The framework · as of April 2026
The Four Doors
Every business has up to four public doors a customer can find before any contact is made. This page defines the four doors and explains which ones actually matter for a given industry. See where every industry stands →
The doors
Four places a customer looks first
Google Business Profile
The information panel on Google Search or Maps: name, address, hours, photos, reviews. How a business is found and judged before a visit.
Website
The one space a business fully controls, not subject to a platform’s rules. Where direct bookings happen and credibility is evaluated.
Facebook
The dominant social storefront in The Bahamas: menus, specials, photos, and the first place a customer sees what you offer.
WhatsApp
The transaction layer of Bahamian commerce. Quotes, confirmations, payment coordination, and pickup all happen here.
The principle
Not every business needs every door.
A food truck with a strong Facebook page and WhatsApp can thrive without a website. A law firm needs Google and a site far more than it needs social. The framework weights each door (Required, Recommended, or Optional) by what a given industry’s customers actually expect to find.
The door × industry priority matrix
Pick your industry. See which doors matter.
This matrix is about priority: which doors a given industry’s customers expect to find, not how many businesses have opened them. For where every industry actually stands, see the penetration heatmap in The Index →
Showing priority for: Restaurants
Google
Required
Customers search and judge you before they arrive.
Website
Recommended
Helps with menus and reservations; Facebook can stand in.
Facebook
Required
Food is visual; the decision starts in the feed.
WhatsApp
Required
Reservations and large orders happen over a message.
Required: customers expect you here Recommended: a real advantage Optional: minimal impact for this industry
The full priority matrix (all industries)
| Industry | Website | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | Required | Recommended | Required | Required |
| Tourism | Required | Required | Recommended | Required |
| Retail | Recommended | Optional | Required | Required |
| Professional Services | Required | Required | Optional | Recommended |
| Salons & Beauty | Required | Recommended | Required | Required |
| Auto Services | Required | Recommended | Optional | Required |
| Home Services | Required | Recommended | Optional | Required |
| Creative Services | Recommended | Required | Recommended | Recommended |
Door priority by industry · as of April 2026. Weights: Required (critical), Recommended (advantage), Optional (minimal impact). For penetration (how many businesses have each door open), see The Index →
See where your industry actually stands on each door.
The Index reads how open each door is, industry by industry: the current standing, the gap, and the free fix.