The small business website checklist
Before a small business website launches it should have: a page for each main service and each area served, your name, phone and service area on every page, a fast mobile layout, a working contact form and click-to-call, unique page titles and meta descriptions, structured data, an XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console, analytics, SSL, and a privacy policy.
Pages
Home, one page per main service, one page per town or area you serve, About (with a real person's name and photo), Contact, and a Privacy policy.
A FAQ section on the pages where customers usually have questions.
Search basics
- A unique title (about 60 characters) and meta description on every page.
- One H1 per page that says what the page is about.
- Internal links between related services and areas.
- schema.org markup for your business, services and FAQs.
- An XML sitemap submitted in Google Search Console, and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Speed and mobile
- Compressed images in modern formats, sized for the screen.
- No auto-playing sliders or heavy page-builder add-ons.
- Test on a real phone on a cellular connection, not just the office Wi-Fi.
Leads and tracking
Click-to-call phone numbers, a short form that emails you, and a test lead sent before launch.
Privacy-respecting analytics so you can see where leads come from.
Security and ownership
- SSL (https) everywhere, with http and www redirecting to one version.
- The domain registered in the business owner's name.
- Backups, and someone responsible for updates.
Want help with this? See our website design service and Hosting & care plans, or ask for a free site review.
Steven Wilson builds websites and runs local SEO for East Texas businesses at Garnet Web Works, and founded the video and social agency Garnet Digital Marketing.