small business website creator
Build a website that brings customers, ranks in Google, and grows your business — step-by-step.
This guide walks you through planning, building, and optimising a high-converting small business website focused on local SEO, customer engagement and measurable growth — with checklists you can use today.
Plan your website: goals, customers, and pages
Every high-performing site starts with a clear goal. Before you build, answer these three questions:
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What is the primary conversion? (phone calls, booking, quote form, purchases) Write it down as a single measurable action — everything on the page should push toward it.
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Who is your ideal customer? (age, location, need, budget) Create one short customer profile — it helps determine language and imagery.
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How will customers find your site? (search, ads, social, referrals) This influences which pages you prioritise for SEO and ads.
Essential page map (start here)
- Home — clear headline, primary CTA, 3 key services, trust signals
- Services / What we do — one page per main service (use H2s for each)
- About — short team story, credentials, why choose you
- FAQ — answers to common buying questions
- Contact / Book — phone, simple contact options, and a map
- Blog / Resources — optional but powerful for SEO and trust
Site structure & navigation: keep it simple
A clear structure helps both users and search engines. Follow this checklist:
Top-level nav
Keep 5–7 items max. Use simple labels: Home, Services, About, FAQ, Contact.
Logical URLs
Use /service-name/ not /?p=123. Clear URLs help SEO and sharing.
Internal linking
Link related pages (e.g., service pages to blog posts) to boost authority and user time-on-site.
Homepage layout that converts (wireframe)
- Hero: promise + primary CTA (phone or booking)
- 3 benefits or services with short bullets
- Trust: badges, reviews, years in business
- How it works: 3-step process
- Testimonials & recent work
- Clear footer: contact, hours, small sitemap
SEO fundamentals: pages that rank
SEO isn't magic — it's predictable. Use this step-by-step page template to optimise each page.
On-page SEO checklist (per page)
- Primary keyword: choose 1 main target (e.g., "plumber sydney north")
- Title tag: 50–60 characters, include primary keyword early
- Meta description: 140–160 characters, compelling CTA, include keyword
- URL: short, hyphenated, include keyword (example: /plumber-sydney-north/)
- H1: primary keyword, one H1 per page
- H2s & H3s: use for subtopics and related keywords
- Content length: 500–1,200 words for service pages (more for competitive terms)
- Schema: LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQ structured data
- Images: use descriptive file names + alt text with keywords
Keyword research — fast method
- List 10 customer search phrases (what they would type to find you)
- Use Google autocomplete and "People also ask" to expand
- Check monthly volume and difficulty in any free keyword tool
- Prioritise 5 local/low-competition keywords to start
Local SEO: show up for nearby customers
For most small businesses, local search drives the majority of qualified leads. Do these things right.
Google Business Profile
- Claim and verify your profile
- Use consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
- Add services, business hours, photos, and regular posts
- Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond quickly
Local on-page signals
- Include suburb names in page titles and headings
- Add an embedded Google Map on your Contact page
- Use LocalBusiness schema with address and opening hours
- Create landing pages for service + suburb combinations (avoid low-value duplication)
Review strategy (simple)
- Ask for reviews after each completed job — send a short link
- Respond to every review professionally
- Highlight great reviews on your website
Content that converts: copy, images, and offers
Great content answers questions and reduces friction. Use clear, benefit-driven language.
Headlines & hero copy
Your hero line should state who you help + the main benefit. Subheadline: simple supporting detail and CTA.
- Example: "Emergency plumber in Melbourne — Same-day service, fixed-rate pricing"
- CTA: "Call now" or "Get a free quote" — use phone-first for trades
Images & trust
Use high-quality, authentic photos of your team and work. Stock is ok for placeholders but swap to real images quickly.
- Include before/after galleries for trades
- Add 3–5 strong testimonials with names and photos
Offer and CTA optimisation
- Keep primary CTA above the fold (call or form)
- Use secondary CTAs for less-ready visitors (learn more, read testimonials)
- Test button text: "Call now" vs "Get a quote" — see which converts better
- Offer a limited-time discount or free inspection to increase urgency
Customer engagement & trust elements
Small design choices boost trust and make visitors act. Implement these immediately:
Trust builders
- Badges: licenses, insurance, awards
- Real testimonials with photos and locations
- Transparent pricing or example job costs
- Clear refund/guarantee policy
Engagement tools
- Clickable phone link (tel:)
- SMS/WhatsApp quick contact link
- Live chat for prequalified leads (optional)
- Clear next steps after contact: "We’ll call you within 1 hour"
Micro-conversions to track
If your main conversion is calls, track these micro-actions too:
- Click-to-call taps
- Button clicks on CTA
- Time on page for service pages
- Contact form opens (even if not submitted)
Technical SEO & site speed
Technical issues can stop even the best content from ranking. Fix these first:
SSL (HTTPS)
Must be enabled sitewide. Google flags non-HTTPS as not secure.
Mobile-first
Design for phones first — mobile is the majority of traffic.
Page speed
Target under 3s on mobile. Compress images, enable caching, and reduce third-party scripts.
Quick technical checklist
- Use next-gen image formats (WebP/AVIF) and lazy-loading
- Minify CSS/JS, enable gzip/brotli compression
- Use a CDN for global reach if you serve customers outside your city
- Set up robots.txt and a sitemap.xml and submit to Google Search Console
- Fix crawl errors and redirect chains
Analytics, tracking & growth loops
Measure what matters. Use data to improve conversions and traffic.
Must-have tracking
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) configured
- Google Search Console verified
- Phone call tracking (if calls are your main conversion)
- Goals for bookings, form submits, and clicks on key CTAs
Monthly report essentials
Growth loop playbook (simple)
- Find top-performing page
- Create 2–3 supporting blog posts that link to it
- Promote posts via local social channels and directories
- Monitor and iterate — double down on what works
Launch checklist: 15-minute pre-launch audit
- Mobile view looks perfect and buttons are tappable
- Title tags & meta descriptions present for all pages
- Google Business Profile verified
- Analytics tracking installed and test events firing
- Contact details clickable and map embedded
- Site is fast enough (mobile < 3s where possible)
- Backups enabled and SSL active
Pro tip: Run a quick usability test — ask a friend to find your phone number and book a service. If they can’t in 60 seconds, simplify.
Recommended tools & templates
Free / low-cost tools
- Google Search Console & GA4 — analytics and search insights
- PageSpeed Insights — performance diagnosis
- Canva — simple image editing
- Keyword Surfer / Ubersuggest — quick keyword ideas
Templates to use
- Service page template: H1, short intro, list of benefits, process, testimonials, FAQ, CTA
- Blog post template: intro, problem, solution, examples, CTA to a service page
- Contact page: clickable phone, map, short form, hours
Frequently asked questions
How long will it take to get a basic website live?
How much content do I need at launch?
Do I need to write my own copy?
Will a cheap site hurt my SEO?
Ready to create your small business website?
Use the plan in this guide to get started — or let Congero build and optimise a professional, SEO-ready website for you. Live demos in under 60 seconds and unlimited updates via text.
All sites include domain, hosting, SSL, local SEO setup, and monthly analytics — month-to-month, cancel anytime.
"We launched in 24 hours and saw calls increase within the first week. The SEO guidance in this guide matches exactly what our team implemented."
Next steps — 30 minute action plan
- Complete the 5-page site map and pick your top 5 keywords
- Create hero copy and 3 service bullets for each service page
- Collect 3 customer photos and 2 testimonials
- Launch a demo site and verify Google Business Profile
- Set up GA4 and track calls/form submits
Need help? Congero specialises in building fast, SEO-ready websites for trades and local services. Get a demo in under 60 seconds and unlimited updates for a flat monthly price — no lock-in contracts.
