8 Website Musts for 2026

Introduction

You’re listening to Underestimated, the podcast that helps overwhelmed small business owners turn their size into their unfair advantage so they can grow without burning out. Now, here’s your host, Shawna Suckow.

Shawna: Do you have a website that you have not looked at in a hot minute? Is it a little outdated? It can be hard to tell because it’s difficult to look at your website with fresh eyes. Today’s episode is about eight musts your website needs to have from an outsider’s perspective, namely mine.

First, I have a favor. If this is not your first episode of Underestimated, please hit pause and leave a review on your preferred platform. It can be one word, five words, or a whole paragraph. Reviews help me get the word out to more small business owners, so thank you. Now let’s dive into eight musts for a modern website.

Website Must #1: Make Your Hero Section Work Harder

Your hero section, or what newspapers used to call “above the fold,” is the first impression. It’s the big photo, video, or headline that grabs people’s attention the second they land on your website, which makes it arguably the most important section of the site.

Start with your power statement. A friend of mine created a formula to help speakers state their value, and it works for almost any business: “I help blank to blank so they can blank.” First, who do you help? Be more specific than “people” or “anyone.” Next, what problem do you help those customers overcome? Finally, what transformation or promise do you provide?

The transformation is the most important part because it speaks directly to the customer’s pain point and the outcome they want. People are not buying a hammer because they want a hammer; they want to hang a picture. They are not buying a drill because they want a drill; they want a hole. Too many small businesses focus on what they do and list every project, feature, or benefit. Today, that isn’t enough. Your hero needs to connect a specific customer, a specific pain point, and the transformation you help create.

For example, a handyman might say, “I help older homeowners maintain safe and functional homes so they can live where they love and love where they live.” Specializing in older homeowners does not mean younger homeowners will refuse to call. It means he becomes more memorable, stands out, and builds trust as the person who understands that exact customer.

A CPA could say, “I help medical professionals maximize industry-specific tax savings year-round so they can focus on people, not spreadsheets.” A credit union could say, “We help first responders keep more of their money so they can serve not just their communities, but their families as well.” Those statements are more compelling than “Your family-owned partner since 1972,” because every established competitor says something similar.

Website Must #2: Use the Sub-Hero to Expand the Story

Just below your hero section, expand on the customer’s problem as if you are speaking directly to them about why they should hire you. Returning to the handyman example, he might say, “My parents are in their eighties and they love their townhome, but they don’t love fixing broken doorknobs, hanging shelves, or changing leaking faucets.” He has given examples without dumping a list of fifty services onto the page.

Next, expand on the transformation: “My parents and my other clients enjoy their homes without the headaches or risks that can come from everyday home issues.” Only after relating to the client and the client’s problem should you explain your credibility. Most companies lead with credibility before they have shown the customer that they understand the issue.

Whenever possible, express credibility through a story. Instead of simply saying, “I’ve been fixing things since I was eight,” the handyman could explain that he grew up helping Grandpa Jim repair appliances, keep an old lawnmower running, and update the house where his grandparents lived for 48 years. He still loves that work, especially helping older homeowners. An origin story like that is relatable, memorable, and trust-building.

Website Must #3: Make Contact Ridiculously Easy

This is a huge pet peeve of mine: please make it easy to contact you. I recently tried to reach a potential CPA and had to scroll all the way to the bottom, click a tiny “Contact Us” link, and then fill out a form before I could speak to a person, send a quick email, or start a chat.

Do not offer only one contact method, and do not hide it in one place. Put real contact links in the bar at the very top of your page, above the menu. Make the phone number clickable on mobile, make the email address open an email, and include links to chat, text, or a form when those options are available.

Repeat contact options throughout every page because customers get distracted. They may decide halfway down a page that they want to reach out, then the phone rings and their attention disappears. Make contact information visible often, and offer the methods customers prefer, not only the method you prefer.

Website Must #4: Use More Video

Use video to its full potential because it is one of the strongest trust-building methods available. It can communicate more trust than text or photos, although the photos on your site should also show the real people on your team instead of generic stock images.

Try to use video on every important page. Your homepage could include a welcome video from the owner. Your About page could feature the first person you hired. Another page could include video testimonials from real customers. Whatever format you choose, make the videos compelling and use them to tell stories.

Website Must #5: Organize Your Three Buckets

People like to think in threes, so if your company does more than one thing, organize the three main offers into three clear boxes. Place them after the hero and sub-hero sections, once you have addressed the problem, transformation, and credibility.

Each bucket should include a short explanation, a link to a page with more information, and a way to contact you immediately about that offer. My three buckets might be speaking, consulting, and coaching for small business owners. The structure helps visitors understand their options without scrolling endlessly and trying to sort out the business for themselves.

Website Must #6: Out-Human the Boring About Pages

After the homepage, the About page is often one of the most visited pages on a website. Customers are looking more closely at the companies they deal with because they want human connection and trust. A purely transactional experience forces you to compete more heavily on price, while a human business gives customers another reason to stay.

Use the About page to humanize yourself, your employees, vendors, customers, and even the shop dog. Show real photographs of your staff, preferably doing something they genuinely enjoy instead of posing for another interchangeable corporate headshot. Paddleboarding, reading in a favorite coffee shop, or enjoying a hobby allows the real person to come through.

One company handled this beautifully by showing both a professional photo and a fun, personal photo of each employee. It paired the professional biography with three memorable personal details. Make your About page as robust as possible by out-humaning the boring About pages of your competitors.

Website Must #7: Prepare for GEO as Well as SEO

You have heard of search engine optimization. GEO, or generative engine optimization, is the next layer. AI is looking at your website, expertise, credibility, and reputation to decide whether your business is relevant to a question. SEO and keywords still matter, but AI-generated answers now appear prominently in search experiences.

Present your expertise by answering questions real customers ask, using the language they actually use. An FAQ belongs on the homepage and can also strengthen About, contact, and service pages. If customers naturally ask a related question in several different ways, address those distinct phrasings where they fit instead of stuffing a page with awkward keywords.

Your blog should also use the exact questions customers search for and answer those questions clearly in the body. That approach gives customers useful information and makes your expertise easier for generative and answer engines to understand.

Website Must #8: Stop Writing Like a Brochure

Please do not talk like a brochure on your website. Brochure language does not build trust, help you stand out, or make you memorable. It lumps you into the blandscape, that sea of sameness filled with competitors saying the same things.

Stand out by talking like a real person. Customers across generations want conversational language, and that language also helps with GEO because you are answering questions as if you were talking to a neighbor, friend, or customer sitting across the desk.

You do not need to throw away your website and start over. Rework one section a week, one page a week, or one page a month, depending on your bandwidth. As you revisit each page, write with your exact-right customers in mind and imagine saying the words directly to them. Whether you run a funeral home or manufacture picture frames, sounding human helps distinguish you when customers might otherwise struggle to see a difference.

Closing

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Transcript lightly edited for clarity and readability from the episode’s auto-generated captions.