7 Essential Pages Every Small Business Website Needs (And What to Put on Them)

When you are building a website for your small business, one of the first questions that comes up is: what pages do I actually need?

It is a deceptively important question. Too few pages and you leave potential customers without the information they need to trust you. Too many pages and you dilute your message, overwhelm visitors, and create a maintenance nightmare.

After building websites for dozens of small businesses, we have identified the seven pages that form the foundation of every effective business website. These are the pages that visitors expect, search engines reward, and your bottom line depends on.

For each page, we will cover what it is, why it matters, and exactly what content to include. Let us get into it.

1. Homepage: Your Digital Storefront

Your homepage is the most visited page on your website and often the first impression potential customers have of your business. It needs to accomplish three things in about 5 seconds: tell visitors what you do, who you do it for, and why they should care.

What to Include

• A clear, benefit-driven headline. Not your company name. Not "Welcome." A headline that immediately communicates the value you provide. Example: "We Build Websites That Grow Small Businesses" is infinitely better than "Welcome to Web Society."
• A supporting subheadline. One to two sentences that add context. Who do you serve? What makes you different?
• A primary call to action. What is the single most important thing you want a visitor to do? Make it unmissable. A button, above the fold, with clear action language ("Get a Free Quote," "Start Your Project," "Book a Consultation").
• Social proof. Testimonials, client logos, review ratings, or case study snippets. Visitors trust other customers more than they trust your marketing copy.
• A brief overview of your services. Not a detailed description. Just enough to show the breadth of what you offer, with links to detailed service pages.
• Trust indicators. Years in business, number of clients served, industry certifications, awards, or media mentions.

Common Mistakes

• Leading with a company history paragraph instead of customer value
• Using a generic stock photo slider that says nothing meaningful
• No clear call to action above the fold
• Trying to say everything, which means effectively saying nothing

2. About Page: Build Trust and Connection

The About page is consistently one of the most visited pages on small business websites. Visitors go there when they are considering doing business with you and want to know if you are trustworthy, competent, and a good fit.

Here is the key insight most businesses miss: your About page is not really about you. It is about how your story serves the customer.

What to Include

• Your origin story (briefly). Why did you start this business? What problem did you see that needed solving? Keep it concise and focused on the customer problem, not your personal biography.
• Your mission or values. What drives your work? What principles guide your decisions? This helps visitors determine if they align with your approach.
• Team photos and bios. People buy from people. Real photos (not stock images) of your team make your business feel human and trustworthy. Include names, roles, and a brief personal detail or two.
• Credentials and experience. Relevant certifications, years of experience, notable clients, or industry expertise. Keep it factual and relevant.
• A call to action. Do not let the About page be a dead end. End with a clear next step: "Ready to work together? Contact us today."

Common Mistakes

• Writing a novel about company history that no one will read
• No team photos or all stock photography
• No call to action, leaving visitors with nowhere to go
• Corporate jargon that feels impersonal ("leveraging synergies")

3. Services (or Products) Page: Show What You Offer

Your services page is where interested visitors go to understand exactly what you offer and whether it fits their needs. This page needs to be specific, organized, and focused on outcomes, not just features.

What to Include

• Clear service categories. If you offer multiple services, organize them logically. Visitors should be able to scan the page and quickly find what they are looking for.
• Benefit-focused descriptions. For each service, lead with the outcome the customer gets, not the technical process. "Get more leads from your website" is better than "We implement conversion rate optimization techniques."
• Pricing or pricing guidance. You do not need to list exact prices for everything, but giving visitors a sense of investment level ("Starting at $500" or "Plans from $99/month") reduces friction and qualifies leads. Visitors who see no pricing information often assume you are expensive and leave.
• What is included. Bullet points listing what each service includes. Specificity builds confidence.
• A process overview. Briefly explain how you work. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3. This demystifies the experience and reduces anxiety about getting started.
• Individual service pages (if applicable). If you have more than 3 services, consider creating dedicated pages for each one. This is better for SEO and allows you to go deeper on each offering.

Common Mistakes

• Listing services without explaining the benefits
• Using industry jargon the customer does not understand
• No pricing information at all, creating unnecessary mystery
• No clear way to take the next step for each service

4. Contact Page: Remove Every Barrier

The contact page is where intent converts into action. A visitor who reaches your contact page is actively considering doing business with you. Your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to reach you.

What to Include

• A simple contact form. Keep it short. Name, email, phone (optional), and message. Every additional field reduces completion rates. Research from HubSpot shows that reducing form fields from 4 to 3 can increase submissions by up to 50%.
• Multiple contact methods. Some people prefer forms, some prefer phone calls, some prefer email. Offer all three. Include your phone number, email address, and the form.
• Business hours. When can visitors expect a response? Set expectations clearly.
• Physical address (if applicable). If you have a location customers visit, include the full address and an embedded Google Map. This also helps with local SEO.
• Response time commitment. "We respond within 2 business hours" gives visitors confidence that their message will not disappear into a void.
• Social proof near the form. A testimonial or trust badge near the contact form can increase submission rates by reassuring visitors at the moment of decision.

Common Mistakes

• Requiring too many form fields (10+ fields is a conversion killer)
• No phone number visible for visitors who want to call
• Broken form that does not actually send submissions (test it regularly)
• No confirmation message after form submission, leaving visitors unsure if it worked

5. Blog or Resources Page: Demonstrate Expertise

A blog is not just for content marketing. It is your most powerful tool for establishing authority, improving search rankings, and giving visitors a reason to keep coming back. For small businesses competing against larger players, a blog levels the playing field.

What to Include

• Genuinely helpful articles. Answer the questions your customers actually ask. If a plumber's customers frequently ask "why is my water heater making noise," write an article about it. If a web design agency's clients ask "how much does a website cost," write that article too.
• Consistent publishing schedule. Quality matters more than quantity, but consistency matters more than both. Two excellent articles per month beats ten mediocre ones. And ten months of consistent publishing beats a burst of activity followed by silence.
• Categories or topics. Organize your content so visitors can find articles relevant to their interests without scrolling through everything.
• Internal links. Every blog post should link to relevant service pages and other blog posts. This helps with SEO and keeps visitors on your site longer.
• Calls to action within posts. Every article should have a natural path to your services or contact page. Not aggressive sales pitches, but genuine "if you need help with this, we can help" transitions.

Common Mistakes

• Publishing 5 posts at launch and then nothing for 6 months
• Writing about topics your customers do not care about
• No internal links to service or contact pages
• Overly promotional content that reads like advertisements

6. FAQ Page: Address Objections Before They Become Barriers

A well-crafted FAQ page does more than answer questions. It proactively addresses the objections and concerns that prevent visitors from becoming customers. Think of it as a sales conversation in text form.

What to Include

• Real questions from real customers. Not questions you wish people would ask ("Why is your company so amazing?"), but questions they actually ask. Check your email inbox, phone call notes, and support tickets for common questions.
• Pricing and payment questions. "How much does it cost?" "Do you offer payment plans?" "What is included in the price?" These are the questions people are most anxious about. Answer them directly.
• Process questions. "How long does it take?" "What do I need to provide?" "What happens after I sign up?" Reducing uncertainty about the process makes people more likely to start.
• Differentiation questions. "How are you different from [competitor or alternative]?" "Why should I choose you?" These are opportunities to reinforce your value proposition.
• Organized by category. Group related questions together. If you have more than 10 questions, use collapsible sections or categories to keep the page scannable.

SEO Bonus

FAQ pages are excellent for SEO because they naturally target long-tail keywords (the exact questions people type into Google). Implementing FAQ schema markup can even get your questions and answers displayed directly in Google search results as rich snippets.

Common Mistakes

• Generic questions that do not address real customer concerns
• Answers that are too vague or redirect to "contact us for details"
• Not updating the FAQ as your business evolves
• Missing FAQ schema markup (free SEO opportunity left on the table)

7. Testimonials or Social Proof Page: Let Customers Sell for You

Trust is the currency of online business, and nothing builds trust faster than other customers vouching for you. While testimonials should appear throughout your site, a dedicated testimonials or case studies page gives you space to go deep.

What to Include

• Detailed testimonials with attribution. A quote from "John S." carries far less weight than one from "John Smith, Owner of Smith Plumbing, Austin TX." Include the person's name, company, role, and if possible, a photo.
• Specific results. "Great service!" is nice but forgettable. "Our website traffic increased 150% in 3 months and we booked 40 new clients" is memorable and persuasive. Encourage customers to share specific outcomes.
• Variety of customer types. Include testimonials from different types of customers to help a wider range of prospects see themselves in your client base.
• Case studies (if possible). A case study tells the full story: the challenge, the solution, and the result. Even brief case studies (3-4 paragraphs) are more compelling than standalone quotes.
• Third-party reviews. Embed or link to your Google reviews, Yelp ratings, or industry-specific review platforms. Third-party reviews carry more credibility than self-selected testimonials because visitors know you did not cherry-pick them.
• Video testimonials. If you can get them, video testimonials are the gold standard. They are harder to fake and create an emotional connection that text alone cannot match.

Common Mistakes

• Only having 1-2 testimonials (aim for at least 5-10)
• No attribution or fake-sounding quotes
• All testimonials saying the same generic thing
• Not asking happy customers for testimonials (most will say yes if you make it easy)

Bonus: Pages You Might Need (Depending on Your Business)

Beyond the core seven, some businesses benefit from additional pages:

• Portfolio or Gallery: Essential for visual businesses (photographers, designers, contractors). Show your best work with context about each project.
• Pricing Page: If your pricing is standardized, a dedicated pricing page can save time for both you and your prospects.
• Careers Page: If you are actively hiring, a careers page helps attract talent and shows your business is growing.
• Locations or Areas Served: For businesses with multiple locations or service areas, individual location pages boost local SEO significantly.
• Resources or Downloads: If you offer guides, templates, or tools, a resources page can generate leads through gated content.

How Many Pages Do You Actually Need to Start?

Here is the practical reality: you do not need all seven pages on day one. If launching quickly is a priority (and it should be), start with the minimum viable set and expand from there.

Bare Minimum (3 Pages)

Homepage, Services, Contact. This is enough to launch and start generating leads. Our Starter plan at $500 covers exactly this.

Strong Foundation (5 Pages)

Homepage, About, Services, Contact, Testimonials. This gives visitors everything they need to trust you and take action. Our Growth plan at $750 handles this nicely.

Full Presence (7-10 Pages)

All seven essential pages plus dedicated service or location pages. This is the complete package for businesses ready to compete aggressively online. Our Scale plan at $1,000 covers up to 10 pages.

The beauty of the growth-driven design approach is that you do not have to build everything upfront. Launch with your most important pages, then add and improve based on real performance data.

Content Tips That Apply to Every Page

Regardless of which page you are writing, these principles will make your content more effective:

• Write for scanners. Most visitors scan rather than read. Use headers, bullet points, bold text, and short paragraphs to make your content scannable.
• Lead with benefits, not features. Customers care about what you can do for them, not the technical details of how you do it.
• Use the word "you" more than "we." The best business websites focus outward on the customer, not inward on the company.
• Include one call to action per page. Every page should have a clear next step. Do not make visitors figure out what to do.
• Keep paragraphs short. Walls of text are intimidating on screens, especially on mobile. Aim for 2-3 sentences per paragraph.

For a full walkthrough of launching your site with these pages ready to go, use our complete website launch checklist.

Build Your Foundation Today

Your website does not need to be complex to be effective. It needs to clearly communicate what you do, build trust, and make it easy for visitors to take the next step. These seven pages create that foundation.

Start with what matters most, launch it, and improve from there. That is the growth-driven approach, and it is how the most successful small business websites are built.

Ready to build your essential pages? Start your project with Web Society. We will have your core pages designed, built, and live in just 7 days, with unlimited revisions in year one to keep improving.