Your website is your best salesperson. It works 24/7, never calls in sick, and costs a fraction of a hire. Here's what separates the great ones from the forgettable.
Think about it. Your website is the first thing most potential customers see. It works around the clock, never takes a day off, and can handle hundreds of conversations simultaneously. No employee can do that.
Yet most small businesses treat their website as an afterthought. Something they set up once, maybe five years ago, and haven't touched since.
In 2026, that's not good enough.
After building websites for businesses across Croydon and South London, I've learned that the difference between a website that generates leads and one that gathers dust comes down to five things.
This is non-negotiable. Your site needs to load in under 2 seconds, ideally under 1 second. Every fraction of a second matters.
Google has been explicit: page speed is a ranking factor. Slow sites rank lower. And visitors won't wait around. They'll hit the back button and go to your competitor instead.
Over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your site isn't designed for phones first and desktops second, you're building for the minority.
Mobile-first doesn't mean "desktop site that sort of works on phones." It means designing the mobile experience first, then expanding for larger screens.
A visitor should understand what you do, who you do it for, and why they should choose you within 5 seconds of landing on your homepage.
That means:
People trust other people more than they trust businesses. Your website needs evidence that you're good at what you do:
Every page on your site should have a clear next step. Whether that's booking a call, filling in a form, or downloading a resource, don't leave visitors wondering what to do.
The best websites make it easy to take action. The worst ones bury the contact form three clicks deep.
Design matters, but not in the way most people think. Your website doesn't need to win design awards. It needs to:
The best small business websites look like they belong to a company ten times their size. That's the standard.
A great small business website in 2026 is fast, mobile-first, clear about what you offer, backed by social proof, and makes it easy to get in touch.
If your current site doesn't tick all five boxes, it might be time for an upgrade.
Ready to see where your site stands? Get a free website audit and we'll tell you exactly what's working and what's not.
We build fast, beautiful websites for small businesses. Let's talk about yours.