Most people who visit a local business website want one of three things: to know what you do, to know whether you’re open or available, and to contact you. A good website answers all three in seconds, on a phone, without making anyone hunt.

Use this checklist to see how your site measures up. If you don’t have a website yet, it doesn’t need to be big. It needs to cover these.

The essentials

1. A headline that says what you do and where

Your top line should pass the five-second test: “Lawn care and landscaping in Cary, NC” beats “Welcome to our website!” every time. It tells visitors they’re in the right place, and it tells Google what you do and where.

2. Your phone number, one tap away

Most local searches happen on phones. Put your number at the top of every page and make it a tap-to-call link, so customers can call without copying anything.

3. A clear next step on every page

Decide what you want visitors to do (call, request a quote, book a time) and make that button obvious. One clear action works better than five competing ones.

4. Hours and service area

List your opening hours, or the hours you take calls. If you travel to customers, name the towns you cover. People shouldn’t have to guess whether you’ll come to them.

5. Your services, in plain words

A short section or page for each main service. Describe it the way a customer would search for it (“drain cleaning”, not “hydro-jetting solutions”), and say who it’s for.

6. Proof you’re real and good at what you do

Photos of your actual work, team and location. Your Google rating and a few genuine customer reviews. Any licenses, insurance or certifications that matter in your trade. Never invent reviews: customers can tell, and fake reviews are illegal in the US.

7. A simple contact form

Some people won’t call, especially after hours. A short form (name, how to reach them, what they need) catches those leads while you sleep. Ask only for what you need to reply.

The technical basics

8. Works beautifully on a phone

Text you can read without zooming, buttons big enough to tap, nothing sliding off the side of the screen. Check your own site on your phone today.

9. Loads fast

Every extra second costs you visitors. Oversized photos and piles of plugins are the usual culprits.

10. Secure (the padlock in the address bar)

Your address should start with https://. Browsers warn visitors about sites that don’t use it, and that warning scares people off.

11. Your own domain name

yourbusiness.com looks established and is easy to remember. A free subdomain from a site builder looks temporary. Keep your name, address and phone number identical on your website, your Google Business Profile and every other listing.

What you can skip

  • Auto-playing videos and music. They slow the page and annoy people.
  • Long “About us” history on the home page. Lead with what you do for customers. Your story can live on its own page.
  • Pages you’ll never update. A blog with one post from 2021 looks abandoned. Only add sections you’ll keep current.
  • A pile of tracking scripts. Each one slows your site and collects data about your customers. Use only what you truly need.

Bonus: let customers book themselves

If you run on appointments, letting customers book online, at any hour, is one of the biggest upgrades you can make. It catches the people who decide at 10 PM and won’t call tomorrow. Read how to cut no-shows and keep your calendar full for more.

How does your site score?

If you ticked fewer than nine, your website is probably costing you customers. You can fix it yourself, or let us do it: BoostCrow builds your site with all of this covered, hosts it, and makes your updates for you. Wondering what that should cost? Read how much a small business website costs, or see a free demo of your new site.