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How to build a one-page website for a small business
The five sections that matter, in the order visitors read them — and what to do before you pick a template.
How-toH
A one-page site for a small business needs five sections in this order: what you do, who it is for, proof that you can do it, what it costs or how to find out, and how to get in touch. Write those five answers first, then pick a template that fits them. Choosing the template first is why so many small business sites look good and say nothing.
One page is enough for most local and service businesses. A visitor scrolls once, finds the answer and calls — and one page is far easier to keep accurate than eight.
The steps
- Write the five answers in plain text before touching a builder. Ten minutes here saves a weekend of redesign.
- Buy a domain that matches your business name. Use it for email as well — an address at your own domain reads as more established than a free mailbox.
- Pick a template whose structure matches your five sections, not one whose photos you like.
- Replace every piece of placeholder text. A site with “Lorem ipsum” anywhere loses trust instantly.
- Add real photos: your work, your team, your premises. Stock photography reads as generic within a second.
- Put the contact method people will actually use at the top and at the bottom — a phone number for a local trade, a form for a consultancy.
- Check it on a phone before publishing. Most visitors will arrive that way.
- Publish, then add your business to local listings so people can find the site at all.
What each section says
- What you do — one sentence, in the words a customer would use, not industry vocabulary.
- Who it is for — the niche. “Plumbing for period properties” beats “plumbing services”.
- Proof — testimonials, photos of completed work, years in business, certifications.
- Price or the path to it — a range, a starting price, or an honest “every job is quoted”. Silence about money makes people leave.
- Contact — phone, email, address if you have premises, and opening hours.
Add your address and opening hours as text on the page, not only inside an image. Search engines and assistants read text; they cannot read the picture of your storefront sign.
Before you publish
- Every link works, including the phone number as a tappable link on mobile.
- The page loads in a couple of seconds — compress the photos, they are almost always the cause.
- The title and description say what the business is and where it is.
- Contact details match what is on your listings elsewhere; inconsistent details hurt local search.
Doing it in Ettex
Ettex Sites is a builder with sections, a live canvas, templates and one-click publishing on your own domain — and the forms on the page feed the same suite where your invoices and CRM already live.
Frequently asked
Is one page enough?
For most service and local businesses, yes. Add pages when you have genuinely distinct topics, not to look bigger.
Do I need a custom domain?
Yes. A free subdomain works technically, but it signals impermanence to customers weighing whether to hand over money.
Should I show prices?
Show something — a starting price or a range. Pages with no price at all lose visitors who assume the worst.
How often should I update it?
Whenever the facts change: hours, phone number, services. An outdated phone number costs more than an outdated design.
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