Small Business Websites Need to Do More Than Exist
The podcast discusses the evolving role of small business websites, emphasizing that they need to go beyond mere existence to actively engage users. Three layers of website functionality are proposed: a foundational layer for credibility, a discovery engine through content, and a tool-oriented layer that utilizes micro-apps to retain customer engagement.
Summary
In the episode, the speakers outline the necessity for small business websites to evolve from being basic online brochures to dynamic platforms that serve various functions. Initially, the focus was on creating a foundational website consisting of essential pages, akin to a digital brochure, which established credibility. Over time, this model adapted to incorporate content-driven discovery engines, allowing businesses to create engaging blog posts that attract visitors through SEO strategies. However, the speakers highlight a shift in the landscape due to AI-driven overviews that potentially diminish click-through traffic from organic search results.
The conversation then transitions to the importance of maintaining existing strategies while integrating innovative tools that enhance user engagement. The speakers advocate for the development of micro-apps or utility-based tools on business websites to sidestep the challenges posed by AI overviews. Such features allow businesses to improve user experience, effectively funneling visitors toward their services while simultaneously building credibility through repeated interactions. This layered approach—foundation, discovery, and utility—enables websites to remain relevant amidst changing digital consumer behaviors. The need for businesses to prepare for the evolving market by innovating and optimizing their online presence while maintaining core content structures becomes the overall message of the episode.
About this episode
Small-business websites have evolved from digital brochures into discovery engines - and now they need to become useful tools. Matt and Mike explain why foundational pages and SEO still matter, how AI Overviews are changing traffic, and how calculators, selectors, rankings, schedules, and other micro-apps can create credibility, repeat visits, and leads.
Key Insights
- The podcast argues that small business websites must do more than just exist; they need to actively engage users to provide value.
- There has been a significant evolution from simple five-page websites serving as digital brochures to complex sites functioning as discovery engines for new customers through content.
- The emergence of AI-driven overviews is leading to a zero-click future where users may receive answers directly from search results, making competition for clicks more challenging for businesses.
- The second layer of a small business website includes content aimed at enhancing discoverability through SEO, transforming the site into a valuable informational resource.
- There is a rising trend to develop micro-apps or utility features within business websites that offer tools or calculators, further increasing user engagement and retention.
- The speakers emphasize that maintaining traditional blog posts is crucial for ongoing credibility, even as traffic from these posts may decline.
- Building utility-based resources on websites serves as a method for businesses to sidestep competition from AI-generated content while still delivering significant value to visitors.
- Credibility with customers is built through a multi-layered approach: foundational credibility, engaging content, and functional tools that collectively enhance user experience.
Topics
Transcript
Small business websites need to do more than exist. What do I mean by that? Of course, they have to exist to benefit said business, but the small business website formula has changed over the years. Very, very roughly, very, very briefly, because we're going to dive deep in this episode into this, we used to recommend sort of a five-page, what we call the standard small business website. Get your about us page, your homepage in there, contact, et cetera, just those basic pages. And then slowly but surely SEO changed. SEO started to become a different animal. And so we'd recommend things like blogs and writing content and things like that. And now we have all this AI…
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