7 Essential Pages Every Small Business Website Needs
When building a business website, it's tempting to add page after page. More content means more value, right?
Not quite.
The best small business websites are focused. They have exactly what customers need and nothing more. Bloated websites confuse visitors and dilute your message.
Here are the 7 pages every small business website needs - and how to make each one actually work.
1. Homepage
Your homepage is your storefront window. You have about 3 seconds to convince someone to stay.
What to Include
- Clear headline: What you do and who you do it for
- Supporting statement: Why someone should choose you
- Primary call-to-action: The ONE thing you want visitors to do
- Trust signals: Logos of clients, review stars, certifications
- Brief overview: Services, about snippet, recent work
Homepage Mistakes to Avoid
- Image sliders: They distract and slow down your site
- "Welcome to our website": Nobody cares. Get to the point.
- Too many CTAs: Pick one primary action
- Wall of text: Use visuals and white space
Pro Tip
Your homepage should answer three questions instantly:
- What do you do?
- How will it help me?
- What do I do next?
2. About Page
People buy from people they trust. Your About page builds that trust.
Surprisingly, the About page is often the second-most visited page on small business websites. People want to know who they're dealing with.
What to Include
- Your story: How and why you started
- Your mission: What drives you beyond profit
- Your team: Photos and brief bios (people connect with faces)
- Your values: What you stand for
- Your credentials: Awards, certifications, years in business
What NOT to Include
- Generic corporate speak ("We leverage synergies...")
- A long history lesson nobody asked for
- Stock photos pretending to be your team
Pro Tip
Write your About page in first person. "I started this company because..." is more engaging than "The company was founded in..."
3. Services or Products Page
This is where you make or break the sale. Your services page needs to clearly explain what you offer and why it matters.
Structure for Service Businesses
Create a main Services page that links to individual service pages:
Services (overview)
├── Web Design
├── SEO
├── Content Marketing
└── Website Maintenance
What Each Service Page Needs
- Clear title: What the service is
- Problem statement: What pain does this solve?
- Solution: How you solve it
- Process: What working with you looks like
- Pricing (if possible): At minimum, give a range
- CTA: Next step to take
Example Structure
Struggling with a website that doesn't convert? (Problem)
Our web design service creates professional, mobile-friendly websites that turn visitors into customers. (Solution)
Here's how it works... (Process)
Starting at $3,000. [Get a Quote] (Pricing + CTA)
4. Contact Page
You'd be amazed how many businesses hide their contact information. Make it stupidly easy for people to reach you.
What to Include
- Phone number: If you take calls, make it prominent
- Email address: Use a real email, not just a form
- Contact form: Keep it short (name, email, message is enough)
- Physical address: If you have a location customers visit
- Hours: When can people expect a response?
- Map: Embedded Google Map if you have a physical location
Contact Form Tips
- Fewer fields = more submissions
- Don't require phone numbers unless necessary
- Set clear expectations ("We respond within 24 hours")
- Send a confirmation after submission
Pro Tip
Put your phone number and email in your website header and footer too - not just the Contact page.
5. Testimonials or Reviews Page
Social proof is powerful. When potential customers see others vouching for you, their trust skyrockets.
Ways to Display Testimonials
- Dedicated testimonials page: A collection of your best reviews
- Scattered throughout: Place relevant testimonials on service pages
- Video testimonials: Even more powerful than text
- Third-party reviews: Link to or embed Google/Yelp reviews
What Makes a Strong Testimonial
- Specific results: "They increased our leads by 40%" beats "Great service!"
- Full name and photo: Anonymous testimonials seem fake
- Company/context: "Sarah M., Owner of Main Street Bakery"
- Before/after: What was the problem? How did you solve it?
How to Get Testimonials
- Ask right after a successful project
- Make it easy (send them a few questions to answer)
- Offer to write a draft they can approve
- Follow up with happy customers 3-6 months later
6. FAQ Page
A good FAQ page does three things:
- Answers questions before they're asked
- Reduces support inquiries
- Improves SEO (people search for questions)
How to Build Your FAQ
- List every question customers have asked you
- Check competitor FAQs for ideas
- Look at Google's "People Also Ask" for your industry
- Prioritize questions that affect buying decisions
FAQ Best Practices
- Group by topic: Pricing, Process, Services, etc.
- Keep answers concise: Link to full pages for detail
- Use customer language: Write questions the way customers ask them
- Update regularly: Add new questions as they come up
Example FAQ Questions
- How much does a website cost? (We break this down in our website cost guide)
- How long does the process take?
- Do you offer payment plans?
- What do I need to provide?
- Will I be able to update the website myself?
7. Blog or Resources Page
A blog isn't mandatory, but it's one of the best ways to:
- Demonstrate expertise
- Improve SEO rankings
- Give visitors a reason to return
- Answer customer questions at scale
If You're Going to Blog, Do It Right
- Quality over quantity: One great post per month beats four mediocre ones
- Answer real questions: What do customers actually want to know?
- Be helpful, not salesy: Teach first, sell second
- Stay consistent: A blog with one post from 2019 hurts more than helps
Not Ready for a Blog?
Consider a simpler Resources page instead:
- PDF guides customers can download
- Links to helpful tools
- Industry resources
- Short how-to articles
Bonus Pages (If They Make Sense)
Portfolio/Gallery
Essential for visual businesses: photographers, designers, contractors. Show your best work with brief descriptions.
Pricing Page
If your pricing is straightforward, publish it. You'll attract better-qualified leads and save time on tire-kickers.
Careers Page
If you're hiring regularly, create a dedicated page. It signals growth and attracts talent.
Privacy Policy and Terms
Required if you collect any user data. Most website builders have templates.
Pages You Probably Don't Need
- News page: Unless you have actual news (most don't)
- Separate page for each team member: Unless they have substantial content
- Sitemap page: Search engines use XML sitemaps; humans use navigation
- "Coming Soon" pages: Either build the page or don't mention it
Quick Checklist
Before you launch, make sure you have:
- [ ] Homepage with clear value proposition
- [ ] About page with your story
- [ ] Services page explaining what you offer
- [ ] Contact page with multiple ways to reach you
- [ ] At least 3-5 testimonials
- [ ] FAQ answering common questions
- [ ] Blog or resources section (optional but recommended)
Need Help Building These Pages?
Getting the structure right is half the battle. Start by planning your website properly, and make sure it's optimized for mobile - over 60% of visitors will see it on their phones.
If you want expert help creating a website that converts, explore our web design services or see how we help businesses in cities like Chicago and Houston. Or schedule a free consultation with our team.