You are about to have a website built, and a list lands in front of you: home, about, services, blog, gallery, testimonials, FAQ, contact. One person says "have all of them." Another says "three pages is plenty." Who is right? And which pages are worth your money and time?
You know this from your own trade: a shop has no useless shelves, but it cannot run without a till. In this post I answer the question of which pages should a business website have, based on what your customer needs. I start with the essentials and then cover what can be added later.
Start with your customer's questions, not the page count
A page is the answer to a question. Someone who lands on your site is wondering:
- What does this business do?
- Is it right for my situation?
- Where is it, and how do I reach them?
- Can I trust them?
If a page does not answer one of these questions, it does not belong on the site, or it can wait. Do not add pages for decoration. Four well-made pages beat forty rushed ones.
The pages every business needs
Whatever your trade, a site feels incomplete without these:
| Page | Why it is essential |
|---|---|
| Home page | The first stop; says briefly what you do and where you are |
| Service pages | The answer to what the customer searched for; it is also how Google gets to know you |
| About | Builds trust for people who want to know who they will be dealing with |
| Contact | Address, phone, map, opening hours |
| Privacy page | Expected, and often legally required, if you collect data through forms or cookies |
I cover the about and contact pages in separate posts; what matters here is that both exist and are one click away. Keep the menu simple as well: a menu with no more than six or seven items stops people getting lost. Use the words your customers use. "Services" is clearer than "Our Solutions," and "Contact" is clearer than "Get in Touch With Us."
One page for each service
This is the mistake businesses make most often: listing every service on one "Our Services" page. Think of a dentist. Implants, fillings, braces and whitening all get one line on the same page. Yet a patient looking for implants wants to land on a page that is all about implants.
A separate page per service has two benefits:
- The customer finds what they came for. The page covers one topic, so there is room for details such as how the process works and who it suits.
- Google understands you. When people search for "implants," Google needs a page it can show. A service squeezed into a single page usually stays invisible. Ask whoever builds your site which page each of your services will get; seeing the answer as a list makes gaps obvious from day one.
What should a service page contain? A short introduction, what the service is, who it is for, how the process works, and a clear invitation to get in touch. Write it in everyday language. With three or five services, each deserves its own page.
Pages that can be added later
If budget or time is tight, you do not have to launch with the following. They can be added once the site is live.
FAQ
This is useful if customers keep asking you the same questions on the phone: how to book, how to pay, what the cancellation terms are. The questions must be real; do not invent them. If you only have a few, put them at the bottom of the relevant service page first.
Testimonials and reviews
They are very valuable for trust, but an empty page is worse than no page. A few sentences from real customers, collected with their permission, are enough. If you have none, leave the page out. Invented reviews are dishonest and easy to spot.
Blog
A blog answers your customers' questions in writing. It helps, but if you cannot write regularly, a blog whose last post is two years old looks worse than no blog at all. Finish the basic pages first.
Gallery and before-and-after examples
For visual trades it is essential: a beauty salon, a furniture workshop, a painter. Real photos you took yourself build more trust than stock images, and they can sit inside the service pages.
Why the privacy page matters
If your site has a contact form, a booking form or analytics that use cookies, you are collecting visitors' data. Legal obligations around personal data then apply, and they differ from country to country. I recommend asking a lawyer, not the person building your site, what the text must say. I prepare the place for the page, and you settle the wording with your legal adviser.
A quick guide by type of business
- Sole tradespeople (plumber, locksmith, painter): Home, service pages, contact. A short about section is fine.
- Dentists, clinics, law firms: All of the above. The about page matters a great deal because people want to know who the team is. An FAQ can come later.
- Hotels and guesthouses: A page for each room, a gallery, location and directions, contact.
- Consultancies and B2B companies: Service pages, how you work, references and case examples.
Pick the closest match, then add or remove a page or two. If you are unsure about a page, ask yourself: has a customer asked me about this in the last three months? If so, it should have a page. If not, it can wait.
Frequently asked questions
Is a one-page website enough?
For a very small business it can be enough at the start. If you offer several services, though, a separate page for each is better for both customers and Google.
How many pages should my site have?
There is no fixed number. A home page, contact, about and one page per service is a solid start for most businesses. The rest can grow over time.
Is a blog compulsory?
No. It helps if you can write regularly. If you cannot, it is wiser to concentrate on the basic pages.
Is it a problem to add pages later?
No. A well-built site is ready for new pages, so you do not have to do everything on day one.
Conclusion
A page plan is the skeleton of your site. Write down your customers' questions first, then give each question a page. Starting with the essentials and adding the rest over time eases both your budget and your workload. If you would like to work out your site's page plan together, you can reach me through my website design page.