What should a small business website include?

A small business website needs to answer a few straightforward questions. What do you do? Who do you help? Do you cover my area? What should I do next? A visitor should not have to work through a long introduction to find those answers.

Before deciding how many pages you need, write down the action you want someone to take. For a local service business, that might be requesting a quote. For a business offering appointments, it might be choosing a suitable time. That decision gives the website a purpose.

A clear explanation of your services

Use words your customers recognise. A heading such as “Garden maintenance in Gateshead” explains more than “Transforming outdoor experiences”. Follow it with the jobs you take on, the area you serve and any useful limits on the service.

If your services need different explanations, give each one enough space. A simple site can work well with sections on one page. Separate pages become useful when each service has its own questions, examples or enquiry requirements. Extra pages should earn their place by helping the reader.

Evidence people can assess

Show real work where you have permission to share it. Explain the customer's starting point, what you provided and any outcome you can support. A small number of relevant examples can be more useful than a large gallery with no context.

Use genuine reviews with permission, and keep qualifications and business information accurate. If you are starting out, explain your approach clearly instead of filling the gap with invented testimonials or unsupported claims.

An obvious next step

Choose a main action and describe it plainly: “Request a quote”, “Book an appointment” or “Discuss your project”. Put it where someone has enough information to make that decision.

For an enquiry form, ask for the details you actually need to respond. Explain what happens after submission and give another contact option. Test the complete journey yourself, including whether the enquiry arrives and whether the visitor sees a useful confirmation.

A comfortable experience on a phone

Open your website on a real phone. Can you read it without zooming? Can you use the menu with one hand? Are the contact details easy to find? Try completing the form rather than judging the site from its first screen.

Check that meaningful images have useful descriptions, form fields have labels and links make sense. These details help people use the site and make it easier to spot problems that a visual mock-up might miss.

Information you can keep current

Services, availability, contact details and examples of work need occasional attention. Decide who will update them and how. You should also know who controls the domain and hosting, and how to get help if something stops working.

Start with a short checklist: clear services, relevant evidence, one obvious next step and a working mobile enquiry journey. Add features when they solve an actual customer or business problem.

TSWebDev builds business websites and custom web applications. Explore the services, view selected work or talk to Shane about your website.