FAQs / Small Business Websites
What are the five golden rules of a website?
There is no official list of five golden rules; different designers name different ones. For a local business, five that hold up well are: say what you do and where in the first screen, make it fast on a phone, make contacting you one tap, back it up with proof, and keep it accurate.
By Richard Thomas-Pryce, Founder · Updated
Search for the five golden rules of web design and you will find a dozen versions, each from a different designer or agency. None of them is a standard. What follows is a practical set for a trades or local service business, judged by one test: does the site turn a stranger on a phone into a phone call?
First, say what you do and where, straight away. Someone landing on your site should know within a glance that you are, say, an electrician covering their town. A clever slogan that makes them scroll to find out loses people.
Second, make it fast on a phone. Most people looking for a tradesperson are on their phone, often in a hurry. Large images, pop-ups and heavy add-ons slow a page down and send visitors back to the search results.
Third, make contact one tap. A visible phone number that dials when tapped, a short form, and WhatsApp if you use it. Fourth, show proof: reviews, photos of real jobs, accreditations you hold, and how long you have been trading. Fifth, keep it accurate and current. Old prices, a disconnected number or a service you no longer offer cost more trust than having no website at all.
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