Many small business websites are a home page, a phone number and a few stock photos. They exist, but they do not bring in enquiries. A website that works for a business is simpler than people expect. It answers the questions a customer has before they call, and makes calling or messaging you easy. This guide covers what to put on it, and what to ask a web developer.
What a visitor wants in the first ten seconds
- What do you do, and where?
- Is it for someone like me?
- What does it cost, or roughly how much?
- How do I contact you right now?
If the home page answers these four questions without scrolling, you are ahead of most competitors.
The pages most businesses need
- Home. What you do, who it is for, one clear way to get in touch.
- Services or products. One section or page for each thing you sell, in plain words, with a starting price if you can give one.
- About. Who runs the business, where you are and how long you have been working. People buy from people.
- Work or customers. Real examples, with the customer's permission. A short story of the problem, what you did and what changed is better than a list of logos.
- Contact. Phone, WhatsApp, email and address, on every page. A short form, if you want one, with few fields.
Make contact easy
In India many customers prefer a WhatsApp message to a form. Put a WhatsApp button and a tap-to-call number where visitors can always see them, especially on a phone. Reply quickly, because an enquiry left for a day often goes to someone else.
Basics that help people find you
- A page title and description for each page that say what the page is and where you work.
- Words your customers actually search for, in headings and text, written for people first.
- A fast site that works well on a phone. Most visitors will see it on a small screen.
- A Google Business Profile for local searches, with the same name, address and phone as your site.
- A sitemap submitted to Google Search Console, so Google can find your pages.
- Useful pages that answer questions your customers ask, such as guides.
Questions to ask a web developer
- Do I own the domain, the content and the site files?
- How do I change text and prices myself, or who does it and at what cost?
- Does it work well on a phone, and how fast does it load?
- Is search set up, with page titles, descriptions and a sitemap?
- Where is it hosted, and who looks after security and updates?
- What is included after launch, and what is charged extra?
How we work at FutraInc
We build websites that are visually clear and easy to use, from planning and design through development, testing and launch, and we can look after the hosting and server too. You deal directly with the person who scopes and builds the work. Tell us what your business does and who you want to reach, and we will say what we would put on the site. See our services or contact us.