What a local business website needs: the short list
Ten things a customer looks for on your site before calling. If one is missing, they’ll probably call someone else.
A good local business site doesn’t need to be big. It needs to answer, quickly, the questions people have before they decide. This is the list we use to review every site we build.
At the top, without scrolling
- What you do and where, in one clear sentence.
- A call button and a WhatsApp button that work with one tap on a phone.
- Today’s hours.
On the rest of the page
- Your services, each explained in plain words.
- Prices or ranges, when you can publish them. If not, what the first visit or consultation includes.
- Real photos of your place and your team.
- Your reviews, linked to Google so people can check them.
- Address, map and how to get there, including parking.
- Which health plans, payment methods or insurance you accept, if relevant.
- A way to get in touch without calling, for people who write at night.
What you don’t see, but counts
- It loads fast on a phone with an average signal.
- It can be read with large text and good contrast, and used without a mouse. The W3C’s WCAG guidelines are the reference.
- A title and description on every page that say what you do and where. That’s what Google shows in its results.
Quick test: open your site on your phone and count the seconds until you find your phone number and hours. If it takes more than five, there’s work to do.