What pages does a small business website actually need (and what most people forget)

The short version: Every small business website needs a Home page, Services page, About page and Contact page. The page most people forget is Proof (case studies, results or testimonials). Add a blog later if you want long-term Google traffic.

Most small business websites don’t fail because they’re ugly.

They fail because they’re unclear.

Somebody lands on the homepage, scrolls a bit, clicks once or twice, and still can’t answer the basic questions: what do you do, who’s it for, what does it cost (roughly), and how do I get in touch?

So let’s keep this simple. If you’re building a new site, or you’re staring at your current one thinking “it’s fine, but it’s not doing anything”, these are the pages that genuinely matter. And the one most people forget is the one that often tips a visitor into becoming an enquiry.

A quick answer if you’re in a hurry

If you only build four pages, build these:

• Home

• Services (or What We Do)

• About

• Contact

If you want the site to convert better, add this next:

• Proof (Case Studies, Portfolio, Results, Testimonials, or “Our Work”)

And if you want it to keep working for you in Google over time:

• Helpful content (Blog / Guides / Resources)

That’s the core of it. Everything else is optional, depending on your business.

How Old Bear Studios can help you

If your website feels messy, unclear, or it just isn’t bringing enquiries in, we can fix that.

• We’ll help you nail the pages you actually need (and cut the ones you don’t).
• We’ll tighten your messaging so visitors quickly understand what you do and what to do next.
• We’ll add proper proof (case studies, testimonials, examples) so people trust you faster.
• We’ll build or refresh it all in Squarespace, so you can edit it yourself afterwards.

Get in touch No hard sell. Just a quick chat to see what’s sensible.

Page 1: Home

Your homepage isn’t the place for your life story, and it’s not a brochure either.

It’s a signpost. Its job is to help the right people say “yes, this is for me” in about ten seconds, then guide them to the next step.

What a strong homepage usually includes:

• A clear headline that says what you do and who it’s for

• A short line underneath that makes it feel human (not marketing fluff)

• A simple “here’s how we help” section

• A bit of proof (logos, testimonials, a case study snippet, before/after)

• One obvious call to action (enquire, book a call, request a quote)

Common homepage mistakes I see all the time:

• A big, vague headline like “Welcome” or “Helping you thrive online”

• A slideshow (people rarely watch it, it often slows the page down)

• No clear next step

• Trying to speak to everyone, so it speaks to nobody

If your homepage does one thing well, make it this: it should push people to your Services page or your Proof page.

Page 2: Services (or What We Do)

This is the money page. Not in a pushy way. More in a “this is where people decide if you’re a fit” way.

A good Services page answers:

• What you offer

• Who it’s for

• What the process looks like

• Rough pricing or starting points (optional, but powerful)

• What happens next if they want to work with you

Even if you offer something that feels obvious to you, spell it out. People are tired. They’re busy. They might be comparing you with three others in different browser tabs.

If you offer multiple services, give each one its own section with a clear description, then link to deeper pages if needed. You don’t always need separate pages, but you do need clarity.

For Old Bear Studio specifically, this is where “Squarespace website design & build”, “Refresh & tidy-up”, “Shop setup”, and “Help & support” can live confidently, with a simple process underneath.

A small note on pricing: you don’t have to put exact figures if your projects vary, but you should give people some kind of range or “starting from”. If you don’t, they often assume it’s either wildly expensive or suspiciously cheap. Neither helps.

Page 3: About

The About page is not about you. Not really.

It’s about trust.

People go to your About page to answer a slightly emotional question: “Are these people legit, and do I like the vibe enough to work with them?”

What your About page should include:

• A short story of who you are and why you do this

• The values or approach behind your work (keep it practical)

• A clear “who we work best with” statement

• A photo of you (yes, really)

• Proof, ideally woven in naturally

You don’t need to overshare. You just need to feel real. A small studio with a human behind it is often a competitive advantage.

Also, if you’re local or you serve a specific region, mention it here. Not in an SEO spam way. Just like a normal person would say it.

Page 4: Contact

The Contact page is where good leads can be lost, which is annoying because it’s usually an easy fix.

A solid Contact page includes:

• A simple form (name, email, what they need, budget range if relevant)

• Clear expectations (reply times, what happens next)

• Alternative contact options (email address, maybe phone if you want it)

• A little reassurance (“No hard sell, just a quick chat to see if we’re a fit”)

If you get a lot of vague enquiries, adding two or three structured questions helps massively. For example:

• What are you hoping the new site will achieve?

• Do you already have a Squarespace site?

• Do you have a deadline in mind?

And if you want better leads, consider offering a “book a call” option rather than only a form. People who book tend to be more serious.

The page most people forget: Proof

This is the one.

Most small business websites are missing a proper proof page. They might have a couple of testimonials scattered around, or a little gallery, but they don’t have a page that does the job properly.

A Proof page can be called:

• Case Studies

• Our Work

• Portfolio

• Results

• Happy Clients

• Before and After

Call it whatever suits your business. The point is that it shows someone the outcome they’re paying for.

What a good proof page includes:

• 3 to 6 strong examples (better to have fewer, better ones)

• A short story for each example:

  • What the problem was

  • What you did

  • What changed

• A screenshot or visual

• A quote from the client if you have one

• A link to the live site or a deeper case study page (optional)

If you’re a service business (designer, builder, therapist, accountant, trades), proof matters because your service is intangible. People can’t hold it. They want reassurance.

For a web design studio, proof is especially important because anyone can say “we build beautiful websites”. Showing it is the difference.

Optional pages that are often worth it

Not every business needs these, but they’re common conversion boosters.

FAQ

If you find yourself answering the same questions again and again, put them on a FAQ page.

It saves time, it builds trust, and it can help you show up in Google for very specific queries.

Keep answers short. No essay writing. People skim.

Pricing (or “Investment”)

Pricing pages can work brilliantly, even if you don’t list exact numbers.

A pricing page can include:

• Typical project ranges

• What affects cost

• Example packages

• What’s included and what isn’t

• Payment structure (deposit, milestones, monthly support)

It filters out the wrong leads and builds confidence for the right ones.

Locations / Areas served

If you’re a local business, a simple “Areas we serve” section can help. Sometimes separate pages help too, but only if you can write them properly and keep them useful.

A location page should not be a list of towns. It should be genuinely helpful. Otherwise it just looks spammy, and nobody likes it.

Legal pages (yes, boring, but necessary)

At minimum:

• Privacy Policy

• Cookie Policy (especially if you run analytics or tracking)

• Terms (optional, but often sensible)

This isn’t exciting content, but it’s part of looking professional.

What about a blog?

A blog is not required for every business.

But if you want to bring in consistent traffic from Google over time, blogging is one of the best long-term plays you can make. The key is writing posts that match what people are actually searching for, not just company updates.

For a web design studio, blogs that tend to perform well are:

• Pricing and cost guides

• Platform comparisons (Squarespace vs WordPress etc.)

• Checklists (refresh checklist, launch checklist, SEO basics)

• “What to include on a…” type guides

• Common mistakes posts (done in a helpful way, not a rant)

The blog becomes your quiet salesperson. It does the explaining while you get on with work.

A simple sitemap you can copy

If you’re building a small business site and you want a clean, sensible structure, this usually works:

• Home

• Services

  • Service 1 (optional)

  • Service 2 (optional)

  • Service 3 (optional)

• Our Work / Case Studies

  • Case Study 1 (optional)

  • Case Study 2 (optional)

• About

• Blog / Guides (optional)

• Contact

• Privacy Policy

• Cookie Policy

That’s it. Simple. No clutter. It’s surprising how far that takes you.

A quick test: can a stranger answer these five questions?

If a stranger lands on your website, can they quickly answer:

• What do you do?

• Who is it for?

• Why should they trust you?

• What’s the next step?

• How do they contact you?

If the answer is “sort of” to any of those, it’s not a disaster. It just means the site needs tightening.

And that’s usually not a full rebuild, by the way. Quite often it’s a refresh, better structure, and better copy.

FAQ

• Do I need a homepage if I’m driving people straight to a landing page?

  Yes, most of the time. People still click around to sanity-check you. A homepage helps them trust you.

• Should I split every service into its own page?

  Only if it helps clarity and SEO. If you have a few services with distinct audiences or keywords, separate pages can help. If not, a strong single Services page is often enough.

• What if I don’t have testimonials yet?

  Use other proof. Screenshots, examples of work, a clear process, your background, even “what a project typically looks like” helps.

• Is a portfolio the same as a case study page?

  Not quite. A portfolio shows work. A case study explains the outcome. Case studies convert better because they tell the story.

• Do I need a blog from day one?

  No. Build the core pages first. Blog when the site is clear and you’re ready to be consistent.

• What’s the biggest mistake you see on small business websites?

  They hide the point. The visitor ends up doing detective work to figure out what’s on offer.

If you want help with this

If your site feels nearly there but isn’t generating enquiries, it’s usually one of two things: the structure isn’t clear, or the proof isn’t strong enough.

If you want a second pair of eyes, drop us a message and tell us what the website is meant to do. We can help.