What every small business website needs: a 10-point checklist

• It works on a phone first. Many of your visitors will be on a phone, and Google ranks sites using their mobile experience, so test every page on a real phone before anyone else sees it.
• It loads quickly. Google's targets for a good experience are the main content appearing within 2.5 seconds, the page responding to a tap within 200 milliseconds, and almost nothing jumping around as it loads, measured across 75 percent of real visits. Be realistic about why: Google has described these speed signals as a small ranking factor in most cases. The bigger reason is that people leave slow sites.
• The first screen says what you do and where. "Family dentist, open Sundays, book in two taps" beats "Welcome to our website" every time.
• Contacting you takes one tap. A phone number that dials when tapped, a WhatsApp button that opens a chat, and a short form for people who prefer to write.
• It runs on HTTPS. The padlock in the address bar is part of what Google counts as a good page experience, and browsers warn visitors away from sites without it.
• Every page has its own title and description. They're what appear in Google's results, so write them for a person deciding whether to click.
• It's connected to your Google Business Profile. Your profile links to the site and the site links back. Our Google Maps guide walks through setting one up.
• It's registered with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, with a sitemap submitted to both, so you can see which searches find you and fix problems early.
• It shows real proof. Photos of your actual work and reviews from genuine customers. Never invent testimonials; a few real ones are worth more than a page of made-up praise.
• You own it. The domain, hosting and code are in your name, with every login handed over. Our ownership guide lists exactly what to ask for.

How many pages does it need?

Fewer than most people think. A typical small business site has five to eight pages: home, services, about, contact, and perhaps a page each for your main services or locations. Add pages when customers keep asking the same questions, not to fill a menu.

How to test it yourself

Open the site on your own phone over mobile data, not office wifi. Tap the phone number and the WhatsApp button. Then run the page through Google's free PageSpeed Insights tool and look at the mobile results first.

Frequently asked questions