5KWebsite

What should a small business website include?

Budget, Content, Small Business

If you’re running a small business, you know you need a website. But what should it consist of? If you ask Google, it may seem like you need lots of features—some you’ve never even heard of. But most small business websites only need a few key things to be effective.

What every small business website needs

Let’s break down what really matters, so you can focus on what will actually help your business (and skip the stuff that won’t).

Home page

Your homepage is the front door of your business. It should:

  • Tell people what you do, fast. Within just 2 to 3 seconds, visitors should understand what your business is.
  • Look clean and professional. A cluttered, outdated homepage reflects poorly on your business and makes people hesitant to trust you.
  • Have a clear call to action. What’s the number one thing you want visitors to do on your site? Call you? Book a service? Make it obvious.
About page

People want to know who they’re doing business with. Your About page should:

  • Tell your story, briefly. Why did you start your business? What makes you different?
  • Show your personality. You don’t need to write anything formal—just write in the same way you’d talk to a customer.
  • Include a photo (if possible). People connect with faces!
Products or Services page

Don’t just list what you do—explain it in a way that helps your customer. For example, instead of saying, “We offer custom web development,” say, “We build modern, professional websites for small businesses—so you can stand out online and attract more customers.”

Make sure this page covers:

  • What you offer
  • Who it’s for
  • How it helps the site visitor
  • The next step to get started
Contact page

People shouldn’t have to hunt for how to contact you. Your Contact page should include:

  • Your phone number and e-mail address (or a contact form).
  • Your business hours (if relevant).
  • Your location (if you have a physical store or service area).

Put your phone number and contact information in your website’s header or footer so it’s on every page.

Mobile-friendly

Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t work well on a phone, you’re losing potential customers. It must:

  • Look great on mobile without pinching and zooming.
  • Load in under 3 seconds (slow sites = lost visitors).
  • Be secure (HTTPS)—Google ranks secure sites higher.

We build every website with speed, security, and mobile-friendliness baked in. No extra charge—we just do it right from the start.

What you can skip (at least for now)

Not everything you see on the Internet belongs on your website. Just because some brand has a spinning logo or a chatbot that says “Hey there!” doesn’t mean you need it too. In fact, skipping the flashy stuff can save you time, money, and headaches—without hurting your results.

A blog (unless you have a content plan)

A blog is great if you have the time to update it, but an empty or outdated blog actually hurts your credibility. If blogging isn’t your thing, you don’t need it to have an effective website.

Fancy animations and auto-playing videos

Sure, they look cool, but they also slow down your site (which hurts SEO and annoys visitors). Keep it simple and effective.

A custom-built CMS

Unless you have a very specific reason, stick with WordPress. It’s easy to use, flexible, and won’t leave you dependent on a developer for every little change.