5 things every small business website needs (and 3 it doesn't)

The five that matter

One: what you do, said plainly, above the fold. Two: how to reach you — a phone number, an address, or a form that actually sends. Three: hours or availability, if people show up in person. Four: a page per service so search engines can send the right person to the right place. Five: a title and description on every page, because that's the text people see in search results before they ever see your design.

The three you can skip

A stock photo hero of people shaking hands. A blog you won't keep up with — an empty blog looks worse than none. And a chat widget you won't answer; an unanswered chat is a broken promise.

Where to start

Describe the business in a sentence, list the services, and let the first draft land. Then edit the words until they sound like you. That last step is the one most builders skip, and it's the one customers notice.