AI for Breakfast

Chris Witham • February 28, 2024

Post 43 - Preparing for the end of Google Business Profile websites in March 2024: How I can help


I saw this mentioned somewhere or other and on further investigation it seems there are some 20 million businesses globally using them, could be a perfect opportunity to offer them my services I thought.


Also a perfect topic for my custom GPT, so here’s the prompt and the following is the output. Not sure about the image but it does reflect the subject matter albeit a bit of a stretch!


Me: Google has announced it will shut down Google Business Profile websites in March 2024, affecting many small businesses without a standalone digital presence. Here at LucidSynergy we have a solution.


In a recent announcement, Google has signalled the closure of Google Business Profile websites, setting a deadline for March 2024.

This decision is poised to impact numerous small businesses that rely on these profiles for their online visibility and customer engagement. If you're among those who have depended on Google's offering to maintain your digital presence, this news might seem unsettling. However, there's no need to worry. Here at LucidSynergy, we've already devised a solution to ensure your business not only survives but thrives in this new landscape.


Understanding the impact

First, let's delve into what this change means for small business owners:


  • Loss of a free and easy-to-set-up digital storefront: Google Business Profile websites have been a go-to for many SMEs looking to establish an online presence without investing in a standalone website.


  • Potential decrease in online visibility: These profiles often serve as a primary point of online contact for customers. Their disappearance could lead to reduced discoverability.


  • Need for a new online home: Businesses will now have to look for alternative ways to maintain their online presence, driving up the need for cost-effective digital solutions.


LucidSynergy's solution

Recognising the challenges this change poses, we at LucidSynergy have developed a number of comprehensive packages tailored specifically for small businesses facing the closure of their Google Business Profile websites. Here’s how we can help:


  • Bespoke website design and development: We offer customised website solutions that reflect your brand's identity and meet your business needs, ensuring a seamless transition from your Google Business Profile.


  • AI assisted content creation and SEO: Built-in and ready for you to utilise in your page creation.


  • SEO optimisation: Our team will ensure your new website is optimised for search engines, helping you maintain, if not improve, your online visibility and customer reach.


  • Social media integration: We understand the importance of social media in today’s digital landscape. Our solutions include integrating your social media profiles with your website, enhancing your online presence across platforms.


  • Affordable and scalable: We’re committed to providing cost-effective solutions that can grow with your business, ensuring you get value for money and a digital presence that evolves with your needs.


Why choose LucidSynergy?

Choosing LucidSynergy means more than just getting a new website. It means partnering with a company that understands the unique challenges small businesses face and is committed to helping you navigate them successfully. Our solutions are designed not just to replace your Google Business Profile website but to offer you a platform for growth and success in the digital world.


Understanding the Google Business Profile Website closure

Here’s a simplified breakdown of the key points regarding the closure of Google Business Profile websites, as announced by Google:


  • The shutdown is scheduled for March 2024, marking the end of service for these websites.


  • Initially, any attempts to visit your website will redirect users to your Google Business Profile (GBP), ensuring a temporary solution for visitor redirection.


  • This redirection service will cease on June 10, 2024. Beyond this date, visitors attempting to access your website URL will encounter a 404 error message, indicating the webpage is no longer available.


  • For businesses using domains that end in business.site or negocio.site, these will be removed from the website field on your Google Business Profile post-shutdown.



  • Google's advice to business owners is to proactively update their Google Business Profile, directing visitors to a new, alternative website to avoid disruption.


This change underscores the importance of preparing for a digital transition to ensure your business maintains its online presence and connectivity with customers.


In conclusion

The closure of Google Business Profile websites represents a significant shift for small businesses reliant on Google for their online presence. However, with LucidSynergy, you have a partner ready to help you transition smoothly and effectively into a more robust digital future. We're here to ensure your business not only survives this change but emerges stronger and more visible online.

Lines of colorful computer code on a dark background.
By Chris Witham December 11, 2025
Where AI really helps your Business If you spend any time on LinkedIn or X, you’ll have seen bold claims about how AI can help you build software in a matter of days. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of big promises, and a fair bit of confusion for business owners trying to work out what’s real. A new term doing the rounds is “Vibe Coding” —the idea of describing what you want to an AI assistant and having it generate the code for you. It’s becoming popular because it can move things forward quickly and help people explore ideas they wouldn’t have been able to create alone. And the truth is, it does have its place. The challenge isn’t the technique. It’s the expectation that AI will automatically deliver finished, reliable, production-ready tools without any real design or thinking behind them. AI accelerates the work you already do well Used properly, AI can: • Remove huge amounts of repetitive work • Speed up drafting and iteration • Generate working prototypes in hours • Help non-technical people explore ideas • Improve documentation, planning and communication This is where it shines. But it still needs clarity, structure, and well-designed processes around it. It’s like having a very fast assistant rather than a fully formed development team. Why many AI projects don’t deliver what people expect Independent research this year showed a clear pattern: • Many early AI initiatives failed to produce measurable business value • Companies abandoned AI ideas because they couldn’t scale or integrate them • The gap between an impressive demo and a reliable tool is larger than people thought This doesn’t mean AI is overhyped. It means teams jumped straight to execution without the groundwork. The technology isn’t the issue. It’s the approach. Small businesses don’t need Enterprise Platforms Most UK small businesses don’t need to build a full software product. What they actually need is: • Better workflows • Faster content generation • Clearer communication • Improved customer support • Tools that reflect the way they work • Consistency and repeatability AI is perfect for this. A custom GPT trained on your tone, your documents and your processes can become: • A writing assistant • A customer support helper • A knowledge base navigator • An internal guide for staff • A quality-control layer • A process automator No engineering team needed. No complex infrastructure. No stress. Where AI builds real value right now AI works best when it’s part of a thoughtful, guided approach: • Define the outcome you want • Build a lightweight prototype (AI helps here) • Add structure, rules and guardrails • Connect it to your real workflow • Test it with real users or staff • Iterate until it feels natural You can still move fast. You just avoid building something brittle that breaks the moment it’s needed. The key insight: AI doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it AI is at its strongest when someone knowledgeable decides: • What it should do • What it shouldn’t do • How it should behave • What tone it should use • How it fits into the business • What checks and constraints matter That’s where tools like custom GPTs genuinely shine. They’re not software products in the traditional sense. They’re flexible assistants shaped around your business. With the right design, they can save huge amounts of time and deliver consistent, practical value without any of the complexity of building a full system. A more useful way to think about AI in 2026 Instead of “AI will build everything for you”, a healthier mindset is: AI speeds up the work, but you set the direction. For small businesses, that’s more than enough to make a real difference.
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