What should you put on a website?

If you’re starting a website (or fixing a thin one), it’s easy to overthink. The good news: a highly effective small business site is rarely complicated. It’s just the right pages, each doing one job well.

The four core pages

Almost every business site is built on these:

1. Home — the front door. In five seconds it should answer: what you do, who it’s for, and why someone should stay. Lead with a clear headline, a one-line benefit, and an obvious next step (call, enquiry, quote).
2. Services (or Products) — what you actually offer, in detail. One section or sub-page per service, with what’s included, who it suits, and the benefit. Vague lists like “we do everything” help no one.
3. About — who you are and why to trust you. People buy from people; this page does heavy lifting. Include your story, your area, your qualifications, and ideally a photo.
4. Contact — the most important page on the site. Phone, email, a simple form, your location, your hours. Make it effortless to reach you.

Pages that add real value

Once the core four are solid, consider adding — only if they serve the customer:

• Work / Portfolio — proof you can do what you claim. Real examples, ideally with results or outcomes.
• Testimonials / Reviews — the single most powerful trust signal. Real quotes, real names, real locations.
• FAQ — answers to the questions everyone asks before buying. Reduces friction and helps SEO.
• Areas covered — for local businesses, a page per town or region you serve. Big for local search.
• Pricing — if you can, show it (even a range). It filters tyre-kickers and builds trust. If you truly can’t, explain why and make getting a quote frictionless.
• Blog / Guides — for answering customer questions and building search traffic over time. Optional, but compounding.

What every page needs

Regardless of which page, each one should have:

• A clear purpose. One page, one job. If a page tries to do five things, it does none well.
• A headline that makes sense out of context. People arrive deep in your site from Google — every page should make sense standalone.
• A call to action. Tell the visitor what to do next: call, enquire, read on, book.
• Scannable layout. Subheadings, short paragraphs, bullet lists. Most people skim; design for that.
• Contact within reach. Header button or footer details on every page.

The must-have legal pages (UK)

Not glamorous, but required if you have a UK business website:

• Privacy policy — how you handle personal data (GDPR).
• Cookie policy + banner — if you use any cookies or analytics (PECR).
• Terms — the rules of using your site / buying your service.
• Company / trader details — your business name, address, company number (if limited), VAT number (if registered), visible somewhere (usually the footer).

What NOT to put on a website

Just as important — the common clutter that drags a site down:

• Walls of text. If your homepage is eight unbroken paragraphs, nobody reads it.
• Stock-photo clichés. The faceless handshake, the generic call-centre woman. They signal “fake”.
• Outdated info. Last year’s prices, old services, broken links. Worse than nothing.
• Music, pop-ups, intrusive chat. Anything that ambushes the visitor.
• Pages with no purpose. A “welcome to our website” page helps nobody.

How much content is enough?

Enough to answer your customers’ questions and earn their trust — no more. A focused 5-page site with clear, useful content will outperform a 30-page site padded with filler every time. Start small, make each page genuinely good, and add pages only when there’s a real reason. See our fixed-price packages or get a free homepage demo.