Most service businesses need five to seven pages. A home page that says what you do, a page for each main service, your work, about, answers to common questions, and a way to get in touch or book.
Start with these. Add articles, case studies and location pages as you grow, and only when there is something real to say on them.
When people plan a website, the list of pages tends to grow. A news page, a mission page, a team page for a team of two. Each one costs time to make and to keep up to date. Here is the list we start from with our own clients.
The core pages
- Home. What you do, who it is for, proof that you do it well, and the one action you want people to take.
- One page per main service. People search for the service, not for your company name. A page per service gives each one a chance to be found, and lets you answer its own questions.
- Work or projects. The proof. Real jobs, with what was done, where and for whom.
- About. Who is behind the business and why someone should trust you. Short is fine.
- Contact or booking. The easiest possible next step, a form, a calendar or a phone number that works on a phone.
Pages that close the gap
- Questions and answers. Price ranges, timelines and how the work runs. Every question answered on the site is one less reason to leave.
- Process. What happens after someone gets in touch, step by step.
- Pricing guide. Even a “from” price filters out the wrong enquiries and reassures the right ones.
Pages that bring people in over time
- Articles that answer what your clients search for before they hire someone.
- Case studies that tell the story of one job from start to finish.
- Location pages, only for places you really work in, with real projects from there.
Pages you can skip
- A news or blog page you will not update. An empty blog looks worse than none.
- A long mission statement. Put one honest line on the about page instead.
- Separate pages for things that fit in a sentence.
What every page should do
Each page needs one main action, proof where the doubt appears, and an answer to the question that brought someone there. For more on that, read what makes a website bring in clients.
The bottom line
Five to seven pages, done well, beat twenty pages done in a hurry. Start with the core, add what closes the gap, and grow with articles and case studies when you have something real to show. You can see how we put a company website together on our company websites page, and if you only need one page, read landing page or website.
Questions people ask
How many pages should a small business website have?
Five to seven pages covers most service businesses, a home page, a page per main service, work, about, questions and contact. Add more as you have real content for them.
Do I need a separate page for each service?
Usually yes. People search for the service they need, and a page for each one can be found on its own and answer its own questions.
Do I need a blog on my business website?
Only if you will write for it. Articles that answer what your clients search for bring people in over time, while an empty blog looks worse than none.