Short answer: every small business website needs five core pages: a home page, an about page, a page for each main service, a contact page and the legal pages (privacy and cookies). Most service businesses then do better with a few more: reviews or case studies, FAQs, prices, and a page for each area they serve. For most small businesses that adds up to somewhere between 8 and 30 pages.
The pages matter less than what’s on them. A five-page site that answers customers’ real questions will beat a thirty-page site full of vague text. Below, we go through each page, what it needs to include, and the details UK businesses are legally expected to show. There’s a checklist at the end you can work through before you launch.
The five pages every business website needs
1. Home page
Most visitors decide within a few seconds whether to stay, so your home page needs to tell them three things quickly: what you do, who it’s for and where you are. Then it needs to show them where to go next.
- A clear headline that says what you do in plain words, not a slogan.
- One main call to action, such as “Book a consultation” or “Get a quote”, visible without scrolling on a phone.
- A short summary of your main services, each linking to its own page.
- Proof that you’re trustworthy: reviews, logos of clients, accreditations or years in business.
- Your location or the areas you cover.
2. About page
People buy from people, especially from small businesses. A good about page explains who you are, why you do this work, and what makes you different, with real photos of you and your team. Qualifications, memberships and experience belong here too.
3. Service pages, one per service
This is the page most owners get wrong. Putting all your services on one page makes it hard for customers to find what they need, and hard for Google to show the right page for the right search.
Someone searching for “emergency dentist Brighton” wants a page about emergency appointments, not a list of twelve treatments. Each service page should cover what the service is, who it’s for, what happens step by step, how long it takes, roughly what it costs, and answers to common questions, with a clear button to get in touch.
4. Contact page
- Phone number, email, and WhatsApp if you use it.
- Your address and a map if customers visit you, plus parking and access information.
- Opening hours.
- A short contact form. Name, contact details and a message are usually enough.
- What happens next, and how quickly you’ll reply.
5. Legal pages
A privacy notice and a cookie policy are needed on almost every business website. Terms and conditions are needed if you sell online or take bookings. More on the legal details below.
Pages that win customers’ trust
- Reviews or testimonials. Real ones, with names where people agree. Linking to your Google reviews makes them easier to believe.
- Case studies or a gallery. Before-and-after photos, finished projects, or short stories of how you helped someone.
- Prices. Even “from” prices help. Customers compare costs before they get in touch, and hiding prices can cost you enquiries.
- FAQs. Collect the questions you get asked on the phone and answer them properly. These also tend to help in Google.
- Team page. For clinics, salons and practices especially, people want to see who they’ll see.
Pages that help you get found on Google
- Area pages if you serve several towns, each with genuinely local content, not the same text with the town name swapped.
- A blog or guides section answering the questions your customers search for. It isn’t essential for every business, but it’s one of the best ways to be found for more than your business name.
We cover this in more detail in our guide to local SEO for small businesses.
What UK businesses must show on their website
This isn’t legal advice, and the rules change, so check the current position on GOV.UK or with your accountant. But these are the main points most UK business websites need to cover.
- Company details. Under the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015, a limited company must show on its website its registered name, company number, registered office address and the part of the UK where it’s registered (for example, “Registered in England and Wales”). Most businesses put these in the footer.
- Contact and VAT details. The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 also expect business websites to give a geographic address, an email address and, if you’re VAT-registered, your VAT number.
- A privacy notice explaining what personal data you collect, for example through your contact form, and what you do with it.
- Cookie consent. Non-essential cookies, such as advertising cookies, need visitors’ consent before they’re set. Changes made by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 mean some simple analytics cookies may not need consent, but only under strict conditions, including telling visitors about them and letting them opt out. Check the ICO’s current guidance before you drop your cookie banner.
- Sector rules. Some professions have their own requirements. Dental practices, for example, must follow the GDC’s advertising guidance, which we explain on our page about websites for dental clinics.
How many pages does a small business website need?
There’s no magic number, but here are three realistic examples.
| Business | Typical pages | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader or consultant | Home, about, 3–5 services, reviews, FAQs, contact, privacy, cookies | 10–13 pages |
| Therapist or counselling practice | Home, about, types of therapy, therapists, fees, room hire, FAQs, contact, legal | 15–30 pages |
| Dental clinic | Home, about, team, one page per treatment, fees, smile gallery, reviews, emergency, contact, legal | 25–50 pages |
Our packages are built around these sizes: up to 15, 30 or 60 pages. We also build websites for therapists and counselling practices, which tend to need more pages than people expect.
Small business website checklist
Go through this before your website goes live.
Content
- The home page says what you do, for whom and where, in the first screen
- Each main service has its own page
- Prices or “from” prices are shown where possible
- Real photos of you, your team or your work
- Reviews or testimonials
- Answers to the questions customers ask most
- No spelling mistakes, and British English throughout
Contact and conversion
- A clear call to action on every page
- Phone number, email and WhatsApp easy to tap on a phone
- Contact form tested, with messages arriving in your inbox
- Address, map and opening hours if customers visit you
Technical and SEO
- Every page has its own title and meta description
- One H1 heading per page, containing what the page is about
- Pages load quickly on a phone
- SSL certificate (the padlock) working
- Google Analytics and Search Console connected
- Sitemap submitted to Google
- Old pages redirected, if you’re replacing a site
Legal and trust
- Company details in the footer if you’re a limited company, plus your VAT number if you’re registered
- Privacy notice and cookie policy
- Cookie consent banner working
- Any industry-specific rules followed
Frequently asked questions
Does every business need a blog?
No, but most service businesses benefit from one. A handful of useful guides that answer real customer questions can bring in visitors who would never search for your business name. That’s why we include 10 blog posts with every website we build.
Should every service have its own page?
Yes, if it’s a service people search for on its own. It helps customers find what they need and helps Google match your page to their search.
What should be in the main menu?
Keep it short: usually Services, About, Prices or Reviews, and Contact, with a clear button for your main call to action. Five to seven items is plenty.
Do I need a privacy policy if I only have a contact form?
Generally yes. A contact form collects personal data, so visitors should be able to see how you’ll use it.
Not sure what kind of site you need yet? Start with what type of website your business needs, or read how long it takes to build a website.