Small business website checklist

Make the first screen answer the first question

Open your homepage as someone who has never heard of the business. Write down what it offers using only the words on that screen. If you need your own knowledge to finish the sentence, rewrite the opening.

Add where you work or how to visit. Choose the main action that follows from the offer. A repair customer needs a way to request help; a diner needs a route to the menu. Use the words you would use when answering that question in person.

Help people choose the right service

Name services the way customers ask for them. Put the difference between similar options beside their names. Explain what is included before asking someone to make an inquiry.

Look at a recent customer question. Can the relevant page answer it? Add a useful photograph, a current menu or an example of finished work where it helps someone choose. Link from the overview to the next step for that particular service.

Check the details someone might act on

Read the hours and contact details aloud to the person who handles inquiries. Check the same information in your Google Business Profile. Follow each contact link rather than assuming the text and destination agree.

Use current photographs of the business. Include genuine reviews or relevant credentials where you have them. Place that evidence near the choice it supports. Leave it out if you cannot stand behind it.

Try the whole path on a phone

Start at the homepage on a phone and complete your chosen task. Check that text stays readable, buttons are easy to tap and images do not hold up the page. Repeat the route using only a keyboard on a computer. You should be able to see which link or control has focus.

Give every page a heading that explains its job. Check that its browser title describes that same page. Ask whoever builds the site to check accessibility and loading performance before launch. A clean report still needs your check that the customer can finish the task.

Decide who keeps each answer current

Make a short list of details that change, such as hours or service availability. Put a person’s name beside each one. Agree on where they send changes and how they confirm that the change is live.

Include a repeat check of the links and inquiry form. If nobody has time to handle this, arrange support before the next change is due. Keep this task-based checklist with the update notes so the next person can repeat it.