Essential pages : what your website actually needs
Spoiler: it’s probably fewer than you think. And definitely not as many as you're worried about.
One of the most common things I hear from small business owners building their first website is "should I have a page for X?" The answer is almost always: only if someone is genuinely looking for it. More pages does not mean a better website. A clear, focused five-page site will outperform a sprawling twelve-page one every single time. Here's what you actually need, and why.
The non-negotiables
Home Your home page is not the place to explain everything. It's the place to make someone feel like they've found the right person or business and want to keep reading. Clear headline, clear services, clear next step. That's it.
About People buy from people. Your about page builds trust and connection - it's often the second most visited page on a small business site. It does not need to be a CV! It needs to make someone want to work with you.
Services (or What I Do / How I Can Help) What do you offer? Who is it for? What happens next? If someone lands on this page and can't figure out how to buy or enquire within 30 seconds, you're losing them.
Contact Make it easy. A simple form, your email address, and ideally your location or general area (good for local SEO too). That's all this page needs to do.
The ones worth adding when you're ready
Blog or Resources Only worth having if you'll actually update it. A blog with three posts from 2021 does way more damage than good. But if you're committed to it, a blog is one of the best long-term SEO tools you've got.
Case Studies or Portfolio If your work is visual, or if your results are the thing that sells you, a portfolio or stories section is worth it. Show the work, tell the story, let the results speak for themselves.
FAQ Brilliant for SEO and for saving you from answering the same questions over email. Only add it if you've actually got questions that come up regularly -- don't invent them.
Testimonials page Optional - testimonials are often better scattered throughout your site (on service pages, homepage, about) than hidden on their own page. But if you've got a lot of them and want to show range, a dedicated page works.
The ones you probably don't need yet
A team page (if it's just you)
A press page (unless you're actually getting press)
A separate "Welcome" or "Start Here" page
Individual pages for every single service if they're closely related
A news page (it'll just gather dust)
Not sure how your current site stacks up? Try the free 10-minute audit and find out! If you need a little help, let me know…