To find businesses without a website in your city, search for an industry and an area on Google Maps and write down the listings that don't have a "Website" button. In Mexico, you can also use INEGI's DENUE, a free public directory with each business's phone number and website. Reach out first to the ones with lots of reviews and a good rating.
If you sell websites, businesses without one are the easiest lead list to build. They're already on Google Maps with their phone number, address, and reviews. This guide explains where to find them, which ones to contact first, and how to reach out without your message looking like spam.
Why so many businesses still don't have a website
Their customers are already online: according to INEGI's 2025 ENDUTIH survey, 104.9 million people use the internet in Mexico, 86.1% of the population age 6 and up. Understanding why a business doesn't have a website helps you know what to say to them. The most common reasons:
- They think social media is enough. They have Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp Business, and customers are coming in. We wrote Instagram vs. a website for them.
- Someone already sold them something that didn't work. They paid for a website that nobody updated or that disappeared when the provider did.
- They think it's expensive. They picture a project costing MX$10,000 or more.
- They don't have time. The owner is busy running the business and doesn't want to learn another tool.
Step 1: Pick an industry and an area
Look for an industry where people use Google to find the service:
- Dental and medical offices
- Vet clinics
- Auto repair and body shops
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Law and accounting firms
- Schools, academies, and private tutors
- Plumbers, electricians, and home services
- Gyms and yoga or dance studios
Pick a specific area, like a borough, a municipality, or a large neighborhood. The more specific it is, the easier it is for the owner to see you as someone local. In who you sell to, you'll see what a website needs for a vet clinic and other industries.
Step 2: Search on Google Maps
- Open Google Maps and type the industry and the area: "vet clinic in Zapopan."
- Scroll through the results. On each listing, check whether there's a Website button.
- If there isn't one, or if it goes to Facebook or Instagram, that's a lead.
- Open the listing and write down the reviews, rating, photos, hours, and phone number.
Change up your search to find more: "[industry] near [neighborhood]," the name of a main street, or a synonym for the industry ("animal hospital," "dog grooming"). Do this with 30 or 40 businesses and you'll have your first list.
Step 3: Add INEGI's DENUE
The National Statistical Directory of Economic Units (DENUE) is a free public directory from INEGI, Mexico's national statistics agency. Its May 2026 edition lists 6,138,075 business establishments across the country. Each record includes the type of business, its address, and, when available, its phone number, email, and website.
To use it:
- Go to the DENUE map and search by activity (for example, "servicios veterinarios") and municipality.
- Download the results or browse them on the map.
- Filter for the records that don't have a website.
- Cross-check the list with Google Maps to see reviews and whether the business is still open.
Heads up: DENUE is updated periodically and some of the data may be outdated. That's why it's a good idea to check each business on Google Maps before you contact them.
Step 4: Build your lead sheet
| Business | Phone | Reviews | Rating | Has a website? | Social media | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample vet clinic | 33 0000 0000 | 214 | 4.8 | No | Replies to reviews | |
| Sample auto shop | 33 0000 0000 | 87 | 4.5 | Facebook only | No hours on Maps |
The notes column helps with your first message. "I noticed you reply to all your reviews" is a better opener than any generic introduction.
Step 5: Decide who to contact first
Not every business without a website is a good lead. Prioritize the ones that show the business is doing well and wants to grow:
- 50 or more reviews, with a good rating. It's a business that works and cares about its reputation.
- Recent photos and up-to-date hours. Someone is keeping the listing current.
- They reply to reviews. The owner or someone on the team is paying attention.
- Active social media but no website. They already get the value of being online.
Save for later the ones with few reviews, no photos, or hours that don't add up. The business may have closed, or nobody checks the listing.
Step 6: First contact
The owner didn't ask you for anything, so your first message needs to be short, respectful, and about their business:
"Good afternoon. I found your vet clinic on Google Maps, and you have great reviews. I didn't see a website for you. Do you get customers from Google, or is it mostly word of mouth?"
- Keep it polite and a little formal until the owner sets a more casual tone.
- Save the price and links for when there's interest.
- Personalize every message. If enough people report you as spam, WhatsApp can restrict your number.
- If you can visit in person, do it.
In how to get web design clients, you'll find more channels besides Google Maps.
Step 7: Show them their website
When the owner replies and shows interest, show them what their website would look like, with their name, their photos, their hours, and a WhatsApp button. They can look it over at their own pace without having to imagine anything.
- Make it clear it's a sample. Don't present it as if it were already their official website.
- Don't publish their brand on a public site without their permission. The sample is just for them to see.
After that, talking about price gets a lot easier. We explain it in how to sell websites to local businesses.
FAQ
How do I find businesses without a website?
Search for your industry and your area on Google Maps and write down the listings that don't have a website button or that only link to Facebook or Instagram. In Mexico, you can add INEGI's DENUE directory, which records whether each business has a website.
Why don't so many businesses have a website?
Many businesses in Mexico don't have a website because they think Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp Business are enough, because they already paid for a website that nobody updated, because they assume it's expensive, or because the owner doesn't have time to deal with it. Figuring out their reason helps you know what to say in your first message.
Which businesses don't need a website?
The ones that only sell to customers who already know them, the ones with more work than they can handle, and the ones that sell something on impulse that almost nobody searches for on Google. For everyone else, a website helps people find them.
What is DENUE?
DENUE is INEGI's National Statistical Directory of Economic Units. It's free and public, and it records the type of business, the address, and, when available, the phone number, email, and website of businesses across Mexico. Its May 2026 edition lists 6,138,075 business establishments.
Is it OK to contact businesses I found on Google Maps?
Yes, you can contact a business you found on Google Maps: the contact info on its listing is public, and it was posted so people would get in touch. Even so, introduce yourself, be respectful, personalize every message, and stop if they ask you to. Mass messages can get your number blocked.
How many businesses should I contact per day?
A few well-chosen businesses work better than a lot of random ones. Ten personalized messages a day, to businesses with good reviews and active social media, usually get more replies than a hundred copy-pasted ones. Plus, if enough businesses report you as spam, WhatsApp can restrict your number and you lose the channel you sell through.
How The Biz Layer helps you find them
The Biz Layer is a platform for freelancers, social media managers, and small agencies that sell websites to local businesses and charge them a monthly fee. It includes a Google business search that gives you the phone number, address, rating, and a "No website" tag. With one click, you can put together a sample of their website to show them once you've started talking.