Small Business Website Checklist: We’ve audited hundreds of small business websites over the years, and we see the same issues come up again and again. Whether you’re building a new site or evaluating an existing one, here are the 10 things every small business website absolutely needs.
- A Clear Value Proposition Above the Fold Within three seconds of landing on your homepage, a visitor should know exactly who you are, what you do, and who you serve. Don’t make them scroll to find the basics.
- Mobile-Responsive Design Your site must look and function perfectly on all devices. Test it on an iPhone, an Android, and a tablet before you call it done.
- Fast Load Times Every extra second of load time costs you conversions. Compress your images, use quality hosting, and run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights regularly.
- Clear Calls to Action (CTAs) What do you want visitors to do? Call you? Fill out a form? Book a consultation? Make that action obvious, prominent, and easy.
- An SSL Certificate If your site still says “http://” instead of “https://”, you have a security problem — and Google is marking your site as unsafe. This is non-negotiable.
- Contact Information (Visible Everywhere) Your phone number, email, and contact form should be easy to find from every page. Don’t make potential customers hunt for a way to reach you.
- Social Proof Reviews, testimonials, client logos, and case studies all build trust. Real words from real customers are more persuasive than anything you can write about yourself.
- A Blog or Resources Section Fresh, helpful content tells both visitors and search engines that your business is active and authoritative. Even one post per month makes a difference.
- Google Analytics (or Similar) If you’re not tracking your traffic, you’re flying blind. Set up analytics from day one and check it regularly.
- An Optimized Google Business Profile This isn’t technically on your website — but it connects directly to it. Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a local customer sees. Keep it updated, respond to reviews, and post regularly.
How does your current site stack up? If you’re missing more than a few of these, it might be time for a conversation.
