What pages does a small business website need?

Usually a home page, a page for what you offer, an about page, prices or packages if you can share them, and a contact or enquiry page. Add a gallery, FAQ or blog once you know what customers ask for.

How do I get my small business website to show up on Google?

Give each page a clear title and description, write in the words customers use, mention where you work, keep the site fast on phones and set up a Google Business Profile if you serve a local area. It takes time, so start early.

How much should a small business website cost?

It depends on the route and the scope. A DIY builder is billed monthly, while a designed site is usually a project price. Pages, features and who writes the content drive the cost.

Should I build my own website or hire someone?

Build it yourself if your needs are simple and you have the time and eye for it. Hire someone if the site is a main route to customers, or if your time is better spent on the business.

Small Business Website Design UK Guide | Birdie Said

If you run a small business in the UK, your website has a simple job: help the right person understand what you do, trust you and get in touch, ideally on their phone and in under a minute. Everything in website design for a small business comes back to that.

This guide walks through the whole thing in order: whether you need one, what goes on it, how it gets found, what it costs and who should build it. Each section points to a deeper guide if you want more.

First, do you need one?

Not every business needs a website on day one, and we cover the fair answer in do I need a website for my business. If you already run on Instagram, do you need a website if you have Instagram and Instagram vs website lay out what each one does. The short version is that social media gets you seen and a website gets you found, trusted and booked.

If you are self-employed, do sole traders need a website is written for you.

The five jobs a small business website does

A useful way to design a website is to work backwards from what it has to achieve. Most small business sites need to do five things.

Say what you do. In one plain sentence, at the top of the home page.
Show it. Real photos or video of your product, your work or your space.
Answer the usual questions. Prices or “from” prices, areas covered, timings, how it works.
Build trust. Who you are, any qualifications you hold, real reviews with permission.
Make the next step obvious. A button to call, book, buy or enquire.

If a page does not help with one of these, it is probably a candidate for cutting.

The pages you actually need

You do not need twenty pages. A tidy start looks like this.

Home. The one-sentence promise, a few photos, one or two proof points and a clear button.
What you offer. One page per major service or product group. Separate pages help people searching for specific things.
About. Your story, your values and the faces or the place behind the business, to the extent you are comfortable sharing.
Prices or packages. If you can share them, do. If not, give “from” prices and explain what changes the cost.
Contact or enquiry. A form that asks for the details you always need, plus your phone number, email and area.

Later additions might include a gallery, a FAQ page, a blog and pages for each town you serve.

Design that helps instead of getting in the way

You do not need a showy design. You need one that is clear.

Design for phones first. Most visitors arrive on a phone. Text should be readable without zooming, and buttons easy to tap with a thumb.
One main action per page. Too many choices stop people choosing anything.
Plain headings. Say what the section is about, not something clever.
Real photography. People can tell the difference between your work and a stock image.
Strong contrast and legible type. If it is hard to read, people leave.
Speed. Large images and extra scripts slow things down, which frustrates visitors and can hurt how your site performs in search.
Your own look. Your colours, logo and tone should make the site unmistakably yours. That is the heart of bespoke website design.

Writing the words

Good copy is clear, specific and human.

Use the words your customers use, not industry jargon.
Lead with what is in it for them.
Be specific. “Custom cakes for weddings and birthdays across [your area]” beats “quality baked goods”.
Keep paragraphs short, and use lists for anything people need to scan.
Never invent reviews, awards or results. If you have none yet, say so by sharing your process and your work instead.

How people find your site

A website that nobody visits does not do much. These basics help.

Page titles and descriptions. Each page should have its own, written in plain words that include what you do and where.
One page per main service. It gives search engines a clear match for what someone is looking for.
Mention where you work. For local businesses, naming your town and the places you cover matters.
A Google Business Profile. If you serve a local area, set one up and keep your hours, photos and details up to date.
Fast, mobile-friendly pages. Both visitors and search engines notice.
Useful content. Answering real questions on your site gives people a reason to visit and share it.

Ranking takes time, especially for a new site, so the sooner your pages exist, the sooner they can start earning their place.

A few legal and housekeeping basics

You do not need to be an expert, but do not skip these.

Cookies. Analytics and advertising cookies need the visitor’s consent before they are set, while strictly necessary cookies do not. The ICO’s guidance on cookies explains the rules.
A privacy notice. If your site has a contact form or collects any data, say what you collect and why.
Business details. If you trade as a limited company, check which company details need to appear on your site.
Specific trades. Food businesses, regulated trades and health services have their own rules. Check the current guidance for yours, and never claim a qualification you do not hold.

If you are unsure about any legal point, take advice from a professional.

What it costs and who builds it

You have three broad routes: a DIY builder, a freelancer or an agency. Each has a different balance of cash, time and quality. Our guides cover this from several angles.

Guides for your kind of business

Every trade has its own habits, and a website works best when it fits them. If you are in one of these, start with the matching guide.

Beauty and personal care: makeup artists, nail technicians, lash technicians, beauty salons, hairdressers and barbers.

Health, fitness and coaching: personal trainers, therapists and life coaches.

Creative: photographers.

Trades and services: plumbers, electricians, landscapers and cleaning businesses.

Food: home bakeries and cafes.

A simple plan to get started

Write one sentence about what you do and who for.
Collect your best photos of real work.
List the questions customers ask most often.
Decide the one action you want visitors to take.
Pick your three to five pages.
Choose your route: DIY, freelancer or agency.
Launch, then improve as you learn what people look for.

How we can help

At Birdie Said we design bespoke websites for small businesses and startups. Each one starts from your own brand, is built for phones first and is written in plain language. A Starter website is from £295 for up to five pages, paid in two halves, and larger sites are quoted to fit. We can also run your social media so that the two feel like one brand.

Take a look at our website builds, or get in touch and tell us about your business. We will tell you honestly what you need and what it would take.

Website Design for Small Business UK: The Complete Guide