The short answer
Most need five: home, services, about, contact and a privacy policy. Add reviews, an FAQ, pricing or a blog only when each answers a real customer question.
More pages don't make a better website. A clear site with five good pages will win more customers than one with fifteen half-finished ones. The test for every page is simple: does it answer a question a customer actually asks before they buy from you? If it does, it belongs. If it doesn't, leave it out.
The five pages almost every business needs
- Home: what you do, who it's for and how to get started, all in the first screen.
- Services (or products): what you offer, what's included and what happens next.
- About: who's behind the business and why someone should trust you.
- Contact: every way to reach you, plus your hours and where you work.
- Privacy policy: what you do with the details people give you.
1. Home
Your homepage has one job: in a few seconds, tell a visitor they're in the right place and show them where to go next. It needs a plain headline about what you do, a short list of services, some proof like reviews, and one clear call to action. We go through it section by section in what to put on your homepage.
2. Services
If you offer more than one main service, give each its own page. A plumber with separate pages for boiler repair, bathroom fitting and emergency callouts can show up on Google for each of those searches. One page that lists all three in a paragraph usually shows up for none of them. Each service page should say what's included, roughly how long it takes, how pricing works and what to do next.
If your services are small or closely related, one page with a section for each is fine. Split them out later as each one grows.
3. About
People buy from people, especially from small businesses. Your about page should show who's behind the business, with a real photo, explain how you started or why you do the work, and give a few facts that build trust: years of experience, qualifications, areas you cover. Keep it about the customer as much as you: why does your background make their job go better?
4. Contact
- Your phone number and email, written as text so people can tap or copy them.
- A short contact form for people who prefer it, asking only what you need.
- Your address or the area you cover, with a map if customers visit you.
- Your opening hours and how quickly you reply.
- Links to WhatsApp or social media, if that's where customers usually message you.
5. Privacy policy
If your site has a contact form, a booking system or analytics, it collects personal information, and you need to tell people what you do with it. In the UK and EU, a privacy notice is a legal requirement under data protection law, and many US states have similar rules. Link it from the footer of every page. If your site uses cookies for advertising or tracking, you may need a cookie notice too.
Pages worth adding when they earn their place
- Reviews or testimonials: worth a page once you have plenty. Until then, put your best few on the homepage and service pages.
- FAQ: when the same questions come up again and again. Do I need a chatbot, or just a better FAQ page? explains how to write one people use.
- Pricing: if you can show prices or starting prices, a pricing page answers the question most visitors arrive with.
- Portfolio or case studies: for any business where people want to see your work first, like builders, designers and photographers.
- Booking: a page where people can choose a time without a back-and-forth by email.
- Areas covered: for local service businesses working across several towns. Only add a page per area if you have something real to say about each one.
- Blog: when you'll write regularly, answering questions your customers ask. A blog with one post from two years ago makes the whole site look abandoned.
- Terms and conditions: if you sell online or take deposits.
Pages you can skip
- A welcome or splash page before the homepage. It's one more click before anyone sees what you do.
- Separate mission, vision and values pages. A few lines on the about page is enough.
- A team page when you work alone.
- A news page you won't update.
- A page of links to other websites.
What about a one-page website?
A one-page site, where everything sits on a single scrolling page, is a fine way to start, especially if you have one main service and want enquiries quickly. The trade-off is search: one page can only show up for a handful of searches. Once you want to be found for several services or areas, separate pages do better. What's the difference between a website and a landing page? covers when one page is enough.
How the pages should link together
- Keep the main menu to five or six items. Anything else goes in the footer.
- Put contact details, the privacy policy and terms in the footer of every page.
- End every page with one next step, like "Book a call" or "Get a quote", so nobody reaches the bottom with nowhere to go.
- Link between related pages, like from a service page to its reviews and from a blog post to the service it's about.
Starter page lists for three kinds of business
A local tradesperson, like a plumber or electrician: home, one page per main service, areas covered, reviews, about, contact and privacy policy.
A consultant, coach or freelancer: home, services, about, case studies, a booking page for a first call, contact and privacy policy.
A café or restaurant: home, menu, book a table, find us (with hours and a map), about, contact and privacy policy.
Need a hand planning it?
Planning the pages is the first thing we do on every website or landing page project. On a free 15-minute call we can tell you which pages your business needs and which can wait.
