A local business needs five to seven pages, contact details visible everywhere, one page per service, and three legal documents. Everything else is optional.
This list is written so you can hand it straight to a developer and use it as a specification.
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The pages you need
| Page | Its purpose | Essential? |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Says what you do and leads to the next action | Yes |
| Services (hub) | An overview of everything you offer | Yes |
| One page per service | Captures the specific search | Yes, for SEO |
| Work / Clients | Proves you have done it before | Yes |
| About | Builds trust with real people | Yes |
| Contact | Closes the conversation | Yes |
| Blog | Captures pre-purchase searches | Optional |
| FAQ | Heads off objections | Optional |
The rule for service pages: one service, one page. Three services on one page means you rank for none of them.
What must appear on every page
Whatever the content, these repeat throughout.
At the top:
- A logo linking to the homepage.
- A phone number as a
tel:link, so it dials with one tap. - A menu of no more than six items.
- One action button, the same throughout.
In the footer:
- Full company name, address, phone, email.
- Tax ID, tax office and business registry number.
- Opening hours.
- Links to the three legal documents.
- Links to your social profiles, if they are active.
A phone number that cannot be tapped on mobile is among the most common and expensive mistakes — see the other ten website mistakes.
What goes on the homepage, in order
A homepage is not a shop window. It is a path. Seven sections, in this order:
- One sentence saying what you do, for whom, and where.
- An action button immediately beneath — call, form or booking.
- Three or four services with a short description and a link.
- Proof: reviews, client logos, numbers.
- How you work, in three steps.
- A price range or a starting figure.
- The action button again, with contact details.
Point six is missing from most Greek business websites, and it is one of the few things that sets you apart at no cost.
What each service page needs
The structure that works for both the reader and Google:
- A title using the term people search for, not internal jargon.
- The answer up front: what the service is, in two sentences.
- Who it is for and who it is not for.
- What it includes, as a list.
- What it costs, or a range.
- How long it takes and what you need from the customer.
- Two or three frequently asked questions.
- An action button at the end.
The three middle sections are what make the page rank. Without a price and a timeframe, the page answers nothing the user is looking for.
The technical non-negotiables
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| SSL on every page | Without it, browsers warn visitors |
| Works on mobile | Over three quarters of traffic |
| Speed under 3 seconds | Every extra second loses visitors |
| Unique titles and descriptions | The basis of all SEO |
| One H1 per page | Structure Google understands |
| Sitemap and Search Console | So you can see what is happening |
| Google Analytics | So you know whether it works |
| Automatic backups | So you do not lose the work |
If the quote you received does not mention these eight, ask for them in writing.
The legal documents
Three of them, written for your actual business — not copied.
- Privacy policy: what data you collect, why, how long you keep it.
- Cookie policy with a banner offering a real reject option.
- Terms of use, plus terms of sale and a returns policy for an e-shop.
Also, a notice beside every form linking to the privacy policy. The detail is in our guide to GDPR and your website.
The local elements
For a local business, these are what generate calls from your area.
- Identical NAP everywhere: name, address, phone — exactly as on your Google Business Profile.
- An embedded map on the contact page.
- Opening hours, including special hours for holidays.
- A page per area, if you serve several towns.
LocalBusinessstructured data with coordinates.
How this connects to your profile is explained in our local SEO guide.
Want us to check what yours is missing?
Send us the address and you will get a list of the gaps.
What you do NOT need
These get added often and cost money without returning any.
- A five-image slider on the homepage. People see only the first, and it slows the page.
- A popup that opens after two seconds. It drives away more than it captures.
- A large background video. Attractive on desktop, punishing on mobile data.
- A chatbot with no question volume. If you get three questions a week, you do not need one.
- A “News” page that will sit empty. Better none at all than one last updated in 2023.
The rule: every element must justify the space and the seconds it consumes.
The pre-launch checklist
- Phone number taps on every page.
- The form sends, and it reaches an inbox you check.
- An automatic confirmation goes to the visitor.
- SSL active everywhere, with no warnings.
- Tested on three devices and two browsers.
- No page left with placeholder text.
- Titles and meta descriptions completed.
- Map, hours and address correct.
- Legal documents in place.
- Analytics and Search Console connected.
- The directive hiding the site from search engines removed.
- A first backup taken after launch.
Number eleven is the most common accident: the site stays invisible for weeks because nobody unlocked it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum number of pages?
Five: home, services, work, about, contact. Individual service pages come after.
Do I need a blog from the start?
No. Add it when you are confident you will publish at least one article a month.
Should I publish prices?
At least a range. It is one of the few things that filters serious enquiries and cuts pointless calls.
Do I need multiple languages?
Only if you genuinely have a foreign-language audience. A poor machine translation does damage.
Who writes the copy?
You or a professional. It is where 80% of projects stall — start there, not with the design.
The first step
Before requesting a quote, write down on one sheet the pages you want and, beside each, what it must answer.
That single page is the difference between a project that ships in five weeks and one that drags for three months.
And if you are still weighing it up, see why your business needs a website.
Next step
Book a free 30-minute call with the team at The Dev Alley. We will design your page structure together, before a single line of code is written.