What makes a good small-business website

A small-business website does not need to be fancy. It needs to do a few things well so customers can find you and reach you. Here is what matters.

1. It loads fast on a phone

Most people search on their phone. If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, they leave. A simple page with small images and no heavy extras loads fast without any tricks.

2. Your phone number is easy to tap

The whole point of the site is to get the customer to call, email or visit. A big tap-to-call button at the top of every page makes that easy. Don't hide the phone number at the bottom or behind a menu.

3. It says what you do and where

Write a plain sentence at the top: what you do, where you do it. "Plumbing repair in Trussville, AL" tells a customer (and Google) everything they need in one line.

4. It has real reviews, or none

A few honest reviews from real customers are worth more than twenty fake ones. If you don't have reviews yet, leave that section off until you do. Never write a review for yourself.

5. You own the site and the hosting

If the person who built your site disappears, can you still change it? Make sure the hosting account, the domain name and the code are all in your name. If someone else holds the keys, you are stuck if they leave.

6. It is not a social media page

A Facebook page is not a website. You don't control how it looks, you can't add your own pages, and Facebook decides who sees your posts. A real website is yours.