I get this question a lot, and I mean a lot.
A business owner sits down with me for a consultation, pulls out a handwritten list, and starts rattling off pages they want on their new website. A home page. An about page. A services page. A page for each individual service. A team page. A gallery. A testimonials page. A FAQ page. A blog. A contact page. Maybe a resources page. Oh, and a page for the awards they won in 2019.
By the time they’re done, we’re looking at somewhere between 12 and 15 pages.
And I have to gently pump the brakes, because more is not always better.
Here’s the truth that most people don’t hear until they’re knee-deep in a website project: a small business website with 5 to 6 well-crafted pages will almost always outperform a bloated 12-page site. For your visitors and for Google.
Let me explain why.
Think about the last time you visited a website and felt completely lost; you clicked around, couldn’t find what you needed, and eventually just gave up. That’s what happens when a website has so many pages.
When visitors land on your site, they’re usually looking for one of a few things: what you do, whether you’re trustworthy, how to reach you, and roughly what it’s going to cost them. That’s it. They don’t need a full tour of your business history or a dedicated page for every single service you’ve ever offered.
Every extra page is another decision your visitor has to make; another click, another moment where they might get distracted, confused, or just bounce off your site entirely.
There’s a well-known principle in psychology called Hick’s Law, and it states that the more choices you give someone, the longer it takes them to decide. On a website, more pages mean more choices, more navigation options, and more opportunities to lose the very person you’re trying to convert into a customer.
Beyond that, a website with too many thin, underdeveloped pages can actually hurt your SEO; Google would rather see fewer pages packed with quality content than a dozen pages with a paragraph each.
So What’s the Sweet Spot?
For most small businesses, whether you’re a contractor, a salon, a local service company, a restaurant, or a consultancy, 5 to 6 pages is the sweet spot. It gives you everything you need to tell your story, build trust, and convert visitors into leads. Nothing more, nothing less.
Here’s what those pages should look like.
Page 1: Home
Your home page is your first impression, and you’ve got about three seconds to make it count before a visitor decides whether to stay or leave.
A great home page answers three questions immediately: Who are you? What do you do? And who do you do it for?
It doesn’t need to tell your entire story; think of it as a highlight reel. A strong headline, a clear description of your services, a few trust signals like reviews or logos of past clients, and a bold call to action such as, “Call us today,” “Get a free estimate,” “Book an appointment.” That’s what your home page needs to do.
Keep it clean. Keep it focused. And make sure there’s a clear next step for the visitor to take.
Page 2: About
People do business with people they like and trust, and your About page is where that trust gets built.
This is your chance to tell your story, the backstory of your business. How did you get started? What drives you? Why should someone choose you over the competitor down the street?
If you’re a small business with a face behind it (and most of you are), put yourself on this page. A genuine photo of you, not a stock image, goes a long way. People want to know who they’re calling before they pick up the phone.
Your About page can also include your mission, your values, how long you’ve been in business, and any credentials or certifications that matter to your customers.
Page 3: Services
Here’s where a lot of business owners go overboard; they want a separate page for every single service they offer: a page for carpet cleaning, a page for upholstery cleaning, a page for tile cleaning, and so on.
For most small businesses, one solid Services page is all you need. List your services clearly, give each one a short description that explains what it is and why someone would need it, and let your visitors get the full picture in one place.
Now, there are exceptions. If you’re in a highly competitive industry and SEO is a top priority, individual service pages can help you rank for specific keywords. If that’s the case, we can talk about that strategy. But as a starting point, especially for a new website or a simple refresh, one well-organized Services page does the job beautifully.
Page 4: Gallery or Portfolio
This one depends on your industry, but for most business such as: home services, design-based businesses, salons, restaurants, and anyone whose work is visual, a Gallery or Portfolio page is essential.
People want to see what they’re going to get before they commit. A before-and-after gallery for a contractor. A portfolio of completed projects for a designer. Photos of finished meals for a catering company.
This page doesn’t need to be complicated, it just has to be clean, organized, and updated regularly with your best work. Quality over quantity here. Twenty great photos beat a hundred mediocre ones every single time.
If your business isn’t visual, say you’re an accountant or an insurance agency, skip this page and use that slot for something more relevant to your audience.
Page 5: Testimonials or Reviews
Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing that exists, and a Testimonials page takes that word of mouth and puts it right on your website.
If you’ve got strong Google reviews, pull some of your favorites and showcase them here. Add a photo of the customer if you can get permission, it makes the review feel real and credible rather than something that was made up. Video testimonials, if you have them, are even better.
Some business owners choose to weave their testimonials throughout the site instead of giving them their own page, and that works too. The important thing is that social proof is visible and easy to find. Customers always look for it, so ensure to give it to them.
Page 6: Contact
Your Contact page needs to do one thing well, which is to make it effortless for someone to reach you.
Include your phone number, your email address, your physical address if you have a location people visit, your business hours, and a simple contact form. If you’re in a service area rather than a fixed location, list the areas you serve.
Don’t overcomplicate this page. The goal is zero friction. The easier it is to contact you, the more people will.
A map embed showing your location is a nice touch, it adds legitimacy and helps people who prefer to visualize where they’re going before they show up.
What About a Blog?
A blog is a great addition to any small business website, and I do recommend it for businesses that are serious about SEO and want to build authority in their space over time. But it’s not a page in the traditional sense; it’s more of an ongoing section that grows over time. So, yes, a blog is a must-have and you must commit to grow it consistently.
The Bigger Lesson Here
There’s a temptation in web design, both for business owners and sometimes even designers, to equate size with value. More pages, more content, more everything must mean a better website, right? It doesn’t work that way.
The best websites are the ones who know exactly who they’re talking to, they make it easy to understand what’s being offered, and they guide the visitor toward taking action which could be calling, booking, submitting a form, or walking through the door.
A focused, well-built 5-page website will convert more visitors into customers than a sprawling 15-page website that leaves people wandering around looking for an exit.
So the next time you sit down to plan your website and start adding pages to the list, ask yourself one simple question: Does this page help my customer take the next step, or does it just add confusion?
Ready to Build Something That Works?
If you’re thinking about a new website or a refresh of an existing one, let’s talk. We’ll help you figure out exactly what your site needs, and what it doesn’t.
Schedule your free consultation today and let’s build something that converts for you