Ask HN: What is the role of a modern business website?

In my opinion, websites do not bring much to the table to that kind of SMEs, unless they offer some added value (online booking or something). They're just the modern equivalent of a Yellow Pages listing. A creative company probably can add a lot more value though, but I don't think a website drives business unless it becomes a part of a wider marketing strategy (my experience is not in the U.S., it might be a lot different there).

You're also mixing two very different kinds of services, professional services like accountants are VERY different from someting like a beauty salon or a cleaning service.

Social media in general and Facebook in particular, on the other hand, bring a lot of value to the second category of business owners (beauty salon, cleaning service), and make engagement with customers a lot easier.

I think Yelp or equivalent listings are also important for SMEs to monitor.

In spite of a lot of effort by several startups, there still isn't a great solution for "local" services.

I might treat it primarily as a kind of internet business card (at least at first, even if I had no idea what else to do with it), but if I had a small local brick and mortar business, I absolutely would have a website. The reason I would do this is because so few SMEs do this that it means when people are looking online for local small businesses that are not a franchise of a large chain, if you have a website of any kind, you will stand out from the crowd.

It is shocking to me how little info there can be online about locally owned businesses. I live without a car and have for several years. So I use the Internet a great deal to find information before I make the long walk to check things out in person. Thus, this is something I have a lot of familiarity with: There is a dearth of good info online about local businesses that I might be inclined to go to if I had any idea they were there and what they offered.