Many small business sites miss the little details that make a big difference. Those misses frustrate visitors, slow pages down, and cost sales. This checklist covers the essentials that get handled from day one.
Key elements every website should have
-
Inputs set to at least 16px so iPhones don't auto-zoom
On iPhone, form text smaller than 16px triggers a zoom on focus. Set inputs to 16px or larger so visitors can type without the screen jumping.
It's a tiny tweak that makes the whole experience feel more polished.
-
HD favicons, app icons, and meta images
Icons and preview images show up in bookmarks, social shares, and home screens. Provide properly sized assets so the brand looks sharp everywhere.
Skip the generic placeholders. Define the exact image for link previews, social cards, and app icons so the look stays consistent with the brand.
-
Faster loads with WebP images
JPG and PNG are larger than they need to be for most photos. Use WebP to keep quality while cutting file size, speeding up pages and helping search performance.
-
Responsive design that actually works
Mobile-friendly means more than shrinking text. Layouts should adapt cleanly from phones to desktops without weird zooming, missing buttons, or broken grids.
-
Forms built for real people
Clear labels, accessible markup, helpful error messages, and logical tab order make forms easy to complete. Fewer mistakes, more submissions.
-
Clear calls to action
Visitors shouldn't hunt for the next step. Primary actions like booking, calling, or purchasing should be obvious and consistent across the site.
The goal is simple: a site that looks good, runs fast, and is easy to use. Every element has a job. The result is a brand-fit website that works the way it should and actually helps the business.