What Should Go in the Menu of a Small Business Website?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

Keep your main menu short and built around what visitors came to find: your services, the areas you serve, proof that you do good work, and how to contact you. Put your phone number or main action in the header so it’s always visible. Put policies, like privacy and terms, in the footer.

What this means

Navigation is how people move around your website. It includes:

The header menu. The links at the top of every page.
The footer. The links at the bottom of every page.
Links inside pages. Like a link from a service page to your contact page (see 19.4.6 Internal Links).

The outline asks for a clear structure for five things:

Services. What you do (see 13.4.2 Service Pages).
Locations. Where you work (see 13.4.6 Location Pages).
Proof. Reviews, photos, and past work (see 13.4.8 Proof Page).
Policies. Privacy, terms, warranty, and refunds (see 13.4.7 Policy Pages).
Contact. How to reach you (see 13.4.4 Contact Page).

A simple menu for a roofer might be: Services, Areas We Serve, Our Work, About, Contact, plus a “Call Now” button. The footer holds the address, hours, privacy policy, and terms.

Google’s starter guide says links are how it finds most new pages and that descriptive link text helps people and Google understand where a link goes.

Why it matters

People leave when they can’t find things. If the service they need is buried, they assume you don’t offer it.
Search engines follow your links. Pages that nothing links to are harder for Google to find.
Phone visitors have little room. A long menu on a phone becomes a scroll nobody finishes.
Missing policy links hurt trust. People look for privacy and terms before they share their details.

Who this applies to

Every business with a website. A one-page site still needs a clear path: a visible phone number or button, and sections people can jump to.

How to do it

Start from your goal and audience. List what each visitor group needs to find (see 13.3.1 Website Objective and Audience).
Draw a simple site map. Write each page and where it sits. Main pages go in the header. Supporting pages sit under them.
Keep the header short. Use the fewest items that still get people where they need to go. Group related pages under one menu item, like all services under “Services.”
Use plain labels. “Services” and “Contact” beat clever names. Use the words your customers use.
Put the main action in the header. A phone number, a “Get a Quote” button, or “Book Now.” On phones, make it tap-to-call (see 13.3.5 Conversion Paths).
Build a useful footer. Include your business name, address if shown, phone, hours, service area, and links to policy pages.
Use real links. Menus should use standard links that search engines can follow. Ask your designer to confirm this.
Make it work for everyone. Menus should work with a keyboard, be readable on small screens, and have clear focus outlines (see 9.7.3 Website Accessibility).
Test it with a real person. Ask someone who doesn’t know your business to find a service, your service area, and your phone number. Watch where they get stuck.

What proof to keep

The written site map
Screenshots of the menu on phone and computer
Notes from your test with a real person

Store these in your website records folder. Update the site map when you add or remove pages.

Common mistakes

Too many items in the header. Every extra link makes the important ones harder to see.
Hiding services in a single “What We Do” page. Separate service pages are easier to find and easier for search engines to understand (see 13.3.4 Service Architecture).
No phone number on mobile. Many local visitors want to call. Make it one tap.
Menus that only open on hover. Hover doesn’t work on phones or for some people using a keyboard.
Dead or duplicate menu links. Check every link after changes.
Forgetting policies. Privacy and terms belong in the footer of every page.

When to get help from a pro

A web designer: if your site has many services or locations and the menu is getting crowded. Ask:

How would you group my services so people find the right one fast?
How does this menu work on a phone and with a keyboard?
Can search engines follow every menu link?

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or lesson here. For example, a local business whose menu had a dozen items, and what happened to calls after you simplified it.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty plans and builds websites for local businesses.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: the SiteSmarty menu items, the footer contents, and the site map]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: the menu on phone and computer, and the site map]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

How many items should my website menu have? As few as you can while still getting people to services, areas, proof, and contact. Group related pages under one item.

Should my phone number be in the header? For most local service businesses, yes. Make it tap-to-call on phones.

Where do privacy and terms pages go? In the footer, on every page.

What goes in a website footer? Your business name, contact details, hours, service area, and links to policies.

Audit check

Question: Can a visitor reach services, locations, proof, policies, and contact within one or two clicks from any page?
Pass looks like: Short header with plain labels. Main action always visible and tap-to-call on phones. Footer with contact details and policy links. Written site map. Menu works on phones and with a keyboard.
Fail looks like: Crowded or vague menu. No phone number on mobile. Policies missing. Services hidden on one page. Menu only opens on hover.
Evidence to collect: Screenshots of the menu on phone and computer, the site map, and notes from a user test.

Where this fits

Do this first: 13.3.1 Website Objective and Audience

Do this next: 13.3.4 Service Architecture

Sources

Google Search Central, "SEO Starter Guide" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.