The non-negotiables
If any of these are missing, the site is leaking work:
- A headline that names what you do and who you do it for
- Your phone number, tappable, visible on every screen
- A clear services list in your customer's words, not industry jargon
- Real photos of the work, the place, or the people
- Service area stated plainly, including whether you travel or work remotely
- Proof: reviews, credentials, licenses, years in business — anything verifiable
- A short contact form (name, contact, one message field)
- Fast mobile loading
- An about page with a real face on it
Why the about page matters more than owners think
It's frequently the second-most-visited page on a small business site. People want to know who they're letting into their home, their case, or their books. A single honest paragraph and a real photo outperform a page of adjectives.
Trust signals, ranked
Photos of your actual work beat stock imagery. Named reviews beat anonymous ones. Specific numbers beat vague claims. Never invent any of it — a fabricated testimonial is the fastest way to lose someone who checks.
What you probably don't need
Popular but usually counterproductive on a small site:
- A live chat widget nobody staffs
- An auto-playing video header that slows the page down
- A blog you'll abandon after two posts
- A long contact form asking for information you don't need yet
- A carousel of slogans on the homepage
One goal per page
Every page should have a single obvious next step. When a page offers four equal options, most visitors take none of them.
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