The local business website checklist: 25 things to get right

Most local business websites fail in the same handful of ways: the first screen doesn't say what the business does, the phone number is hard to tap, prices are hidden, and the page is slow on a phone. This checklist collects the essentials we build into every demo in the library. Work through it in order — the earlier items matter most.

#The first screen

1. Say what you do and where, in one line. "Dog grooming in York" beats a clever slogan. Visitors decide in seconds whether they're in the right place.
2. One primary action. Book, get a price, call — pick the one that matters most and make it the biggest button.
3. A real photo or video of the business. Your own space, team or work beats stock imagery every time. If you don't have any yet, use honest, high-quality placeholders and replace them soon.
4. Contact within one tap on a phone. A sticky bar with call and message buttons is the simplest fix with the biggest effect.

#Answer the questions customers actually ask

5. Prices, or at least a starting point. A "from" price or an instant estimate answers the first question and filters out poor-fit enquiries. Our cleaning quote calculator shows one honest way to do it.
6. What's included. A short list per service prevents disputes and repeat questions.
7. How long it takes. Duration matters as much as price for appointments.
8. Where you work. List towns or postcodes covered, or show a map.
9. Opening hours. Real text, kept up to date, including holidays.
10. What happens next. After someone books or enquires, tell them exactly what to expect.

#Trust

11. Genuine credentials only. Show the memberships, insurance and qualifications you actually hold — never placeholders presented as real.
12. Real reviews, linked to their source. Embed or link to reviews customers left on independent platforms rather than pasting unverifiable quotes.
13. Faces and names. People buy from people, especially for services in their home.
14. Clear policies. Cancellations, deposits, guarantees — short and readable.

#Mobile and usability

15. Design for the phone first. Most local searches happen on mobile; check every page one-handed.
16. Tap targets at least 44 pixels. Small links next to each other cause mis-taps and frustration.
17. Forms that ask only what changes the job. Every extra field costs completions. See designing booking flows customers actually finish.
18. No PDFs for important content. Menus, price lists and timetables belong in HTML.

#Local search

19. A complete Google Business Profile. Category, hours, photos, services and website link — it often matters more than the website itself for local results.
20. Consistent name, address and phone everywhere. The same details on your site, profile and directories.
21. A page per main service. "Deep cleaning" and "end of tenancy cleaning" are different searches; give each its own page with useful detail.
22. Descriptive titles and meta descriptions. Include the service and the place, written for people rather than keywords.

#Speed, accessibility and upkeep

23. Fast on 4G. Compress images, avoid heavy scripts and test on a real phone. Slow pages lose visitors before they see anything.
24. Accessible by default. Readable contrast, visible focus states, alt text on images and labels on form fields help everyone — and search engines too.
25. Someone owns updates. Prices, hours and photos go stale. Put a quarterly reminder in the diary to check every page.

#How to use this list

Pick the three items you're furthest from and fix those first. For most local businesses, that means a clearer first screen, visible prices and a sticky mobile contact bar — small changes that make a big difference to how quickly a visitor turns into a customer.

If you want to see these ideas applied, browse the industry examples: each demo is a working page for a fictional business, built around this checklist.