10 Things Every Small Business Website Needs in 2026

So you're getting a website for your business. Awesome. But now you're staring at a blank screen (or a blank conversation with your web designer) wondering, "What am I supposed to put on this thing?"

Don't worry. We've built a lot of websites for small businesses, and we've seen what works and what doesn't. This isn't a list of fancy features you don't need. This is the practical, no-nonsense stuff that will actually help your website do its job: get found by the right people and turn them into customers.

Let's get into it.

1. A Mobile-Friendly Design (This Is Non-Negotiable)

More than half of all web traffic now comes from phones. Not laptops, not desktops. Phones. If your website doesn't look good and work smoothly on a smartphone, you're turning away more than half your potential visitors before they even read a word.

And "mobile-friendly" doesn't just mean "it sort of works on a phone if you zoom in and squint." It means the text is readable, the buttons are easy to tap, the images load properly, and the whole experience feels natural on a small screen.

Google also uses mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor. So if your site isn't optimized for phones, it's not just annoying for visitors. It's actually hurting your chances of showing up in search results.

If you're working with a web designer, this should be a given. If someone is building you a site that isn't mobile-friendly in 2026, run. Run fast.

2. Fast Loading Speed

People are impatient. We all are. If a website takes more than about three seconds to load, most people hit the back button and go somewhere else. Three seconds. That's it.

Slow websites are usually caused by oversized images, too many fancy animations, cheap hosting, or bloated code. A good web designer knows how to keep things snappy without sacrificing how the site looks.

You can test your site speed for free using Google's PageSpeed Insights tool. Just type in your web address and it'll tell you how fast (or slow) your site loads and what's causing any problems.

This matters more than most people realize. A fast site keeps visitors happy, and Google rewards fast sites with better search rankings. Win-win.

3. Clear, Easy-to-Find Contact Information

You would be shocked at how many business websites make it hard to figure out how to actually contact the business. Don't be one of those websites.

Your phone number should be visible on every single page, ideally in the header at the top. On mobile, it should be tappable so people can call you with one touch. Your email address (or a contact form) should be easy to find. If you have a physical location, your address should be there with a link to Google Maps.

And please, please have a dedicated Contact page. Put it in your main navigation menu where nobody can miss it. Include your phone number, email, address, business hours, and a simple contact form. If you have social media accounts, link those too.

The whole point of your website is to get people to reach out to you. Don't make them work for it.

4. A Google Business Profile (Connected to Your Website)

This technically isn't ON your website, but it's so important that we're including it anyway. If you haven't claimed your Google Business Profile yet, stop reading this and go do that first. Seriously. It's free, and it's one of the most powerful tools for local businesses.

Your Google Business Profile is what shows up when someone searches for your business by name, or when they search for your type of business in your area. It shows your hours, your reviews, your phone number, photos, and a link to your website.

Make sure your Google Business Profile links to your website, and make sure the information matches everywhere. Same business name, same phone number, same address. Google pays attention to consistency, and mismatched information can actually hurt your rankings.

If you're in Charleston or Cleveland (hey, that's where we are too!), having a well-set-up Google Business Profile is absolutely essential for showing up in local searches.

5. An SSL Certificate (The Little Lock Icon)

See that little padlock icon in your browser's address bar right now? That means this site has an SSL certificate, which means the connection between you and the website is encrypted and secure.

If a website doesn't have SSL, browsers like Chrome will actually show a "Not Secure" warning to visitors. Nothing makes people click away faster than seeing those words next to your business name.

Most good hosting providers include SSL for free these days. There's really no excuse not to have it. If your site is showing a "Not Secure" warning, get that fixed immediately. It's scaring away customers.

6. An About Page With Real People

People buy from people, not faceless businesses. Your About page is one of the most visited pages on your entire site, and it's your chance to make a real connection with potential customers.

Don't write a boring corporate bio. Tell your story. Why did you start this business? What do you love about what you do? What makes you different from the other options out there?

And put your face on it. Real photos of you (and your team if you have one) make a huge difference. They don't have to be fancy studio shots. A good quality photo of you smiling and looking approachable is worth more than a stock photo of a handshake any day.

At KP Technology Solutions, our About page is one of the first things we encourage clients to think about. We're Hal and Shawn, and people knowing who we are is a big part of why they trust us with their websites. The same will be true for your business.

7. Clear Service or Product Descriptions

Don't make people guess what you do. It sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many websites are vague about the services they offer.

Each service or product you offer should have its own section (or even its own page if you offer several things). Describe what it is, who it's for, and what the customer can expect. Use the kind of language your actual customers use, not industry jargon that only you and your competitors would understand.

If you're a bookkeeper, don't just say "bookkeeping services." Say "I help small business owners in Charleston keep their finances organized so they can focus on what they love instead of stressing over spreadsheets." See the difference? One is generic. The other speaks directly to someone's actual problem.

8. Calls to Action on Every Page

A "call to action" is just a fancy way of saying "tell people what to do next." Every page on your website should guide visitors toward taking some kind of action, whether that's calling you, filling out a contact form, booking an appointment, or signing up for your email list.

Don't be shy about this. You're not being pushy. You're being helpful. People WANT to know what the next step is. If they've read about your services and they're interested, make it incredibly easy for them to take that next step.

Good calls to action are specific and clear. "Call us today for a free consultation" is better than "Contact us." "Book your appointment online" is better than "Learn more." Tell people exactly what to do and make the button or link impossible to miss.

Sprinkle these throughout your site. Not just on the Contact page, but on every page. A button at the bottom of your services page. A banner in the middle of your About page. You get the idea.

9. Testimonials and Social Proof

When someone is considering hiring you, the first thing they want to know is: "Has anyone else used this business, and were they happy?"

Testimonials answer that question. If you have happy customers (and we know you do), ask them for a short quote about their experience. Put those quotes on your website. On your home page, on your services page, wherever they make sense.

Even better if you can include the person's first name, city, and photo (with their permission, of course). "This is the best bookkeeper I've ever worked with!" hits different when it comes from "Sarah M., Mount Pleasant, SC" than when it comes from "Anonymous."

Google reviews work too. If you have great Google reviews, you can embed those on your site or at least mention your rating. "Rated 4.9 stars on Google" is a powerful trust signal.

If you're just starting out and don't have testimonials yet, that's okay. Start collecting them now. Every time a customer says something nice to you, ask if you can use their words on your website. Most people are happy to help.

10. Local SEO Basics

If your business serves a specific area (and most small businesses do), your website needs to make that crystal clear to Google. This is called local SEO, and it's not as complicated as it sounds.

Here's the basic idea: mention your city and surrounding areas naturally throughout your website. Not in a spammy way, but in a way that makes sense. "We serve homeowners in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and the surrounding Lowcountry area" is a perfectly natural sentence that also tells Google exactly where you are.

Make sure your city and state are in your page titles and meta descriptions. Have your full address in your website's footer. Create content that's relevant to your local area (like blog posts about local events or area-specific tips).

These are simple things that can make a real difference in whether you show up when someone nearby searches for what you do.

Bonus: A Blog (When You're Ready)

We're listing this as a bonus because it's not strictly necessary on day one, but it's incredibly valuable when you're ready for it. A blog gives you fresh content that Google loves, it helps you rank for more search terms, and it positions you as someone who really knows your stuff.

You don't have to write a novel every week. Even one or two posts a month about topics your customers care about can make a real difference over time. And hey, you can always write about the questions your customers ask you most often. If people keep asking you the same things, those make great blog topics.

Putting It All Together

Your website doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to have a hundred pages. But it does need to cover these basics if you want it to actually bring in customers and grow your business.

If looking at this list feels overwhelming, take a breath. You don't have to figure it all out yourself. That's what we're here for. At KP Technology Solutions, we make sure every site we build checks all of these boxes because we know how important they are.

Got questions about your website or want to run through this checklist together? Drop us a line. We're always happy to help.

Now go get that website working for you.