Essential Website Features Every Small Business Should Have

A website is no longer a luxury for a small business; it’s a fundamental necessity. It serves as your 24/7 storefront, your primary marketing tool, and a vital point of contact for new and existing customers. Yet, simply having a website isn’t enough. To truly succeed, your site must be a powerful, user-friendly tool that converts visitors into loyal customers. It needs to be a well-oiled machine, equipped with a specific set of features that address the needs of your audience and simplify your business operations.

1. A Professional, Mobile-Responsive Design

First impressions matter, and your website is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your brand. A clean, professional, and visually appealing design builds trust and credibility. Avoid cluttered layouts, generic stock photos, and difficult-to-read fonts. Your design should reflect your brand’s personality and be easy to navigate. If it looks like you made it yourself, then your business looks like it’s struggling.

Most importantly, your website must be mobile-responsive. With the majority of web traffic now coming from smartphones and tablets, a site that doesn’t adapt to smaller screens will frustrate users and cause them to leave. Google also prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its search rankings. A responsive design ensures your site looks and functions perfectly, whether a user is on a desktop computer, a tablet, or a phone.

2. Clear and Compelling Calls to Action (CTAs)

A call to action is a prompt that tells your visitors what to do next. Without clear CTAs, your website is just an information brochure. Effective CTAs guide users through the buying journey, whether they are ready to make a purchase or just want to learn more.

CTAs should be prominent, use strong action verbs, and stand out visually from the rest of the page. Examples include “Shop Now,” “Get a Free Quote,” “Download Our Guide,” or “Book an Appointment.” Place them strategically on your homepage, product pages, and contact page.

For instance, if you’re a local bakery, your homepage might have a prominent “View Our Menu” button. A service-based business might feature a “Schedule Your Free Consultation” button above the fold. Remember to use a sense of urgency or exclusivity to encourage action, such as “Limited Time Offer” or “Get Your Exclusive Discount.”

3. Contact Information That Is Easy to Find and Use

This seems obvious, but many small businesses make the mistake of burying their contact information. Your phone number, email address, and physical address (if applicable) should be instantly accessible. The best practice is to place it in the header or footer of every page.

A simple, clickable phone number is a game-changer for mobile users. Instead of having to memorize and manually dial your number, a mobile visitor can simply tap on it to initiate a call. This small feature removes a point of friction and makes it incredibly easy for customers to get in touch.

4. A Dedicated “About Us” Page

People don’t just buy products or services; they buy from people and brands they trust. An “About Us” page is your opportunity to tell your story, share your mission, and connect with your audience on a personal level. Introduce your team, explain why you started your business, and highlight what makes you unique. This page builds trust and helps customers feel a personal connection to your brand, which can significantly increase customer loyalty.

A few recommendations on this, include a professional photo of yourself and/or your team. I know many people don’t like to have their photo taken, but it makes a huge difference in making a connection with you as more than just a business, but as a person they can trust. If you want to take it even farther, you can make an introduction video. Having both your face and your voice goes a long way toward building that credibility that customers are looking for.

5. Customer Testimonials and Reviews

Social proof is a powerful motivator. Prospective customers are more likely to trust the opinions of their peers than your own marketing copy. Featuring glowing testimonials from satisfied customers on your homepage, product pages, or a dedicated review page can have a huge impact on your conversion rates. Include a photo and the name of the person giving the testimonial to make it feel more authentic. I like to scatter testimonials throughout the site rather than having just a page of them.

If you want to add authenticity to your testimonials, integrate them directly from your Google business page, so people can see that you haven’t just made them up or cherry picked the best ones. Plugins like Widgets for Google Reviews and Rich Shortcodes for Google Reviews make it easy to pull those in. Check out this example testimonial page from one of our clients.

6. An SEO-Optimized Blog

A blog is a long-term investment that pays huge dividends. It’s a platform to showcase your expertise, answer common customer questions, and build authority in your industry. Regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content that is optimized for search engines (SEO) helps your website rank higher in Google search results. For example, a landscaping company could write articles about “5 Tips for a Healthy Lawn” or “The Best Plants for Shaded Gardens.” This brings organic traffic to your site and positions you as a trusted expert.

7. An Easy-to-Use Contact Form

While having your phone number and email address is important, a contact form offers a convenient way for visitors to reach out without leaving your site. It also helps you gather specific information from them. A well-designed contact form can include fields for their name, email, phone number, and a message box. Keep it simple and only ask for the information you absolutely need to avoid discouraging submissions.

One thing I also recommend on your contact form is asking people how they’d like to communicate. Some people like email, some like phone, and some like text. You can add a radio option that lets people choose so you know how to communicate with them to get the best response.

Let me share a short story with you here. I have to get a new roof on my house. Not the sexiest home improvement project, but it has to be done. So I reached out to four different roofing companies, all through their website’s contact form. None of them asked how I wanted to communicate (and I wanted to communicate by email, which is why I submit the form instead of call.)

Of the four companies, one emailed back right away to try to schedule a quote. One emailed and texted right away and asked what my preferred method of communication was. One kept calling (and if you are like me, you may not answer phone numbers you don’t know, so I kept missing the call.) And the last company simply replied to my message and told me to call them to schedule a quote. Why even have a form on your website if you aren’t willing to communicate with your customers that way?

Some people like to communicate via email, some via text, and some via phone. If you give your customers choices and communicate in the way they prefer, you’ll likely get a better outcome.

8. Analytics and Tracking Tools

How do you know if your website is working? By tracking its performance! Integrating tools like Google Analytics is essential. These tools provide invaluable data on who is visiting your site, where they are coming from, what pages they are viewing, and how long they are staying. This information helps you understand what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make informed decisions to improve your website’s performance over time.

Be sure to actually look at this data as well. It doesn’t do you any good to have analytics that you never review. We integrate the plugin Site Kit into every site we build, so you can see analytics data right in your WordPress Dashboard.

Take Your Business to the Next Level

Building a great website is an ongoing process. It’s not about launching it and forgetting about it. It’s about continuously optimizing it for your users and your business goals. By incorporating these features, you will create a powerful online presence that not only looks great but also works tirelessly to attract new customers and grow your bottom line.

Ready to start? Take the first step today. Review your current website and see where you can improve. If you’re building a new site, make sure you prioritize these elements from the very beginning. Your small business deserves a website that is as hardworking and effective as you are.