building a website for small business
Step-by-step checklist to build a website that attracts customers, ranks in Google, and converts visitors into leads.
This guide gives you clear, actionable steps—planning, site structure, on-page SEO, user experience (UX), speed, local SEO, analytics and marketing—so you can launch a website that actually grows your business.
1. Plan: define goals and audience
Before designing anything, answer three simple questions:
- Primary goal: lead generation, bookings, sales, or info?
- Target customer: location, problems they have, how they search.
- Key offer: your most profitable service or starter offer.
Write a one-line value proposition
Example: "Local emergency electrician — Same-day service, fixed pricing, 24/7." Use this on your homepage headline and in meta descriptions.
2. Site structure & URL strategy
A clean structure helps users and search engines. Keep it shallow and predictable: Home → Services → Service page → Contact.
Core pages to include
- Home
- Services / Products (individual pages)
- About
- Contact / Bookings
- Blog (for local/content SEO)
URL best practices
- Keep URLs short and readable: example.com/electrician-melbourne
- Use hyphens, not underscores.
- Include target keyword on service pages: /plumbing-drain-unblocking.
- Avoid query strings for primary content pages.
3. Content that converts (clear, scannable, search-friendly)
Good copy answers "what you do", "who you help", and "what to do next" within a few seconds.
Homepage content blueprint
- Headline: One clear sentence of your main offer.
- Subheadline: Brief benefits (3 bullets max).
- Social proof: 2–3 testimonials or trust badges above the fold.
- Primary CTA: Book, Call, or Get Quote — visible and repeated.
- Services summary: Link to individual service pages.
Write for scanning
- Use H1 then H2/H3 for hierarchy.
- Short paragraphs (1–3 sentences).
- Bullets and bold important phrases.
- Include a clear CTA on every page.
4. On-page SEO essentials (what to set up now)
On-page SEO is low-hanging fruit. Do these 8 things for every page.
Immediate checklist
- Title tag — 50–60 chars, include main keyword.
- Meta description — 120–155 chars, call-to-action.
- H1 — unique, mirrors title intent.
- Alt tags — descriptive for every image.
- Internal links — link to related services and contact page.
SEO copy tips
- Target one main keyword per page and 2–3 related phrases.
- Write natural, helpful content — avoid stuffing keywords.
- Use schema where relevant (LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ).
- Add a short FAQ on service pages to capture featured-snippet queries.
Quick title + meta examples
5. User experience & mobile-first design
Most visitors are on phones. Make actions obvious and friction-free.
Mobile UX checklist
- Large tappable CTAs (min 44px).
- Click-to-call links for phone numbers.
- Sticky header with one-click booking/contact.
- Readable fonts, high contrast, plenty of white space.
Conversion-focused patterns
- Use a short form or click-to-call — no long forms on mobile.
- Lead magnets: a simple downloadable estimate guide or coupon.
- Visible trust signals: reviews, associations, and guarantees.
- Use directional cues (arrows, images of people looking at CTAs).
6. Speed & technical SEO
Fast sites rank better and convert more visitors. Aim for under 3 seconds on mobile.
Technical checklist
- Use compressed images (WebP), lazy-load offscreen images.
- Minify CSS/JS and use critical CSS for first paint.
- Enable gzip/Brotli compression and caching headers.
- Use a CDN for geographic coverage.
- Ensure mobile viewport meta tag is present.
Tools to check
- Google PageSpeed Insights (mobile and desktop)
- GTmetrix or WebPageTest for waterfall analysis
- Search Console for Core Web Vitals
7. Local SEO & Google Business Profile
If you serve local customers, local SEO drives the most valuable leads.
Quick setup (first 48 hours)
- Create & verify Google Business Profile (GBP), complete every field.
- Use the same business name, address, phone (NAP) across your site and GBP.
- Embed a Google Map on the contact page and add structured data (LocalBusiness schema).
- Get 5+ reviews on GBP with detailed text (not just stars).
- Post regular GBP updates (offers, photos) — Google rewards activity.
8. Drive traffic: organic and paid strategies
Your website is the hub. Use these channels to attract customers.
Organic content
Write local, helpful blog posts that answer common customer questions (how-to guides, pricing explanations, case studies).
Google Ads
Start with local search campaigns targeting high-intent keywords (e.g., "emergency plumber near me") and use call-only ads for mobile.
Social & partnerships
Use Facebook/Instagram to show before/after photos and run local traffic ads; partner with complementary local businesses.
Email & SMS remarketing
Capture an email or phone with a simple form or coupon. Use automated follow-ups to convert interested leads into bookings.
9. Analytics & continuous improvement
Measure what matters and optimise weekly.
Essential tracking
- Google Analytics 4 + conversion events (call clicks, form submits, bookings)
- Google Search Console for keywords & index coverage
- Call tracking (use separate tracking number for ads)
Weekly optimisation routine
- Check top pages and their CTR in Search Console — update titles/description if CTR low.
- Review GA4 for top landing pages and bounce rates — improve UX or content.
- Test one change per week (headline, CTA color, hero image) and measure results.
10. Launch checklist (quick)
- All pages have unique title + meta
- Contact page: phone, email, address, map
- Mobile: clickable phone and CTAs
- SSL active and site served over HTTPS
- GA4 + Search Console connected
- Site speed: PageSpeed mobile score >= 50 (aim 90+)
- Backup and monitoring active
- Announce on GBP and social channels
Common mistakes to avoid
- Too many CTAs: Create one primary action per page.
- No local focus: If you serve a city or region, include it in titles and content.
- Slow images: Large photos without compression kill conversions.
- Ignoring analytics: You can't improve what you don't measure.
- Hiding contact details: Make it easy to reach you — visible phone and booking link.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a simple small-business website?
Do I need a blog?
What's the minimum SEO I should do?
Ready to build a website that brings you customers?
Follow this guide yourself or choose a managed option to get live fast with expert SEO and unlimited updates.
Pro tip: Start with your top-performing service page and optimise it first — you'll see results fastest.
