So...you want to know do you need a website?
That's a very good question that many business owners ask. It is actually one of the most important and most frequently asked questions of the digital business age. Before I answer, however, let's flash back to the very first time I was asked this question. It was back in 1999, during the infancy of the internet.
I know, that’s not to long ago but the internet really is not that old in terms of business use, however look at the impact it has had in such a small amount of time. Amazing, is the only way to describe it. Nothing else has impacted the way that we do business like the internet. During that time even the most negative futurists agreed that all the signs indicated that a large portion of future business revenues would be derived from online transactions or from offline transactions that were the result of online marketing efforts.
So should your business have a website, even if your business is small and sells products or services you don't think can be sold online? My answer in 1999 is the same as my answer today:
Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website.
Period. . . . . . No question. . . . .Without a doubt!
Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold online. Nowadays, there's very little that can't be sold over the internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it.
With our new
FACE-Sites
we are setting a new standard for how your customers can interact online. Let’s face it, the online community is becoming more of a social community and the faster business owners can see that the stronger they will position themselves in both today’s economy as well as for future growth.If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online.
Let me clarify one point: I'm not saying you should put all your efforts into selling your wares over the internet, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you should certainly be considering it.
The point to be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the web so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer.
There used to be a time when people would simply go to their phonebook and find all that they needed to know about your business. Now things have changed. Not having a website is just as bad as telling someone about your business and not having a business card.
That being said, it's not enough that you just have a website.
You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. 
Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.
One of the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys.
As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company.
The opposite is also true.
I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.
You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you're a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you're losing business to other companies that do.
Here's the exception to my rule: It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!" or it screams, "He look, I let my 10-year-old nephew design my site. Good luck finding anything!"
Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it as such.
The same is true for your business Facebook page. It is not enough to simply have a presence on Facebook but it is the quality of your presence.
Yes you did show up at the party, but the question is how did you look once you arrived.