February 4, 2026 · 9 min read

What Makes a Good Business Website? 9 Things That Actually Matter

Most advice about business websites is vague nonsense. "Make it user-friendly." "Ensure a great experience." "Reflect your brand." None of that helps when you're staring at a screen wondering why your site isn't getting calls.

Here are 9 specific, concrete things that separate websites that work from websites that don't.

1. Your Phone Number Is Visible Without Scrolling

This sounds basic because it is. Yet half the small business websites I review bury their phone number on a contact page that requires three clicks to find. Your phone number belongs in the header. On mobile, it should be a tap-to-call button. On desktop, it should be in the top right corner in a font size you can read.

If someone visits your website and can't figure out how to contact you within 3 seconds, you've already lost them.

2. It Loads in Under 3 Seconds

Google's data shows that 53% of mobile visitors leave a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Three seconds. Your hero image slider with 8 full-resolution photos is literally running customers off.

Test your site at PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev). If you're scoring below 80 on mobile, you're losing money every day. Common fixes: compress images, remove unnecessary plugins, ditch the slider, and choose a fast hosting provider.

3. Mobile Isn't an Afterthought

"Mobile responsive" doesn't just mean "it doesn't break on a phone." It means the mobile experience is intentional. Buttons are big enough to tap with a thumb. Text is readable without zooming. Forms are short enough to complete on a phone. Navigation doesn't require precision clicking on tiny links.

More than 60% of web traffic is mobile. If you designed your site on a desktop monitor and assumed it'd "work on mobile," go check it on your phone right now.

4. Every Page Has a Clear Next Step

Every page on your website should answer one question for the visitor: "What should I do next?" If the answer isn't obvious within 5 seconds, the page is failing.

Your homepage should drive visitors to your services or a contact form. Your service pages should drive them to request a quote or book an appointment. Your about page should drive them to learn more about your services or get in touch.

No orphan pages. No dead ends. Every page is a step in a journey toward becoming a customer.

5. You Explain What You Do in Plain English

Jargon is a conversion killer. "We leverage synergistic solutions to optimize your business outcomes" tells the visitor nothing. "We build websites for small businesses. $999. Live in a week." tells them everything.

Write your website like you're explaining your business to a friend at a barbecue. If they wouldn't understand it, your visitors won't either.

6. You Have Dedicated Pages for Each Service

A single "Services" page listing everything you do in bullet points is an SEO disaster and a conversion failure. Each service needs its own page with:

What the service includes
Who it's for
Why someone should choose you
A call-to-action specific to that service

An HVAC company with separate pages for "AC Repair," "Furnace Installation," and "Duct Cleaning" will outrank and outconvert a competitor with a single "Our Services" page every time.

7. Social Proof Is Visible and Specific

"Our customers love us" is meaningless. "Marcus from Dallas saved $3,000 on his roof and left us a 5-star review" is persuasive.

Embed Google reviews directly on your site. Display specific testimonials with names, locations, and outcomes. Show the number of customers served, years in business, or projects completed. Make it concrete.

8. Your Local SEO Basics Are Covered

If you serve a local area, your website needs:

Your city and service area mentioned naturally throughout the content
A Google Business Profile that matches your website information exactly
Schema markup (structured data) that tells Google your business name, address, phone, and services
Title tags and meta descriptions that include your location and primary service

Missing any of these means you're invisible for "[your service] near me" searches — which is probably how most of your customers try to find you.

9. It Works for the Business, Not Just for Looks

A beautiful website that doesn't generate leads is an expensive art project. The best business websites aren't always the prettiest — they're the ones that ring the phone.

Design serves conversion. Every aesthetic choice should support the goal: make it easy and appealing for visitors to become customers. Color choices that improve readability. Layouts that guide the eye toward CTAs. Typography that's professional without being distracting.