What Should a Small Business Website Include?
By Guru Prasad Y · Published
The most common mistake with a first business website is building too much, or too little. Too much means paying for features nobody uses. Too little means a site that does not answer the questions customers came with.
The test is simple: what would a customer need to know to choose you and get in touch? Everything else is optional.
The pages almost every small business needs
1. A homepage that works in five seconds
Visitors decide very quickly whether they are in the right place. Without scrolling, the homepage should say:
- What you do, in plain words
- Where you are or who you serve
- How to contact you
Resist the urge to put everything on the homepage. It is a signpost, not a brochure.
2. A services or products page
List what you offer with a short description of each. If you can share prices, or “from” prices, do so. Customers often will not ask about a price they cannot see.
3. An About page
People buy from people. Show who is behind the business, how long you have been operating (only if true) and what you care about. A real photo of you or your team does more than any stock image.
4. A contact page
This is the page that earns the money. Include:
- A form with only the fields you truly need
- A WhatsApp button, if customers already message you there
- A map and address, if people visit you
- Opening hours
- A phone number and email
5. A gallery or portfolio, if your work is visual
Photographers, salons, interior designers, caterers and builders all benefit from showing real results. Use your own photos, and get permission from people who appear in them.
Details that quietly build trust
- Consistent contact details. Your address, phone number and hours should match everywhere: on the site, on Google Maps and on social media.
- Genuine reviews, with permission. A few real customer comments help. Never invent them.
- Clear next steps. Every page should make it obvious what to do next.
- A privacy policy and terms, if you collect enquiries or sell online.
- Your registered details, such as a food licence number for a food business, if you display them.
Features that are worth having from day one
- Mobile-friendly layout. Many local customers will visit on a phone.
- Fast loading. Large unoptimised photos are the usual cause of slow pages. Google publishes Core Web Vitals targets for good page experience.
- Basic search-engine foundations. Page titles, descriptions, headings, image text and a sitemap. These help search engines understand the site. They do not guarantee rankings.
- A way to see what works. Simple analytics tell you which pages people use, once you have set it up with proper consent.
Features that can wait
- Live chat widgets
- Pop-ups that appear the moment someone arrives
- A full blog, until you have time to write useful posts
- Online payments, until you actually sell online
- Video backgrounds and heavy animation, which often slow the page
You can always add these later. A site built on WordPress can grow with the business.
Things to leave out
- Stock photos presented as your own work or your own team
- Made-up testimonials, awards or client logos
- Claims you cannot prove, like “number one in the city”
- Walls of text nobody will read
- A countdown timer or fake scarcity
A starter checklist
| Item | Included? |
|---|---|
| Homepage that says what you do, where, and how to contact you | |
| Services or products with short descriptions | |
| About page with real people | |
| Contact page with form, WhatsApp, map and hours | |
| Real photos of your work or premises | |
| Mobile-friendly design | |
| Consistent contact details everywhere | |
| Basic search-engine foundations |
If you can tick every row, you have a solid first website.
Where to go from here
If you are starting from nothing, our small business website design service is built around exactly this list. For a closer look at what a site looks like for your type of business, see the restaurant, salon and tuition centre pages, or browse our labelled website concepts.
Sources
- Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide
- web.dev, Web Vitals
Guru Prasad YFounder, BuildWithGuru
I write these guides from what I see building and maintaining small-business websites. Ask me anything about them, with no obligation.