What a local business website needs: a 12-point checklist
Updated October 2026
Short answer
A local business website needs to answer three questions in seconds: what do you do, where do you work, and how do I contact you. Then it has to prove you are trustworthy, with real photos and reviews, and work well on a phone. The 12 points below cover exactly that.
The 12-point checklist
- 1What you do and where, at the top of the home page. For example: "Plumber in Ottawa and Gatineau". A visitor should know in five seconds that they are in the right place.
- 2A phone number people can tap, on every page, at the top. Most visitors to a local business site are on a phone and want to call.
- 3A short contact form. Name, phone and what they need is enough. Every extra field loses some people.
- 4One page for each main service. "Drain cleaning" and "Water heater installation" are different searches, and each deserves its own page with a clear description.
- 5The areas you serve. List your cities or neighbourhoods so people, and Google, know whether you work near them.
- 6Real photos of your work and your team. Photos of your own jobs build more trust than stock images.
- 7Reviews and testimonials. Show real comments from real customers and link to your Google reviews.
- 8How you price. Even a "starting at" price or a line explaining how you quote saves calls from people who only wanted to know.
- 9Licences, insurance and warranties, only the ones you really have. Never invent a licence number, a warranty or years in business.
- 10It works well on a phone and loads fast. Google mainly uses the mobile version of a page to index it, and visitors leave slow pages.
- 11The same name, address and phone number as your Google Business Profile, and everywhere else you appear online.
- 12Privacy and legal basics. A privacy notice and your terms. What you need depends on where you operate, so check it with a professional.
A 10-minute test you can do today
- 1Open your site on your phone, using mobile data, not Wi-Fi.
- 2Count to five. Do you know what the business does and where it works?
- 3Try to call or send a message with two taps.
- 4Scroll down. Do you see real photos and at least a few reviews?
- 5Search for your own business name on Google Maps. Do the name, address, phone and hours match your website?
Examples by trade
- Plumbers and electricians: say clearly if you offer emergency service, and put your phone number at the top. Only promise 24-hour service if you really do it.
- Roofers: before and after photos, the types of roofs you work on and how you give estimates.
- Cleaners: what is included in each service, how to book and which areas you cover.
- HVAC: installation, repair and maintenance on separate pages, with the brands you work with.
- Landscapers, painters and renovators: photos of finished work, your service area and how to ask for a quote.
Why this matters
According to BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 54% of consumers visit a business’s website after reading positive reviews. If that website is slow, confusing or has no phone number, the review did its job and the call never happens.
A good local website and a complete Google Business Profile work together: the profile gets you found, and the website turns the visit into a call.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Stock photos and generic text that could belong to any company.
- A contact form as the only way to reach you, with no phone number.
- Hours, prices or services that are out of date.
- A site that is slow or hard to read on a phone.
- Claims you cannot prove: "best in the city", ratings or licences you do not have.
- A blog that was started and abandoned. It is better to have no blog than one with posts from years ago.
We build it for you
Every Ulimby website includes these basics: your services and areas, tap-to-call, a contact form, your photos, reviews, a fast mobile design, your domain and email. Live in 24 hours.
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