Small Business Website Checklist

Use this as a review of a site you already have, or as a specification for one you are about to build. Every item is something a visitor or Google notices.

Clarity first. Within ten seconds the home page must answer four questions: who you are, what you offer, who it is for, and how to get in touch. If any answer requires scrolling twice or reading a paragraph, tighten it.

One page per service. A single page listing eight services will not rank for any of them. Each service deserves its own page with its own heading, its own description, and its own examples. This is the highest-return SEO work a small business can do.

A visible next step everywhere. Every page should end with one obvious action. On mobile, WhatsApp or a call button should be reachable with one thumb tap without hunting.

Real proof. Photographs of your actual work, named reviews, the towns or cities you serve, years in business, and any certification or insurance you hold. Generic stock photos quietly reduce trust.

Speed and mobile behaviour. Compressed images, no unnecessary video on the home page, readable text without zooming, and tap targets big enough for a thumb. Test on a real phone on mobile data, not just on desktop.

SEO fundamentals. A unique page title and description for every page, one clear H1 per page, descriptive alt text on images, a sitemap submitted to Google Search Console, and clean internal links so every page can be reached from somewhere.

The trust and legal basics. A real address or service area, a working email, a privacy policy, and terms if you take payments. These matter for credibility as well as compliance.

Measurement. Analytics installed so you know which pages bring enquiries, and a habit of checking it monthly. Without it, every future change is guesswork.

Finally, an owner's plan. Decide who updates prices, adds new work, and answers enquiries, and how often. A website that was accurate last year and is wrong today does more damage than no website at all.