Small Business Web Design Tips We’ve Learned From Building 2,000+ Websites

1. Clarity Beats Cleverness Every Time

Focus on communicating, not on trying to dazzle people with fancy words or jargon.

When people come to your website, they really have three questions:

• What does this business do?
• Is it for someone like me?
• If it is, what action should I take? What should I do next?

If you’re not answering those three questions upfront in a very, very clear way, they’re going to leave your website immediately.

So, focus on clarity first. Every design choice should ultimately make your message easier to understand.

Think about the visual hierarchy of the page too. Your most important message should attract the visitor’s attention first. Supporting information can come next, followed by a clear call to action.

2. Remember: Your Website Isn’t Really About You

Your website isn’t really about you. It’s about your prospective customers.

All the language you use on the website should really be focused on the benefits you can deliver to those customers.

That includes the services you offer and making sure you’re very clear about them. It also means talking about the compelling reasons why somebody would choose you over one of your competitors.

This applies to the visual elements of the website too. Images, videos, headlines, and graphics should help potential customers picture themselves working with you or benefiting from your services rather than simply showcasing your business.

3. Don’t Design Your Website for Everyone

Focus on your ideal clients.

This is actually one of the biggest challenges we see with small business owners. You may be able to provide your services to a very broad market, but the truth is that you need to focus your website on a much narrower niche.

Otherwise, it’s not going to be as effective.

The example we often give is to imagine that you walk into a restaurant. That restaurant serves Chinese food, Greek food, and French food. The truth is, you’re probably not going to buy any of those things from them. You’re going to leave.

People can do the exact same thing when they visit your website.

They’re going to see that your website isn’t really focused specifically on their needs, and they’re going to turn around and go somewhere else because they have options.

So, you want to make sure your website focuses on your ideal customers, knowing that you can always be opportunistic about people who are in your broader market.

Niching down can even help with your broader digital marketing, because your website, search content, email marketing, and social media can all communicate a consistent message to the same type of customer.

4. Give Each Page a Clear Call to Action

Give each page of your website a clear next step.

For example, if somebody is on the About page of your website, the next step might be for them to learn more about your services.

Make sure you use buttons that clarify: Once you’ve read this page, please go to this next page and take the next step.

Really help walk people through that process.

Ultimately, you want to deliver them to your primary call to action, which might be something like:

• Contact us
• Book an appointment
• Request a free quote

Your buttons and other visual cues should make the next step obvious. For example, a strategically positioned button can attract visitors’ attention and move them towards contacting you without forcing them to hunt around the page.

At Jottful, our primary call to action is “Request a free sample website,” because we make a free sample website for anyone who’s thinking about working with us.

If you’re interested in talking about getting a website for your business, go ahead and request a free sample website from Jottful.

5. Use Real Photos Whenever Possible

Real photos are incredibly powerful.

This has never been more true than in the era of AI.

Even though the photos you’ve taken yourself might not seem as professional, high-quality, or polished, people really appreciate authenticity.

So, it’s better to use that photo you took yourself (even if it isn’t perfect) than it is to get something created by AI that people are automatically going to question.

6. Use Social Proof Throughout Your Website

Social proof does more selling than you might think. There’s nothing more valuable than really, really positive reviews on your website.

These should ideally be reviews that people can actually read. There should be more than just a star rating. Visitors should be able to read what your customers actually had to say.

Other kinds of social proof might include things like:

• Awards you’ve won
• Licenses you’ve earned
• Other kinds of badges, such as minority- or woman-owned business badges

All that third-party validation for your business is really powerful, so make sure that you include it across your website.

7. Don’t Treat Mobile as an Afterthought

Did you know that over 51% of website traffic worldwide comes from mobile users? This means most people are going to be coming to your website from a smartphone, so you want to make sure that your website presents really well on a mobile device.

(Source: Statista)

In fact, your website needs to automatically reformat for every size of browser and device.

That means it should be mobile-friendly. You don’t want one version for desktop and another version for mobile where, if you update one, you have to remember to update the other one.

You really want something that’s mobile responsive and will automatically move for you.

This approach is known as responsive web design. Instead of designing only for one fixed screen size, responsive design allows the layout to adapt across smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

There are a few other things you can do to optimize your website for mobile:

• Your phone number should be click-to-call. In other words, if somebody touches your phone number, it should automatically dial you.
• The same thing applies to email addresses. If somebody touches your email address, it should automatically open up the composer window on their device.
• And if you have a map of your location on your website, you should be integrating with Google Maps. That way, if somebody clicks on the map, it will launch Google Maps on their phone, and they can use it to get driving directions right to your location.

If you’re wondering what this might look like, go ahead and request that free sample website from us at Jottful.

We’ll prepare it for you and show you what it looks like to have a mobile-responsive website that automatically reformats for every type of device.

8. Don’t Try to Put Everything on Your Homepage

We see this all the time, especially with websites that are auto-generated by AI.

The homepage is just full of tons and tons of content. Sometimes they try to cram everything onto one page.

But the fact of the matter is that people want to be able to get a very high-level understanding of what you do. Then, they want the opportunity to dig into only those areas they’re interested in.

Think of your homepage as a kind of table of contents for the rest of your website. Give visitors a little taste of everything on the homepage, with the option to click through and learn more about everything.

This is where intuitive navigation matters.

Instead of trying to explain every service in detail on the homepage, introduce the service and give people a link to a dedicated page where they can learn more.

9. Make Sure Your Website Is Discoverable

When somebody types in the name of your organization or your business, it should appear (or at least be able to appear) on search engines.

There are some technical things that need to be done to give search engines the information they need to index your website so that you can begin to appear.

Work with your web designer on this. Or, if you work with Jottful, we’ll take care of that for you.

10. Make It Easy for People to Contact You

Don’t bury all of your contact information in the footer at the bottom of your website.

While, yes, you should include it in the footer because people do know to look there, you should also include your contact information throughout the website.

Sometimes that might mean putting it in the header. Plus, you should definitely have it on the Contact page of your website.

The best practice is to make it very easy for people to reach out to you.

And, if possible, give them multiple methods to do so.

For example, you might have:

• A contact form
• Appointment booking options
• A phone number so people can pick up the phone and call you right away
• An email address if they want to contact you in a more asynchronous way

11. Remember That Your Website Is Never Really Finished

Don’t spend tons of time making your website absolutely perfect before you launch it. The reality is that you’re going to be constantly updating and improving it.

You might add seasonal promotions or other things you’re doing. You’re also going to want to change things as you test different ideas in your business.

So, don’t feel that your website is a one-and-done project. It’s not.

That’s also why it’s really important that, when you go to get your website built, you have a plan in place for how you’re going to be able to update it over time.

If you’re building it yourself, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re using software that makes it really easy for you to update it, and that you’re going to be able to remember how to do that.

Keeping your website up to date is actually what we specialize in at Jottful.

We have a co-maintenance program, so you can make simple changes yourself, and we make all the harder changes for you.

If you’re interested in discussing this further, do go ahead and request that free sample website. There’s no risk to you. You can try it out and see for yourself.

12. You Don’t Need the Most Complicated Website

Our customers often come to us with websites they built somewhere else and feature images and text flying onto the page as you scroll down.

All of that might look kind of fancy, and it’s cool to have stuff seem animated, but all that stuff distracts from the meaning of your website.

What you really want to communicate is:

• What do you do?
• Who do you do it for?
• Why should people choose to work with you instead of somebody else?

So don’t worry about adding a bunch of bells and whistles. Instead, focus on the simple things that actually drive leads for your business.

Website Design Examples

Let’s have a look at some of Jottful’s customers’ websites and explain how these tips were incorporated.

AstroHire

AstroHire is a good example of a business website that prioritizes clarity.

The homepage immediately explains what the company does: it introduces businesses to pre-qualified professional-level talent so they can fill difficult positions faster.

This is exactly what we mean when we say clarity beats cleverness. A website visitor shouldn’t need to scroll through several sections before understanding the offer.

There’s also really powerful and consistent branding throughout. The website uses strong contrast between text, imagery, and the surrounding whitespace, creating a clear visual hierarchy.

Grappler Consulting

Grappler Consulting shows that you don’t need a complicated website to communicate a specialized service well.

The homepage immediately identifies the offer as “Personalized Coaching & Expert Wrestling Insights” and explains that the goal is to help wrestlers reach their potential in sport, school, and life.

That means the target audience is obvious. The website isn’t trying to appeal to everyone. It speaks directly to wrestlers and the people involved in their development.

It also breaks down the main offer into three clear services, showing the user exactly where they need to go based on their interests.

Luminous Literary Arts

Luminous Literary Arts takes a very different visual approach, which is exactly the point: good web design should suit the business.

The website has peaceful imagery and videos that help create the calm, thoughtful atmosphere the brand is going for.

The positioning is also clear from the beginning. The homepage introduces the business and explains that it helps authors with coaching and editing. Super clear.

That combination of copy and imagery immediately gives the visitor a sense of both the service and the personality behind it.

Plus, there are clear call-to-action buttons in key sections so the user knows exactly what to do next.

Common Webpage Design Mistakes

We’ve spoken about what you should do. Now, let’s discuss what you shouldn’t do so you can avoid the website pitfalls that a lot of small businesses fall into.

Not Focusing on User Experience (UX)

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is designing the website according to what you like without thinking about how someone else will actually use it.

A visitor should be able to move around the website without having to stop and figure out what to do.

That means prioritizing intuitive navigation, readable text, obvious buttons, logical page layouts, and a consistent navigation bar.

Try to look at your website through the eyes of someone who has never heard of your business before.

• Can they quickly understand what you do?
• Can they find your services?
• Can they work out how to contact you?
• Can they use the website comfortably from a smartphone?

Stanford’s Credibility Research supports this principle. Its guidelines specifically state that websites gain credibility by being both easy to use and useful.

Don’t sacrifice usability just to show off what your website can do.

Inconsistent Design

Consistency helps make your website feel professional and easy to understand.

If every page has different colors, button styles, spacing, image styles, or fonts, the website can quickly start to feel disconnected and untrustworthy.

Instead, create a basic set of brand rules.

You might choose:

• One main headline font
• One body text font
• A consistent color palette
• One or two button styles
• Consistent spacing
• A recognizable photography style
• Similar heading sizes across pages

Your web designer should ideally create reusable styles so the same design choices can be carried throughout the website.

Consistency also creates useful visual cues. If every primary CTA uses the same button style, for example, visitors quickly learn what that visual element means.

Text and Content Overload

More content doesn’t automatically mean a better website.

Huge paragraphs, endless homepage sections, too many competing messages, and dozens of buttons can all overwhelm visitors.

Break longer content into short sections and use headings to make it scannable. Where appropriate, use bullet points, photographs, icons, videos, and whitespace to separate ideas.

Your visual hierarchy should help someone skim the page and still understand the main message.

This doesn’t mean eliminating useful information; it means organizing it properly.

For example, instead of describing every detail of all your services on your homepage, introduce the services and provide clear links to dedicated pages.

Slow Loading Times

A beautiful website isn’t much use if people become frustrated waiting for it to load.

Large images, unnecessary video backgrounds, excessive plugins, complicated animations, and poorly optimized code can all make a website slower.

Google recommends good Core Web Vitals as part of providing a strong page experience. Its recommended target for Largest Contentful Paint (the metric measuring how quickly the main content loads) is within 2.5 seconds.

Your web designer can help with the technical side, but there are simple things small business owners can do too.

Compress images before uploading them. Avoid adding videos or interactive elements that don’t serve a purpose. Keep plugins and software updated. And periodically test your website using a performance tool such as Google PageSpeed Insights.

Remember: every extra design element should earn its place.

Essential Website Elements

If you’re planning on designing your website yourself, there are some key requirements that you absolutely need to include to make your website functional and high-converting.

• Header: Your header appears at the top of the website and should help visitors immediately orient themselves. It will typically contain your logo, your primary navigation bar, and sometimes an important CTA or contact information.
• Footer: Your footer appears at the bottom of the page. This is a useful place for contact details, your address, business hours, important navigation links, policies, and links to your social media accounts.
• Menu Navigation: Your navigation should help visitors reach the most important areas of the site quickly. For many small businesses, that might include: Home, About, Services, Blog or Resources, and Contact.
• Images/Videos: Images and videos can communicate information, show off your work, introduce your team, and make the website more engaging. Whenever possible, use visual content that genuinely represents your business.
• Branding: Your website should visually feel like your business. Use a consistent logo, color palette, font choices, photography, tone, and other design elements.
• Calls-to-Action: Every important page needs to give the visitor somewhere to go next. Your primary CTA might be: Get a Quote, Contact Us, Call Now, Book an Appointment, or Schedule a Consultation.
• Consistent Color Palette: Choose a limited set of colors and use them consistently. One color might be used for your main buttons, another for headings, and neutral colors for backgrounds and body text.
• Quality Copy: Design alone doesn’t sell your services. The words on the page need to explain who you help, what you offer, why someone should choose you, and what they should do next. You can hire a copywriter to help you with this.
• Whitespace: Whitespace is the empty space around your visual elements and content. You don’t have to fill every pixel. Using enough space between elements makes pages easier to scan and can guide the visitor’s attention towards the information that matters.

However, building a website yourself can take time. You also need to think about more than how the website looks. Your site should be easy to navigate, work well on mobile devices, appear in search engines, and encourage potential customers to contact your business.

If you don’t have the time or confidence to do this yourself, working with a website professional or a company like Jofftul can make the process much easier.

FAQ

What are the 7 C’s of website design?

The 7 C’s are a framework that can help you think about what makes a website useful and engaging. They are often described as:

• Context: The overall design, layout, and structure of your website.
• Content: The text, images, videos, and other information on your site.
• Community: Ways visitors can interact or connect with others.
• Customization: Creating an experience that suits different users.
• Communication: How your business communicates with website visitors.
• Connection: Links and connections between your website and other useful online resources.
• Commerce: Features that allow customers to buy products or services online.

Not every small business website needs to focus equally on all seven. What matters most is creating a clear, useful website that makes it easy for your ideal customers to understand your business and take the next step.

How to design a website as a beginner?

Start by deciding what you want your website to achieve. For a small business, this could be generating leads, getting more phone calls, booking appointments, or selling products.

Next, decide which pages you need. Most small business websites will benefit from a homepage, About page, service or product pages, and a Contact page.

Keep your design simple by using clear headings and easy-to-read fonts.

Most importantly, design your website around your customers. Visitors should quickly understand what you offer, who you help, and what they should do next.

What is the difference between a website and a web page?

A website is a collection of related web pages that are usually found under the same domain name.

A web page is one individual page within that website.

For example, a small business might have a website containing a homepage, About page, Services page, and Contact page. Each of these is an individual web page, while together they make up the complete website.

Think of a website like a book. The website is the entire book, while each web page is an individual page or chapter within it.

How long does it take to build a website?

The time it takes to build a website depends on its size, complexity, and how it is being created.

A simple small business website can sometimes be created within a few days, while a larger or more customized website may take several weeks or longer.

The process can also take more time if you need to create your website copy, take photos, collect customer reviews, or decide exactly what you want the website to include.

Remember that your website doesn’t have to be perfect before you launch it. A good small business website can continue to be updated and improved as your business grows.