What Every Small Business Website Needs: 7 Essential Pages

Your website is working 24/7, even when you're not. It answers questions, showcases your work, and helps customers find you—all while you're focused on running your business. But here's the thing: if your website is missing critical pages or makes visitors work too hard to find what they need, you might be losing customers before they ever reach out.

You don't need dozens of pages to have an effective small business website. What you need is the right pages, organized in a way that makes sense to your customers.

In this guide, we'll walk through the seven essential pages every small business website needs. Whether you run a coffee shop, a contracting business, a salon, or any other local business, these fundamentals will help you turn website visitors into paying customers.

1. Homepage: Your Digital Front Door

Think of your homepage like the storefront of a physical shop. Within seconds, visitors should know who you are, what you do, and why they should care.

What Your Homepage Needs:

• Clear headline - State what you do in simple terms. "Fresh Coffee & Pastries in Downtown Austin" beats "Artisanal Beverage Experiences."
• Immediate value proposition - Why should someone choose you? Fast service? Local ingredients? 20 years of experience?
• Visual appeal - High-quality photos of your work, products, or location. Show, don't just tell.
• Clear next steps - What do you want visitors to do? Call you? Book an appointment? Place an order? Make it obvious.

Example: A local plumbing company's homepage should immediately communicate "24/7 Emergency Plumbing in [City]" with a prominent phone number and "Call Now" button. A visitor with a burst pipe at 2am doesn't want to search for contact info.

2. About Page: Building Trust & Connection

Your About page isn't about bragging—it's about building trust. People want to know who they're doing business with, especially for local services.

What Makes a Great About Page:

• Your story - How did you start? What drives you? Keep it genuine and relatable.
• Your values - What matters to you in how you run your business?
• Your team - Photos and brief bios help people feel connected before they meet you.
• Credentials & experience - Licenses, certifications, years in business, or awards that build credibility.

You don't need a novel here. A few paragraphs that give insight into who you are and why you're passionate about your work goes a long way.

Real talk: Many business owners skip the About page or give it minimal effort. That's a mistake. Studies show that About pages are often the second-most visited page on small business websites. People want to know who they're hiring.

3. Services or Products Page: What You Offer

This is where you get specific about what you sell or the services you provide. Clarity wins here.

How to Structure This Page:

• Organize by category - Group similar services together (e.g., "Residential Plumbing" vs. "Commercial Plumbing").
• Use descriptive names - "Drain Cleaning" is clearer than "Flow Restoration Services."
• Explain what's included - What happens when someone books this service? What can they expect?
• Include pricing when possible - Even ranges help. "Starting at $X" manages expectations and filters out price shoppers.

For product-based businesses, high-quality photos are non-negotiable. For service businesses, consider photos of your work in progress or completed projects.

Example: A hair salon might have sections for "Haircuts & Styling," "Color Services," and "Special Occasion Hair" with descriptions and starting prices for each. This helps clients self-select the right service before calling.

4. Contact Page: Make It Easy to Reach You

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many businesses make it hard to get in touch. Don't be one of them.

Essential Contact Information:

• Phone number - Make it clickable on mobile so visitors can call with one tap.
• Email address - Some people prefer email over phone calls.
• Physical address - Include this even if you don't have a public storefront. It builds trust and helps with local SEO.
• Business hours - When can people reach you or visit?
• Contact form - For visitors who want to send a message without picking up the phone.
• Map - Embed a Google Map so people can find you easily.

Pro tip: Put your phone number in your website header so it appears on every page. For many service businesses, getting that phone to ring is the whole point of having a website.

5. Portfolio or Gallery Page: Show Your Work

People want to see examples of your work before they hire you. A portfolio or gallery page provides that proof.

Who Needs This Page:

• Contractors and home service pros (before/after photos of projects)
• Restaurants and cafes (food photography, interior shots)
• Salons and spas (photos of hairstyles, nail art, or spaces)
• Professional services (case study summaries, client results)
• Retail shops (product showcases, styling examples)

How to Make It Effective:

• Use high-quality photos - Blurry phone pics don't inspire confidence
• Organize by category - Make it easy to browse relevant work
• Add brief descriptions - What was the project? What problem did you solve?
• Update regularly - Fresh examples show you're active and in-demand

If you're just starting out and don't have client work to show yet, consider showcasing sample work, your workspace, or your process.

6. Testimonials or Reviews Page: Social Proof

What your customers say about you carries more weight than anything you say about yourself. That's why testimonials and reviews are powerful.

What to Include:

• Real names and photos - "Sarah M." with a photo is more credible than "A satisfied customer."
• Specific details - "They fixed my AC in 2 hours on a 95-degree day" is better than "Great service!"
• Recent reviews - Fresh testimonials show you're currently active and maintaining quality.
• Google reviews widget - Embed your Google Business reviews to show unfiltered feedback.

Getting reviews: Don't be shy about asking happy customers to leave a review. Most people are willing—they just need a reminder and a simple link.

Even 3-5 solid testimonials can significantly boost trust. You don't need dozens to start.

7. FAQ Page: Answer Common Questions

Every business gets asked the same questions repeatedly. An FAQ page saves you time and helps visitors find answers immediately.

Questions to Address:

• What are your hours?
• Do you offer [specific service]?
• How much do you charge?
• Do you travel outside [your area]?
• How do I schedule an appointment?
• What payment methods do you accept?
• Do you offer [warranties/guarantees/refunds]?

Organize your FAQs by category if you have many questions. Keep answers concise—a paragraph or two maximum per question.

Bonus benefit: FAQ pages are great for SEO. When you answer common questions on your website, Google can surface those answers in search results, bringing more visitors to your site.

Bonus Pages Worth Considering

Once you have these seven essentials covered, here are a few additional pages that can strengthen your website:

• Blog - Share helpful tips, industry insights, or company news. Great for SEO and positioning yourself as an expert.
• Booking or Appointment Page - If you take appointments, make scheduling simple with online booking.
• Locations Page - If you serve multiple areas or have multiple locations, create a dedicated page.
• Careers Page - If you're hiring, make it easy for potential employees to learn about opportunities.

But don't feel like you need to add pages just to have more pages. Start with the essentials and add more as your business grows and your website needs evolve.

Putting It All Together

A great small business website doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be clear, helpful, and focused on what your customers actually need to know.

Quick checklist for your website:

• ✓ Homepage with clear value proposition and call-to-action
• ✓ About page that builds trust and connection
• ✓ Services/Products page explaining what you offer
• ✓ Contact page making it easy to reach you
• ✓ Portfolio/Gallery showing your work
• ✓ Testimonials proving your quality
• ✓ FAQ answering common questions

With these seven pages in place, you'll have a solid foundation that works for your business around the clock. Your website will answer visitor questions, build trust, and make it simple for people to become customers.

The best part? You don't have to build this all at once. Start with the essentials, get them right, and expand from there as your business grows.