A blank website is intimidating. You know you need a homepage, an about page and a way for people to get in touch — but what actually goes on each of those pages? Get it right and your site quietly turns visitors into enquiries. Get it wrong and even a beautifully designed website sits there doing nothing.
This is a page-by-page guide to what a small business website should contain — what each core page is for, what to write on it, and the job it needs to do. It’s written for business owners, not developers, so there’s no jargon — just what works.
Every small business website needs these core pages
You don’t need dozens of pages to start. Most small business websites work best with a focused handful: a homepage, an about page, a services or products page, and a contact page. Some businesses add a portfolio, testimonials, pricing or a blog — but those four are the foundation. The mistake isn’t having too few pages; it’s filling the ones you have with the wrong things.
Your homepage: clarity in the first five seconds
Your homepage has one job above all others: within five seconds, a visitor should know what you do, who you help, and what to do next. Cleverness kills homepages — clarity wins them. Lead with a clear headline that states what you offer and the outcome you deliver, not a vague slogan.
A homepage that converts usually includes:
- A clear headline — what you do and who it’s for, in plain language.
- A short supporting line that expands on the benefit or outcome.
- An obvious primary call to action — “get a quote,” “book a call,” “shop now.”
- Trust signals near the top — reviews, a star rating, years in business, recognisable clients.
- A brief overview of your services, each linking to a fuller page.
Everything else — detail, story, proof — lives deeper in the site. The homepage points the way; it doesn’t try to say everything at once.
Your about page: build trust, not a life story
The about page is one of the most visited pages on any small business website, because people want to know who is behind the brand before they commit. It’s not really about you — it’s about reassuring the customer they’re in safe hands. The goal is an emotional connection and credibility, not a chronological history.
A strong about page answers:
- Who you help, and the problem you solve for them.
- Why you do what you do — the genuine motivation behind the business.
- What makes you different from the alternatives.
- Proof you can be trusted — experience, results, reviews, a real photo of a real person.
Write it warmly and in plain language, as though you were talking to a customer across a table. A real photograph of you or your team matters more here than anywhere else on the site.
Your services or products pages: answer the customer’s real questions
This is where a visitor decides whether you’re right for them, so vague descriptions cost you enquiries. Each service or product should have enough detail that someone can picture working with you: what it is, who it’s for, what’s included, and what happens next. Where you can, address the quiet worries — how long it takes, roughly what it costs, what the process looks like.
Structure matters as much as words. Break content into clear sections with descriptive headings, use short paragraphs, and end every service page with a call to action. If you sell online, the same principle applies to product pages — clear photos, benefits before features, and an obvious path to buy.
Your contact page: make it effortless to reach you
The contact page is where intent turns into an enquiry — or doesn’t. Keep the form short (name, email, and a message is usually enough; every extra field costs you responses), and always offer more than one way to get in touch. Some people will never fill in a form but will happily call or email.
Include a visible phone number and email address, your location or service area, and a genuine reason to expect a reply — “we respond within one business day.” A little reassurance and a trust signal near the form reduces the hesitation that stops people at the final step. If your site is getting visitors but few enquiries, the contact page is one of the first places to look — we cover this in detail in our guide on why your small business website isn’t getting enquiries.
Great content starts before you write a word
The reason so many websites read as generic is that the writing starts before the thinking does. Before you write a single page, you need clarity on who your customer is, what they worry about before they buy, how you want to be perceived, and why someone would choose you over a competitor. With that defined, the words almost write themselves — and they sound like your business rather than a template.
This is exactly the groundwork our Strategy Discovery Session is built to produce, and it’s why the content that follows converts. If you’re writing your own site, it’s also worth reading our guide on how to brief a website designer, which walks through preparing your content and messaging properly.
Not sure your content is pulling its weight?
Knowing what goes on each page is half the battle — making it genuinely convert is the other half. At Confetti Design, we help Australian small businesses turn their websites into sales tools, from strategy and messaging through to design, copywriting and build.
If you’d like a hand getting your website content right — or want it written for you — get in touch for a free strategy call. You can also read our guide on designing a landing page that converts for a deeper look at turning visitors into customers.
What should a small business website include?
At a minimum, a small business website should include a homepage, an about page, a services or products page, and a contact page — each with a clear purpose and a call to action. Beyond those, trust signals like reviews and real photos, clear contact details, and mobile-friendly design matter more than adding extra pages. The most important thing is clarity: a visitor should understand what you do, who you help and how to take the next step within seconds. It’s better to have four focused pages than a dozen vague ones.
What pages does a small business website need?
Most small business websites work best with four core pages: a homepage, an about page, a services or products page, and a contact page. Depending on your business, you might add a portfolio, testimonials, pricing, or a blog to support SEO and answer customer questions. There’s no need to launch with everything at once — a focused site that’s done well beats a sprawling one that’s half-finished. Start with the core pages and grow the site as the business grows.
What should be on a homepage?
A homepage should make it clear within about five seconds what you do, who you help, and what to do next. That means a strong headline in plain language, a short supporting line, an obvious call to action, and trust signals like reviews or years in business near the top. Below that, a brief overview of your services with links to fuller pages helps visitors go deeper. Avoid trying to say everything at once — the homepage’s job is clarity and direction, not detail.
What do you write on an About page?
An about page should build trust and connection rather than list a chronological history. Focus on who you help and the problem you solve, why you do what you do, what makes you different, and proof you can be trusted — experience, results and reviews. Write it warmly and in plain language, as though you were speaking to a customer directly. A genuine photo of you or your team matters more here than on any other page, because people want to see who is behind the business.
What are the 7 C’s of a website?
The 7 C’s are a marketing framework for effective websites: content, context, connection, community, customisation, communication and commerce. In plain terms, they mean having useful content, presenting it in a way that suits your audience, making it easy for people to connect and get in touch, building a sense of belonging, tailoring the experience where you can, communicating clearly, and making it simple to buy or enquire. It’s a useful checklist, but for most small businesses it boils down to one thing: be clear, be trustworthy, and make the next step obvious. Don’t get so caught up in frameworks that you lose the plain-language clarity that actually converts.
How much content do you need for a website?
Enough to answer your customer’s questions and no more — quality and clarity matter far more than volume. A focused small business site might have four to six pages of well-written content, while a larger or ecommerce site needs more to cover its range. The bigger issue is usually not how much content you have but how ready it is: gathering copy, photos and product details is the single most common cause of website projects stalling. If writing isn’t your strength, it’s worth having it written for you rather than letting it hold up your whole project — something we cover in our guide on how long it takes to build a website.
