Website design checklist for small businesses
Short answer: a good small business website answers three questions within a few seconds: what you do, who it's for and what to do next. Keep the design simple and consistent. Use real photos, show proof that you're trustworthy, make contacting you effortless on a phone and keep pages fast.
1. The first screen
- A headline that says what you do in plain words, such as "Family dentist in Leeds" and not "Smiles reimagined".
- One line on who it's for and why you.
- One main button, such as Book a table, Get a quote or Call now.
- A real photo of your work, team or place.
2. Pages most businesses need
| Page | Its job |
|---|---|
| Home | Explain what you do and send people to the right next step |
| Services or products | One section or page per service, with prices or "from" prices if you can |
| About | Who's behind it, why trust you |
| Reviews or case studies | Proof from real customers |
| Contact | Phone, email, form, map, opening hours |
| Privacy policy | Required if you collect any personal data |
Keep the menu to about five to seven items.
3. Trust signals
- Real customer reviews with names, quoted with permission, not invented.
- Photos of real work, not only stock images.
- Certifications, memberships and years in business, if they're true.
- A full address and phone number for local businesses.
- HTTPS with no warnings. See fix the "Not secure" warning.
4. Calls to action
- One main action per page, repeated after each important section.
- A button label that says what happens, such as "Get a free quote" and not "Submit".
- On phones, a tap-to-call link:
<a href="tel:+441234567890">. - Short forms: name, contact and message. Every extra field loses people.
5. Visual consistency
- Two or three colours. One brand colour, one accent for buttons, and neutrals. Get your palette from your logo with image to palette. See HEX, RGB and HSL colours explained.
- Two fonts at most. One for headings and one for text.
- Generous spacing. White space makes a page feel calm and premium.
- The same button style everywhere.
6. Photos and graphics
- Resize and compress every photo before uploading. Use the image compressor.
- Use the same crop ratio for similar images, such as team photos or products. The crop tool has fixed ratios.
- A sharp logo in SVG or PNG and a proper favicon. The website asset pack makes the full set.
7. Mobile and speed
More than half of visitors usually arrive on a phone. Follow how to make a website mobile-friendly and why is my website slow.
8. Get found locally
- A Google Business Profile with the same name, address and phone as your site.
- Your town or area in page titles and headings, where it's natural.
- LocalBusiness structured data on the contact page.
- A page per service, each answering real customer questions.
9. Before launch
Run through the website launch checklist.
Questions
How much text should a home page have?
Enough to explain what you do, for whom and why you. Usually a few short sections. Put detail on the service pages.
Should I use a template or a custom design?
A good template is fine for most small businesses if you adapt it with your own photos, colours and words. Custom design pays off when you need special features or a distinct brand.
How often should I update my website?
Keep prices, hours and services current all the time. Review the design every two to three years, or when it no longer reflects the business.