What a small business website actually needs
Five pages, one clear next step, and a way to update it yourself. Here's what to build first and what can wait.
· 5 min read
Most small business websites try to do too much. They have a page for everything, a slider on the homepage, and a contact form nobody checks. The sites that bring in customers usually do less, and do it clearly.
Start with five pages
For most local businesses and nonprofits, these cover almost everything a visitor wants to know:
- Home: what you do, who it's for, and the one thing you want visitors to do next.
- Services or products: what you offer and roughly what it costs.
- About: who you are and why people should trust you.
- Reviews or results: proof from real customers.
- Contact: phone, email, hours, and a map if people visit you in person.
You can add a blog, a shop, or an events calendar later. Starting small means you launch sooner and learn what your visitors actually look for.
Give every page one next step
Ask yourself what someone should do after reading each page. Call you? Book a time? Visit the shop? Put that button where people can see it without scrolling, and don't compete with it.
A visitor who has to think about what to do next usually does nothing.
Make sure you can update it
Your hours will change. Your prices will change. If every small edit means emailing a developer, the site will go stale. Ask for a setup where you can change text and photos yourself, and a short walkthrough before launch.
What can wait
- Animations and video backgrounds: they slow the site down on phones.
- A blog: only start one if you can post at least once a month.
- Online booking or payments: worth it if people already ask for them, otherwise a phone number works fine.
Not sure where to start? Tell us about your website and we'll get back to you with more details.