5 things every small business
website actually needs

Visitors decide whether to stay within 5 seconds. Your headline should answer: what do you do, and who is it for? "Hair salon for curly hair in Indianapolis" beats "Welcome to our website" every time. No clever taglines — just clarity.

Phone number, email, or a contact form should be above the fold — or one obvious tap away. If a potential customer has to hunt for how to reach you, most won't bother. Make it embarrassingly easy.

A single honest quote from a real client does more for your credibility than any amount of copy you write about yourself. People trust other people, not brands. Even a short, specific review — "She redid our logo and now we actually look legit" — builds trust fast.

More than 60% of your visitors are browsing on a phone. If your site looks broken on mobile — text too small, buttons too close together, images misaligned — they're gone in seconds. Mobile-first isn't a nice-to-have; it's the baseline.

Every page needs to tell people exactly what to do next: "Book a free call," "Send us a message," "View the menu." When there are too many options — or none at all — people freeze and leave. Pick one action per page. Make it obvious.