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What makes a good small business website: the checklist

A good small business website does three things fast: tells people what you do, shows you're trustworthy, and makes it easy to get in touch. These are the checks that matter most, in plain English.

If you only do three things

  1. Say what you do, and who for, in the first line people read. No slogans.
  2. Put your phone number or a contact button at the top of every page, and make it tappable on phones.
  3. Show real reviews, photos of your work and who you are. Trust wins the enquiry.

Checks written for small business websites (21)

Your wordsPeople can't tell what you do at a glancePeople decide in seconds if they're in the right place. If your headline doesn't say what you do, many will leave.Your wordsVisitors can't tell if you're for themPeople look for signs they're in the right place. If you don't say who you help, the right customers may not stay.Your wordsThe line under your headline doesn't tell people moreThis line is your second chance to keep people reading. If it repeats the headline, that chance is wasted.Your wordsYour headline is too long to take in quicklyPeople only glance at headlines. A long one gets skimmed and your main point gets lost.Your wordsThe top of your page doesn't tell people anythingIf people only see a picture or a slogan, they have to work out whether to stay. Many won't bother.Your wordsYour page doesn't say why someone should pick youIf your page could belong to any competitor, people have no reason to choose you over the next search result.Your wordsPeople's usual questions and worries aren't answeredUnanswered worries about cost, timing or fit are a common reason people don't get in touch.Your wordsPeople can't see what you chargeMany people want a rough price before they get in touch. Without one, some will go to a competitor who shows it.Your wordsPeople don't know when you'll replyPeople are more likely to get in touch when they know how quickly they'll hear back.Your wordsPeople can't tell if you cover their areaLocal customers check first whether you cover them. If they can't tell quickly, they'll call someone else.TrustThere are no reviews or recommendations on your pagePeople want to see that others chose you and were happy. Without that, many will pick someone who shows it.TrustThere's no Google or Trustpilot rating on your pagePeople trust a rating from Google or Trustpilot more than reviews you picked yourself. Without one, your praise is easier to doubt.TrustYour about page doesn't say who you really arePeople choosing who to hire check who you are. Vague statements don't tell them, so they may move on.TrustPeople can only reach you through a formMany people would rather call or email. A form on its own can feel like messages go nowhere, so some won't bother.TrustYour address and opening hours are missingLocal customers check where you are and when you're open before calling or visiting. Missing details can also hurt how you show up on Google.TrustPeople can't check you're registered or insuredPeople often look for Gas Safe, NICEIC or TrustMark before calling a tradesperson. The law also requires gas work to be done by a Gas Safe engineer.TrustPeople can't see what your software looks likePeople want to see what they're getting before they sign up. Drawings and graphics don't show them.Easy to useToo many buttons, so people don't know which oneWhen everything looks equally important, people hesitate. Fewer of them get in touch.Easy to useYour product lists leave out prices or key detailsShoppers compare products in the list. If prices or details are missing, they must open each one, and many won't.Look and feelYour page is too long to take inWhen several sections say the same thing, people get tired and miss the parts that would win them over.Look and feelYour main photo doesn't show what you doThe photo at the top of your page is the first thing people see. A generic image wastes the chance to show what you offer.

General checks that matter most here (58)

Your wordsYour page lists features, not what customers getPeople pay for results, not features. If they can't see what's in it for them, they're less likely to get in touch.Your wordsBuzzwords make your claims harder to believeWords like 'cutting-edge' and 'world-class' get skipped over, and they make people trust what you say less.Your wordsYour page talks about you, not your customersPeople care about their own problem. If every line starts with 'we', they have to work out what it means for them.Your wordsYour claims are too vague to convince peoplePeople believe specific claims more than vague ones. 'Lots of happy customers' says less than a real number.Your wordsYour numbers don't say where they come fromNumbers without a source can look made up. Saying where they come from makes people trust them.Your wordsYour FAQ skips the questions buyers really askAn FAQ only helps if it covers what people want to know before buying, like price, refunds and timings.Your wordsYour product names mean nothing to newcomersNew visitors don't know your own product names. If they can't tell what something does, they skip it.Your wordsBig blocks of text are hard to skimMost people skim web pages. Long paragraphs get skipped, so your best points may never be read.Your wordsYour words are harder to follow than neededPlain words are understood faster by everyone. If people have to work at it, many will give up.Your wordsYour section headings don't tell people anythingPeople skim headings to decide what to read. Headings like 'Why us' give them nothing to go on.Your wordsYour lists are long and hard to skimLists only help people skim when each point is short and written the same way.Your wordsYour buttons don't say what happens nextPeople are more likely to click when they know what they'll get. 'Submit' or 'Learn more' leaves them guessing.Your wordsNothing near your main button puts people at easeA short reassurance by the button can be what makes someone go ahead and get in touch.Your wordsLinks say 'read more' but not what aboutVague links are harder to skim, and people using screen readers can't tell where each link goes.Your wordsYour forms don't explain what they need or whyA short hint stops people getting stuck, and saying why you need their details helps them trust you.TrustYour reviews are hidden far down the pagePeople have doubts just before they get in touch or buy. Reviews tucked away at the bottom won't reassure them then.TrustYour reviews don't say who wrote themA quote from 'J.S.' could have been written by anyone, so people are less likely to believe it.TrustYour reviews are too vague to convince anyone'Great service!' tells people nothing. Reviews that mention a real job or result are far more convincing.TrustYour reviews look too perfect to be realWhen every review is five stars and sounds the same, people suspect they're fake and trust you less.TrustYour client logos don't say what you didLogos only help if people recognise them and know how you worked together. Otherwise they're just decoration.TrustThere are no examples of your work or resultsPeople want to see what you've done for someone like them before they get in touch. Without examples, many won't.TrustYour awards and memberships aren't shownBadges from trade bodies, awards or the press are quick proof you're the real deal, especially for trades and professional services.TrustPeople can't see who's behind your businessFaces and names make a business feel real. Without them, people are less sure who they'd be dealing with.TrustYour photos look like stock imagesPeople spot stock photos and trust them less. They make your business look generic rather than real.TrustIt's hard to find how to contact youIf people can't quickly see how to reach you, they may contact someone else. Visible details also reassure people who never use them.TrustYour contact email is a Gmail or Hotmail addressA free email address makes a business look less established, and it's easier for scammers to copy.TrustYour reviews look old or have no datesRecent reviews show you're still trading and still good. Old or undated ones make people wonder.TrustYour company details are missing from the footerThe law requires UK limited companies to show their registered name, number and office on their website. Careful customers look for them too.TrustThere's no privacy policy or terms pageMissing legal pages put careful customers off. If you collect people's details, the law requires a privacy policy and you could be fined.Easy to usePeople can't see what to do nextPeople ready to get in touch shouldn't have to hunt for how. If they can't see a next step, many will leave.Easy to useOn long pages, your button is out of reachPeople make up their minds at different points. If the button isn't nearby when they do, some won't bother.Easy to usePeople must do too much before getting anything backEvery extra step or question loses some people before they get in touch.Easy to useOn phones, everything useful is hidden behind the menuFewer people open a hidden menu. If your main button is in there, you're likely losing enquiries.Easy to useOn phones, your headline is pushed out of sightA phone screen is small. If a big image or awkward layout fills it, people don't see what you do.Easy to usePeople on phones can't call you with one tapLocal customers on phones often want to ring straight away. If they can't, some will call someone else.Easy to useParts of your page look broken on phonesOverlapping or cut-off content makes your business look careless, and people may struggle to use the page.Easy to usePeople don't realise they can swipe for moreIf nothing hints at more off to the side, people don't swipe and miss what's there.Easy to useYour form asks for more than it needsEvery extra question puts some people off finishing. Fewer finished forms means fewer enquiries.Easy to usePeople forget what each form box is forThe grey hint text vanishes as people type, so they lose track and can't check their answers. Some give up.Easy to useYour form is hard to followA muddled form takes longer and causes mistakes, so fewer people finish it.Easy to usePeople can't tell which form boxes they can skipIf people don't know what they can leave blank, they fill in everything or give up.Easy to useA puzzle on your form puts people offPicture puzzles and wobbly text annoy real customers, and some people with poor eyesight can't do them at all.Easy to useButtons are too small to tap on phonesSmall or crowded buttons cause mis-taps, which frustrates everyone and shuts out people with shaky hands.Easy to useYour page shows up tiny on phonesPhones show a shrunken version of your desktop page, so people have to pinch and zoom. Many will leave instead.Easy to useYour page slides sideways on phonesWhen the page is wider than the screen it feels broken, and people may lose trust or leave.Easy to useThere's no button at the top of your pagePeople ready to get in touch need something to tap straight away. Without it, some will leave.SpeedYour page is slow to appearSlow pages lose visitors, especially on phones. Some will give up before they see what you offer.SpeedYour page jumps about while it loadsWhen things move as the page loads, people tap the wrong thing and get frustrated.Your wordsYour words are hard work to readVisitors skim. Long sentences and long words get skipped, so your key points may be missed.Easy to usePeople on phones can't call you with one tapFor many service businesses a call is the best enquiry. If people have to copy your number, some won't bother.Easy to useYour form asks for too muchEvery extra box to fill in is another reason to give up before sending you an enquiry.TrustYour copyright year is out of dateAn old year makes people wonder if you're still trading, and some may go elsewhere.Your wordsLinks don't say where they goLinks like "Read more" don't tell people what they'll get. People using screen readers hear them out of context and get lost.TrustBrowsers warn people your site is not secureBrowsers label your site "Not secure". Many people will leave rather than get in touch or pay.SpeedYour page is slow for real visitors on phonesThis comes from Google's data on real visitors' phones, so it's what your customers actually experience. Slow pages lose people.SpeedYour photos are too big and slow the pagePhotos much bigger than they appear are the usual reason small business pages are slow, especially on phones.TrustNo small logo in the browser tabWithout one, a blank or generic icon shows in the tab, which makes your site look unfinished.SpeedYour page takes a lot of data to loadHeavy pages are slow on mobile data and eat into people's data allowance, so some will leave.

Checklists for other pages

Check your small business website automatically

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