What to put on a small business website
Put eight things on a small business website: what you do, where you do it, who it is for, proof, how to reach you, what it costs, how to start, and one clear button. Everything else is optional.
Write them in the order a customer looks for them, not the order you built your business.
1. What you do, in one plain sentence
The first line should let a stranger repeat your business to someone else. "We replace and repair gas boilers in and around Stroud" is a good line. "A passion for heating excellence" is not. Skip the strapline; say the job.
2. Where you work
Name the towns and the rough radius. People search locally, and a page that lists your area can show up for every town you name. "Covering Stroud, Nailsworth, and Cirencester" earns three searches instead of none.
3. Who it is for
Say which customers you want. Homeowners, landlords, letting agents, small offices. This helps the right person decide you are for them and quietly filters out the work you do not want.
4. Proof
Proof is what makes a stranger comfortable. Use:
- Two or three real reviews, quoted with a first name and town.
- One or two photos of finished work you are happy with.
- Any registration or accreditation, with its number.
If you have no reviews yet, ask your last three customers. That is covered in how to get customer reviews for a small business.
5. How to reach you
A phone number that taps to call on a mobile, an email address on your own domain, and the areas or hours you answer. Make the phone number the easiest thing on the page to hit with a thumb.
6. What it costs
You do not have to publish a full price list, but "emergency call-out from £X" or "bathroom refits from £Y" removes the fear that you are the expensive stranger. If you cannot give a number, say what the quote covers and that it is free. See how much a small business website costs for the trade-off.
7. How to start
Tell them the next step exactly: "Call for a free quote", "Send a photo of the job", "Book a 20-minute call". One step, not four options.
8. One clear button
Every screen should lead to the same action — usually your quote form or your phone number. A visitor who has to hunt for it will leave.
What you can leave out
- A blog, until you will keep it up.
- A newsletter sign-up, unless you will send one.
- A page for every service, when a section on the main page would do.
- Stock photos of strangers in hard hats. Your own photos beat them.
If you would rather not write it
Sorted Online writes and publishes the whole site for you — your own domain, the eight sections above, and email forwarding on that domain — for £15 a month by UK Direct Debit, with nothing to pay at sign-up. Compare that with how much a small business website costs.