What every small business website needs

A website does not need to be big to work. It needs to answer a visitor's questions quickly and make it easy for them to contact you. Use this checklist before you build or redesign yours.

Say what you do in one sentence

The top of your home page should tell visitors what you offer and who it is for. If someone cannot tell in five seconds, they will leave.

Make it work on phones

Most of your visitors will use a phone. Text must be readable without zooming, buttons must be easy to tap, and pages must load quickly on mobile data.

Make contacting you effortless

Add a WhatsApp button, a phone number people can tap to call, and a short contact form. Many customers prefer WhatsApp, so put it where they can see it.

Show where and when

If customers visit you, show your location, a map link and your opening hours. Keep them up to date.

Use real photos

Photos of your work, your shop or your team build trust much faster than stock photos.

Use your own domain name

An address like yourbusiness.co.ke looks more professional than a free address and is easier to remember.

Protect your visitors' data

If your site collects names, phone numbers or emails, Kenya's Data Protection Act expects you to explain how you use them. A clear privacy policy does that.

Keep it updated

Old prices, closed branches or last year's offers make customers doubt you. Plan who will keep the site current.