This article looks at business websites with only a few pages and shows why, if you are a local tradesman (like a builder in the Chew Valley) you should consider getting one.

What is a micro website?

A micro website is a website of 3 pages or less and could be the first step to getting your small business online. Because a micro site is small, it costs less than web design and copywriting for a larger number of pages.

Can you really promote a business using a 1 page website?

Yes. Web visitors often only view 1 or 2 pages of a website before making decisions anyway. Poor websites make visitors decide to move on but 1 good web page can hold their attention long enough to get them to use your business.
A simple 1 page website can get your message across, show off your products and tell customers more about about you. A single page can also give them the information they need to contact you to become a customer.

Do the search engines rank a 1 page website?

Good search engines use different methods but they rank individual pages from a website, based on a perception of relevance to a searcher’s query. This means that a 1 page website can rank well for 1 or 2 key phrases relevant to your business. These key phrases won’t be highly competitive worldwide but they will be extremely important to you and your customers. Searches that include your services and your locale are a good example.
Search engines don’t like 1 page websites if they look like holding pages or “under construction” so if you do only have 1 page, make sure it has some good content.

What can a 3 page website do for my business?

A 3 page website has more scope for information, search engine queries and sales copywriting. One page could be targeted at some particular search terms for information. This could lead on to the second page, using sales copy to suggest a solution (like your service) and contact details. The third page could be aimed at another web searcher or your existing customers.

Targeting one or two key phrases per page, your 3 page website could pull in visitors from a number of different search queries and answer the visitors needs quickly and directly. If a visitors think that you have the answer to their question, they are more likely to become a customer.

What kind of small business has a micro website?

All kinds of small businesses can benefit from a micro website. They are cheap, quick to set up and are often all you need for a first business website. A website for a builder, plumber or other local tradesman could result in customers searching for “builder + [location]”. Many searchers use terms such as “builder” and then localise it to try to find tradesman near them. A search in my area (at the time of writing)
Builder Chew Magna

produces no local builders in the top 10 results. Any builder in the Chew Valley area that gets a 1 page micro website is going to win these searchers and turn them into customers.

Micro website case study