact you or book.

Say you run a boutique in Naples. Someone finds your profile while looking for a shop nearby, then opens your website to see what you carry and when you're open. We recommend treating those as connected steps, not competing choices. The customer shouldn't have to work out which set of details is right.

Why your profile and website both matter

Your profile helps people find the basics

Google says its Business Profile information comes from several sources, including your official website, owner and user contributions, licensed data and Google's own interactions with your business. Google uses that information to show relevant local results.

That means your profile isn't separate from the rest of your business information online. Your own website is among the sources Google says it uses. Keeping both accurate gives customers a consistent account of who you are, what you do and how to reach you.

Think about the immediate question. A customer may need your hours or phone number before anything else. Make those details easy to check. If finding your business is the main concern, our article on why your Fort Myers business isn't showing up on Google Maps takes a closer look at that separate question.

Your website gives customers room to check the details

A profile and a website don't need to repeat every word. They do need to agree. Use your website to explain your services in plain language, show your own work and make the next step clear. For a painter, that might mean explaining whether you handle interior painting, exterior painting or both.

Google says owners can add their business website to their profile. Its help page also says some business categories can add appointment, reservation or online ordering links. Check which options your profile offers rather than assuming every business gets the same choices.

Keep the website address in your profile pointed at your current site. Then open that link yourself. Can a customer understand your services without hunting around? Can they find the phone number, send a request or book if you offer online booking? Those are useful checks whether you run a salon in Cape Coral or a repair business in Bonita Springs.

The old free Google websites are gone

Google's archived help page says websites made with Business Profiles were turned off on March 5, 2024. Visitors were sent to the business's profile until June 10, 2024. After that, they received a 'Page not found' error.

The same Google page said business.site and negocio.site addresses were removed from profiles' website fields. Google told owners who wanted to keep a website to create one with other tools and add the new address to their profile.

A Business Profile isn't the old free website. If you remember having a website through Google, check the address rather than assuming it still works. Look at saved links in your email signature and social profiles, too. Replace an old address wherever you still use it.

This matters here in Southwest Florida

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey figures show that 92.9% of Cape Coral households had a broadband internet subscription. The figures were 92.1% in Lee County and 92.5% in Collier County.

Those figures don't tell us how anyone chooses a contractor or shop. They do show why it's sensible to keep your online details usable for local households. A customer checking your business from home should see the same hours and phone number wherever they look.

What to check this week

Open your public Business Profile and your website side by side. We suggest starting with the details that help someone decide whether you offer what they need and how to reach you.

• Same business name. Use a consistent name on your profile and website. Check the header, contact information and booking page, not just the main page.
• Same hours. Compare the hours shown in both places. If your shop hours differ from appointment availability, explain the difference instead of leaving customers to guess.
• Same phone number. Check every place you list it. Tap the number on your phone and make sure it opens the number you intend customers to call.
• Same services. Remove services you no longer offer. Make sure a service listed on your profile has a clear explanation on your website, using words your customers would use.

Then follow the route a customer would take. Open the website link from your profile, read the service details and try the contact or booking step. Use a test request you can identify and remove afterward. Check that you know where it arrives and who will answer it.

Keep a short reference note with your current business name, hours, phone number and services. When something changes, use that note to update both places. Before changing seasonal hours, you can also work through our guide to getting your Southwest Florida business ready for season.

How Deja Vu Marketing can help

We build your website on your own domain, with online booking and instant replies to web requests. Your domain is in your name, and you own your pages. If you leave, your domain and customer list go with you.

Every plan includes review requests after visits. The AI plan also includes replies to Google reviews. You get one free edit hour every month to help keep your website details current.

Our focus is the website and the system behind it, so every caller gets a reply and can book anytime. Your profile and website still need accurate information from you: the services you offer, your location and your current hours.

See your website before you decide anything

Book a free 15-minute call and ask for a free preview. We'll build a sample website from your public Google listing before we talk, so you can see what yours could look like. We meet in person anywhere from Cape Coral to Naples, and it's month-to-month, with no contract.

Book your free 15-minute call or call or text (239) 990-3072. Our AI assistant answers day or night.

Sources

• Google. (2024). Websites made with Google Business Profiles are turned off. Google Business Profile Help. Archived June 20, 2024, by the Internet Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20240620152702/https://support.google.com/business/answer/14368911
• Google. (n.d.). Understand how Google sources & uses info in Business Profiles & local search results. Google Business Profile Help. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://support.google.com/business/answer/2721884
• Google. (n.d.). Edit your Business Profile. Google Business Profile Help. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://support.google.com/business/answer/3039617
• U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). QuickFacts: Cape Coral city, Florida; Lee County, Florida; Collier County, Florida. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/capecoralcityflorida,leecountyflorida,colliercountyflorida/PST045225