Skip to content

Checklist · Small business websites · United States

The small business website checklist for US businesses.

Everything a small business website needs before launch: the pages, the details visitors look for, the technical basics, and the US rules on privacy, email and accessibility. Use it to plan a new site or audit the one you have.

Start the checklistUS rules

Written by Rifat Hasan Rafi, founder of SIX9 Design · Last reviewed 25 September 2026

Step 1 · Pages

The pages every small business site needs

Each page answers a question a customer would otherwise have to ask you. Start here before thinking about colors and fonts.

  1. Home
    What you do, who it is for and where you work — in the first screen — followed by your main services, proof and one clear next step.
  2. Services
    One section per service on a small site, or one page each once a service has enough to say. Starting prices, where you can give them, save everyone time.
  3. About
    Who is behind the business, your experience, and any state license numbers your trade requires. People buy from people.
  4. Proof
    Real reviews, project photos and short case studies, used with permission. Link to your reviews on Google so visitors can check them.
  5. Contact
    Phone, email, a short form, your service area and hours. Add an address and map only if customers visit you.
  6. FAQ
    The questions people ask before they call: price ranges, timing, areas, what happens first. Short, direct answers.
  7. Privacy policy
    What you collect through forms, analytics and cookies, why, and who can see it. See the rules below.
  8. Terms or refund policy
    Needed if you take bookings, deposits or payments online.

Step 2 · Every page

What to put on every page

Visitors land on inside pages from search as often as on the home page, so each page has to stand on its own.

  • One clear headline that says what the page is about
  • A tap-to-call phone number and a visible inquiry button
  • A unique page title and meta description
  • Your service area or location written in the text
  • Text large enough to read on a phone, with strong contrast
  • Real photos where possible, compressed, with descriptive alt text
  • Links to the next logical page, not dead ends
  • Fast loading on mobile — aim for the main content in under 2.5 seconds

Step 3 · Trust

The trust signals customers look for

Before they call, most people check whether you are real, local enough and good at what you do.

  1. Genuine reviews
    Show real reviews and link to where they were left. Never write, buy or filter reviews — see the rules below.
  2. Licenses, registrations and insurance
    Show any state license numbers your trade requires, plus memberships or insurance that matter in your industry.
  3. Real people and real work
    Photos of your team, premises and finished jobs beat stock images every time.
  4. A response promise you keep
    “We reply within one business day” — and then do.
Illustrative small business website showing a clear headline, services and a location badge
Illustrative design, not client work.

Step 4 · Technical

Technical checks before launch

Most of these take minutes, and each one prevents a problem that is hard to spot later.

  • HTTPS works on every page, with no security warnings
  • Forms deliver to the right inbox, including the confirmation email
  • The XML sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
  • Nothing is accidentally blocked from search engines after launch
  • Analytics records visits and inquiries
  • Your Google Business Profile, Bing Places and Apple Business Connect listings use the same name and phone number as the site
  • Missing pages show a helpful 404 page
  • The domain is registered in your name, with auto-renew on
  • A favicon and a social sharing image are set
  • Backups are running, and you know who can restore them

Step 5 · Rules in the US

The US rules your website should respect

General information, not legal advice. Check the official sources below, and speak to a lawyer about your business.

  1. Accessibility
    The Department of Justice’s guidance says the ADA applies to the websites of businesses open to the public. WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA is the usual technical benchmark, and accessibility claims against small business websites are common (ADA.gov).
  2. A posted privacy policy
    California’s Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) requires a commercial website that collects personally identifiable information from California residents to post a privacy policy — which in practice covers most business sites with a contact form (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 22575).
  3. State privacy laws
    The CCPA applies to for-profit businesses with annual gross revenue above US$26,625,000, or that buy, sell or share the personal information of 100,000 or more California consumers or households, or earn half their revenue from selling or sharing it. Several other states have similar laws with their own thresholds (California Attorney General).
  4. Email marketing
    CAN-SPAM requires accurate sender details and subject lines, a valid physical postal address, and a clear way to opt out that you honour within 10 business days (FTC).
  5. Reviews and testimonials
    The FTC’s rule on consumer reviews and testimonials prohibits fake reviews, buying positive or negative reviews, and certain ways of suppressing negative ones (FTC).

Sources

  1. ADA.gov — guidance on web accessibility and the ADA · checked 25 September 2026
  2. California Business and Professions Code § 22575 (CalOPPA) · checked 25 September 2026
  3. California Attorney General — CCPA · checked 25 September 2026
  4. FTC — CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide · checked 25 September 2026
  5. FTC — consumer reviews and testimonials rule: questions and answers · checked 25 September 2026

If you want it built for you

Rather have it built for you?

SIX9 websites are planned around this checklist: the core pages, the on-page basics and the launch checks. Business listings, backups beyond your host’s, and legal wording such as your privacy policy are yours to set up or supply — we tell you what is needed, but we are designers, not lawyers.

Launch

US$169once

Home, services and contact — the essentials.

  • Up to 3 pages
  • Custom responsive design for mobile, tablet and desktop
  • Contact form and supplied content added
  • Page titles, descriptions and launch checks
  • 1 consolidated revision round and launch assistance

The price covers the features listed. Anything extra is quoted separately before work starts.

Choose Launch

Growth

US$299once

Room for proof, FAQs and individual service pages.

  • Up to 5 pages
  • Custom responsive design for mobile, tablet and desktop
  • Contact form and supplied content added
  • On-page SEO, sitemap and performance checks
  • 2 consolidated revision rounds and launch assistance

The price covers the features listed. Anything extra is quoted separately before work starts.

Choose Growth

Advanced

US$449once

A larger site with an editable collection and inquiry routing.

  • Up to 8 pages
  • Custom responsive design for mobile, tablet and desktop
  • Contact form and supplied content added
  • On-page SEO, sitemap and performance checks
  • 3 consolidated revision rounds and launch assistance

The price covers the features listed. Anything extra is quoted separately before work starts.

Choose Advanced
Prices in USD. Domain and hosting are paid to the providers you choose. See industry websites and what a website costs.

What pages should a small business website have?

At minimum: a home page that says what you do, for whom and where; a services page (or one page per main service); an about page; a page of proof such as reviews or projects; and a contact page. Add a FAQ page and a privacy policy if you collect personal information through forms or analytics.

How many pages does a small business website need?

Most service businesses launch well with three to eight pages. Start with the pages customers need to decide and contact you, and add individual service or location pages only when each has something genuinely different to say.

Do I need a privacy policy?

In practice, usually yes. California’s CalOPPA requires a posted privacy policy on commercial websites that collect personally identifiable information from California residents, which includes most sites with a contact form.

Which accessibility standard should I aim for?

WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the widely used benchmark. Test with a keyboard and a screen reader, fix what you find, and avoid overlay widgets that promise instant compliance.

What should I check before launch?

HTTPS works, the site is usable on a phone, forms deliver to the right inbox, every page has a unique title and description, the sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, analytics records visits, and the domain is registered in your name with auto-renew on.

How much does a small business website cost with SIX9?

US$169, US$299 or US$449 once for up to 3, 5 or 8 custom pages. Domain and hosting are paid separately to the providers you choose. Most standard websites are ready within 5–7 business days after we receive your content, images, access and project details. Your turnaround starts once we’ve got everything needed to get cracking.

Keep exploring

Related pages

Website cost guideBuild, content and running costsHow to choose a web design agencyQuestions to ask before you hire anyoneRedesign or rebuild?What your current site needsPay monthly or pay once?What each model costs over three yearsWeb design for US businessesPackages, process and delivery
Found something out of date? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it.
Get started

A website that ticks
every box at launch.

Send your brief. We confirm the pages, scope and total in writing before any work starts.

Start your brief