It's one of the first questions every business owner asks a web designer, and the answer they usually get — "it depends" — isn't helpful. So here's a straight one.
Most small businesses should launch with 5 to 10 pages, then add more only when there's a real reason to. Bigger isn't better. A tight 6-page site that's fully written and up to date beats a 25-page site that's half-finished and confusing — for visitors and for Google.
The Core 5: Every Business Website Needs These
1. Home
The one page most visitors see. It has to answer, above the fold: what you do, who for, where, why you, and what to do next. Everything else on the site supports this page.
2. About
Who's behind the business, how long you've been going, your credentials, and a photo of a real person or premises. This page does more trust-building work than owners expect — it's often the second-most-visited page.
3. Services (or Products)
What you offer, what's included, and a price or price range. For a business with 2–3 services this can be one page; more than that and each service usually earns its own page (see below).
4. Contact
Clickable phone number, a short form, your email, service area or address, an embedded map, and your hours. Keep the form to 3–4 fields.
5. Privacy Policy
Not optional. If you have a contact form or run any analytics or ads, you're collecting data and you need this page — it's also required by Google if you ever advertise.
The Next 5: Add These as You Grow
Individual service pages
The single biggest SEO win for most local businesses. One page per service ("Boiler Repair", "Bathroom Installation") lets each rank for its own searches, instead of one thin page trying to rank for everything.
Testimonials / Reviews
Worth a dedicated page once you have 8+ strong reviews — but keep your best 3 on the homepage regardless. Embedding live Google reviews here is ideal.
Pricing
If your pricing is packageable (plans, tiers, starting-from figures), a pricing page qualifies leads before they call and saves you time on the phone.
Service-area / location pages
If you serve multiple towns or have multiple branches, one genuinely unique page per location. Not the same paragraph with the place name swapped — Google spots that.
Blog / Guides
Only if you'll actually keep it up. A blog with 6 useful, evergreen articles that answer customer questions is an asset. A blog with one post from 2023 is a liability — it signals a dormant business.
Terms & Conditions
Needed once you sell online, take deposits, or have service agreements. A simple terms page protects you and sets expectations.
Pages That Usually Just Create Work
A separate "Gallery" page with no context
Photos work harder on your service and about pages, next to the words they illustrate. A wall of uncaptioned images on its own page rarely earns its place.
"News" or "Updates" you won't maintain
An empty or stale news page actively hurts trust. If you have news, post it on your Google Business Profile instead — it's less pressure and better for local SEO.
A "Team" page for a one- or two-person business
Fold it into your About page. A team page with one bio looks thinner than no team page at all.
An FAQ page that duplicates your service pages
FAQs are powerful — but they work best within the relevant service page, where the question is actually being asked, and where they can earn rich results in Google.
A Simple Rule for Deciding
Before adding any page, ask two questions:
- Does it answer a question a real customer has? If not, it's for you, not them.
- Will it still be accurate in six months without me touching it? If not, it'll become a stale page that costs you trust.
If a page passes both, add it. If it only passes one, it probably belongs as a section of an existing page.
Example Structures
| Business | Pages | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile hairdresser | 5 | Home · About · Services & Prices · Contact · Privacy |
| Plumber, one town | 8 | Home · About · 3 service pages · Reviews · Contact · Privacy |
| Dental practice | 12 | Home · About · 5 treatment pages · Pricing · New Patients · Reviews · Contact · Privacy |
| Contractor, 3 towns | 14 | Home · About · 4 service pages · 3 location pages · Gallery-in-context · Reviews · Contact · Privacy · Terms |
Start Lean, Grow With Purpose
Every website we build at LocalPageHQ starts with a tight core and room to grow — well-written service pages, real proof, and a structure Google can read. We add pages when your business gives us a reason to, not to pad a page count.
We'll build a free preview of your site using your real business details, so you can see the structure before you commit.
Request your free mockup here →
