What to Put on a Simple Business Website
A practical guide to the pages and content that actually matter for a small business website — and what you can skip.
One of the most common reasons people put off building a website is not knowing what to put on it. The good news: for most small businesses, you need far less than you think.
Start with these four pages
Most effective small business websites have the same basic structure. You don't need to reinvent it.
1. Homepage
Your homepage should answer three questions in about five seconds:
- What do you do? A clear headline, not a clever one.
- Who is it for? One sentence about your typical customer.
- What should I do next? A single call to action — call you, book online, learn more.
That's it. Resist the urge to put everything on the homepage. Its only job is to make visitors want to keep reading.
2. About page
People buy from people. Your about page should say who you are, how long you've been doing this, and what you care about. Keep it conversational. A paragraph or two is plenty.
If you have a physical location, include the address. If you have a team, a short team section helps. Photos are worth the effort.
3. Services or products page
List what you offer with enough detail for someone to decide if it's what they need. Pricing is optional — some businesses prefer to quote individually — but being upfront about rough pricing ranges builds trust.
4. Contact page
Make it easy. Phone number, email, and a simple contact form. If you have business hours, list them. If you're on social media, link to it here.
Don't make people hunt for how to reach you. This is the most important page on your site for turning visitors into customers.
Pages you probably don't need (yet)
- Blog — unless you'll actually write posts regularly. An abandoned blog is worse than no blog. (Though if you do want to share updates, even occasional posts can help with search visibility.)
- FAQ — if you can answer the questions on your services page instead, do that.
- Testimonials page — sprinkle quotes on your homepage or services page instead of giving them a separate page nobody visits.
- Portfolio — only if your work is visual. Contractors, designers, and photographers benefit. Accountants and consultants usually don't.
Content tips that actually help
Write like you talk. Nobody wants to read corporate-speak on a five-page website. If you wouldn't say it to a customer in person, don't put it on your site.
Be specific. "We serve the greater Portland area" is better than "We serve our community." "Kitchen and bathroom remodeling for homes under 2,000 sq ft" is better than "Home improvement services."
Use real photos when possible. Stock photos are fine for backgrounds, but photos of your actual work, team, or location build more trust than any polished stock image.
How AI makes this easier
If you know the answers to the basic questions — what you do, who you serve, where you are — an AI website builder can turn that into a complete site in minutes. You describe your business conversationally, and it handles the layout, copy structure, and design.
You don't need to write perfect copy or know anything about web design. Just tell it what you'd tell a new customer, and revise from there.
The only thing that matters is getting it live
A simple site that exists is infinitely better than a perfect site that's still in your head. Don't overthink it. Get the basics up, and improve over time.
With one-time pricing, there's no pressure to get it perfect before you start paying. Build it, publish it, and move on to running your business.