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A business website needs to help the right visitors understand what you offer and complete the next useful step, whether that is calling, booking, asking a question, or buying. There is no official universal list of ten mandatory features: choose pages and functions around your business goals and what visitors need to do.
1. A clear purpose and next step
Make it immediately clear what the business does, whom it serves, and what a visitor can do next. A prominent action—such as “Request a quote,” “Book an appointment,” or “Shop products”—should match the business rather than compete with several equally prominent choices.
2. Logical navigation and page structure
Group related information and use labels visitors can understand without guessing. Keep navigation oriented around common tasks, and make it easy to get from a page back to the main sections. The Australian Government’s website setup guidance describes possible pages such as about, contact, services, shop, blog, reviews, FAQs, and terms; these are options, not a required checklist for every site.
3. Useful, readable, current content
Answer the questions a prospective customer is likely to have, put important information first, and use plain language and descriptive headings. Keep practical details—such as service descriptions, opening hours, eligibility, and contact information—accurate. A useful site is not necessarily a long one: include what helps visitors decide or act.
4. Mobile-friendly presentation
Pages should remain usable on narrow screens and when visitors enlarge text. Check that content reflows, navigation works on touchscreens, and forms and buttons are not cramped or obscured. W3C WAI’s tips for designing for web accessibility include adaptive viewports and clear navigation; treat mobile usability as a design requirement, not a final cosmetic pass.
5. Accessible content and interactions
Accessibility helps people with different disabilities and devices perceive information and use controls. Build in clear contrast, avoid using color alone to communicate meaning, provide concise text alternatives for meaningful images, and caption relevant video. Use semantic headings, descriptive form labels and instructions, keyboard-operable controls, visible focus, and clear error feedback.
WCAG 2.2, published as a W3C Recommendation on June 5, 2023, addresses a broad range of needs and includes criteria related to focus visibility, target size, consistent help, redundant entry, and accessible authentication. It is a technical standard, not a guarantee that every person’s needs are met. In the United States, the Department of Justice says ADA requirements apply to services, goods, programs, and activities offered online by public accommodations and state and local governments; obligations vary by entity and jurisdiction. Its web accessibility guidance notes that automated checkers can help, but “A ‘clean’ report does not necessarily mean everything is accessible.” Combine automated scans with manual review, including keyboard use and zoom.
6. A working contact or conversion path
Give visitors a practical way to take the action your business supports: contact details, an accessible inquiry form, appointment booking, or a purchase flow. Make the path easy to find, ask only for information you need, and check that confirmation and error messages are understandable. A business that does not sell online may not need a shop; a shop that does sell online needs a transaction path that actually works.
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7. Information that supports trust and decisions
Include the details people need to judge whether your business is right for them. Depending on the offer, that may mean a useful About page, clear service or product descriptions, relevant reviews, answers to common questions, or terms. Do not add pages merely to make the site look more complete; prioritize the information that addresses real customer concerns.
8. Search-friendly foundations
Use descriptive page titles and headings, place the words visitors use in prominent parts of relevant pages, and make important pages reachable through crawlable links. Google Search Central’s Search Essentials groups its guidance into technical requirements, spam policies, and key best practices, including people-first content. Google also cautions that meeting its requirements and following best practices does not guarantee that it will crawl, index, or display a page. Search visibility is not something a feature checklist can promise.
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9. Security and ongoing maintenance
Protect the website and any information visitors submit. If you use self-hosted software, keep it and its components patched; use strong passwords and two-factor authentication where available. Security responsibilities differ between a hosted website service and a self-hosted setup, so understand which updates, backups, and protections you must manage. Revisit content and business details after launch so the site does not become misleading or stale.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.10. Testing and measurement
Before launch, test the tasks visitors are supposed to complete, not just whether pages load. Check links, navigation, forms, bookings or purchases, and the site on different browsers, devices, and screen sizes. Ask people to try common tasks and note where they get stuck. After launch, use feedback and goal-relevant analytics to find problems and prioritize improvements; measurement is useful when it answers a business question, not as a box to tick.
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Start with the business outcome and visitor task, then add only the pages and functions that support them. A local service business may emphasize services, location, contact, and booking; a retailer needs clear product information and a reliable purchase route; an organization that mainly explains its work may need strong informational pages rather than a shop or blog. The Australian Government’s business website guide also recommends planning, launch testing, maintenance, feedback, and analytics as part of managing a site, not just building it.
When choosing a website platform or setup, compare how well it supports your goals, mobile and accessibility needs, ease of updating, security responsibilities, and ability to test and monitor the site. The right choice depends on the work you can manage over time; a particular platform cannot substitute for useful content, accessible design, or maintenance.
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