A small business website needs a home page that says what you do and for whom, a services page, an about page, a contact page with every way to reach you, and a mobile-friendly structure that loads fast. Everything else is optional until it earns its place.
The home page: one job, done fast
A visitor should know within a few seconds what you do, who it is for and what to do next. That means a clear headline, a sentence of supporting copy, one visible call to action and your contact route above the fold. Everything else on the home page supports those three things or it is in the way.
The most common home page failure is trying to say everything. The second most common is a beautiful hero image with no words on it.
Services, one per section or page
List what you actually offer in the language a customer would use to search for it. If you provide several distinct services, each deserves its own heading or page with a short explanation, who it suits and what happens next. This is also what search engines use to understand which queries you should appear for.
About: the trust page
People buy from people, and small businesses have an advantage here that large ones cannot copy. A short, honest account of who you are, how long you have been doing this, where you are based and why you do it well converts more than a generic mission statement. A real photograph helps more than a stock one.
Contact: every route, no friction
- Phone number as a clickable link, so a phone dials it in one tap.
- Email address, and a short form for people who prefer not to use their own client.
- WhatsApp button if you use it for business.
- Address with a map and directions, if customers visit you.
- Opening hours, kept accurate.
Put the phone number in the header or footer of every page as well. A visitor should never have to search for how to reach you.
The elements that are easy to forget
Reviews. Genuine ones, with permission, quoted briefly. Pricing or a starting point. Even "from" figures reduce the enquiries that were never going to convert. FAQs. The five questions you answer on every call. A privacy notice. Required if you collect any personal data, which a contact form does. Social links. In the footer, not the hero.
What it does not need yet
A blog you will not maintain, a gallery of a hundred images, animations that slow the page, a chatbot that answers nothing. Add features when they have a job. A small site that does its job well outperforms a large one that is half-finished. Our guide to how long a website takes explains why scope discipline matters for the timeline too.
Built to grow later
The right small business site is built on a structure that can take more pages, a shop or a booking system when the business is ready, without a rebuild. That is how our small business websites are put together. Send us a note through the enquiry form with what you do and we will suggest the page set that fits.
Frequently asked questions
What pages does a small business website need?
Home, services, about and contact cover most small businesses. The home page states what you do and for whom with one clear call to action; services are listed in the language customers search with; about builds trust; contact offers every route with no friction.
Should I put prices on my website?
Usually yes, at least as starting points. "From" figures and package outlines reduce enquiries that were never going to convert and reassure the ones that will. Where pricing is genuinely bespoke, say so and explain what drives it.
Do I need a blog on a small business website?
Only if you will maintain it. A blog with three posts from two years ago signals neglect. Add one when you have a plan to publish; until then, a strong services section and clear FAQs do more for search visibility.
What is most often missing from small business websites?
A clickable phone number on every page, accurate opening hours, a privacy notice for the contact form, and genuine reviews. Each is small, and each removes a reason for a visitor to leave without contacting you.
Planning a Website?
Tell us about your business and what the website needs to achieve. We review every enquiry personally and reply with a scope and a customised quotation — UK and international projects welcome.