For an entrepreneur starting a business, building a website might feel like just another task on your endless to-do list. But having a prominent online presence is crucial as potential customers increasingly start their purchase journey online—for everything from bubble tea to accounting help to hand-painted mugs. A dedicated website gives you complete control over your online presence without platform restrictions.
Unlike social media, where algorithms and policies can limit your reach, a website lets you display your products, answer customer questions, and tell your brand story—all on your own terms. Plus, with modern website builders, you can get up and running in a few days without hiring a web designer or knowing how to code.
Below are some examples of the best small business websites to inspire your own digital space.
Elements of the best small business websites
Your business website needs to look good, convey your brand personality, and convert visitors into customers. The best small business websites go the extra mile by adding blog posts, evocative copy, and high-quality photography.
The best business websites prioritize these elements:
Branding
Your brand identity includes your logo, colors, typography, and iconography—all used consistently to make your business instantly recognizable. Customizable templates on website builders help you maintain a cohesive look across all your pages.
Photography
High-definition product photography can simulate the in-store shopping experience, giving customers a clear view of what they’re buying and boosting their confidence. For businesses that sell in person, website photos can show different retail locations or introduce your team, helping customers form a connection with your brand.
Navigation
Visitors need to easily find what they’re looking for on your site, whether that’s your bestselling products, store locations, or contact information. Prioritize intuitive menus, search functionality, and strategically placed calls-to-action (CTAs) that naturally guide visitors through your site.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
SEO improves your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) when potential customers look for your products or services. Use your web platform’s built-in SEO tools to optimize meta descriptions, generate sitemaps, improve page loading speeds, and structure content.
Copy
Effective website copy speaks directly to customer pain points and desires, showing how your business can provide the solution they’re seeking. Your homepage needs bold, catchy copy above the fold to grab visitors’ attention, while product pages need compelling, detailed descriptions to motivate purchases.
Checkout
Depending on your business model, you may only need to accept payments for appointments and services, or have complete shopping cart functionality and secure, frictionless payment options. Shopify’s store launch checklist covers ecommerce essentials like discounts codes, payment methods, and automated email notifications.
Mobile functionality
Mobile devices account for over 62% of global web page views, which means your site needs to look great and work smoothly on smaller screens. Responsive design ensures menus collapse properly, images resize appropriately, and buttons are easy to tap.
10 best small business websites
- Apothékary
- Bite
- Eighth Generation
- Jolie
- LatchLight
- London Terrariums
- Mid-Day Squares
- Reparations Club
- Somos
- Unsun Cosmetics
Whether you’re launching an online store for handcrafted goods or seeking inspiration for your service-based business, the small business website examples below show how you can create unique digital spaces.
These 10 businesses—from a chocolatier to a self-sustaining terrarium maker—demonstrate the perfect balance of aesthetics and functionality:
1. Apothékary
Apothékary offers plant-based supplements to address wellness concerns, like stress, lack of sleep, and sugar cravings. Its modern yet traditional, apothecary-inspired website features product pages that balance eye-catching imagery with verified customer reviews and detailed product descriptions.
The site builds credibility through multiple trust badges: USDA Organic certification emblems, third-party testing callouts, and customer testimonials featuring real names and social media handles to legitimize feedback.
The site also features articles about the impact of stress on the body, personalized product recommendations through its assessment tool, and lifestyle posts with mocktail recipes to reinforce Apothékary’s alcohol-alternative positioning and commitment to health.
2. Bite
Bite creates chewable toothpaste tablets as a plastic-free alternative to traditional oral care. The brand’s minimalist and monochromatic product design and refined photography create a striking visual contrast to the loud, cluttered look of mainstream toothpaste brands.
Bite’s website reinforces its environmental mission with dedicated sections highlighting its sustainability efforts—from eliminating plastic tubes to using infinitely refillable packaging and earth-friendly formulations.
PODCAST: How Bite’s Lindsay McCormick Bootstrapped Her Way to a Multimillion-Dollar Business
3. Eighth Generation
Eighth Generation is a lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe, offering authentic Native-designed products, including blankets, socks, towels, and jewelry. The website goes beyond selling products, sharing a distinctive brand story that highlights the company’s leadership team, its exclusive partnerships with Native artisans, and its mission to reclaim control over cultural narratives.
Eighth Generation’s “Shop by Artist” section connects customers directly with artisans, featuring individual portraits, bios, and tribal affiliations to spotlight the creators behind each product. The site also invites visitors to experience the brand in person at its downtown Seattle store near Pike Place Market.
PODCAST: How Eighth Generation’s Shared Ownership Model Is Redefining Native American Commerce
4. Jolie
Jolie sells a filtered showerhead that removes chlorine and heavy metals from shower water for healthier skin and hair. Its website positions the product as the “Step Zero” of beauty routines, educating consumers about water contaminants before presenting its solution.
Jolie visually supports its claims with sleek product photography, benefit callouts like “fewer breakouts, more compliments,” and clear illustrations of skin and hair issues. It builds credibility in a niche product category by featuring social proof throughout the site with customer testimonials and a prominent “350,000+ happy customers” counter.
PODCAST: This Founder’s Shower Idea Became a Viral Sensation
5. LatchLight
LatchLight offers an innovative wearable light designed to help mothers achieve proper latching during nighttime baby feedings. Its website addresses a specific parenting pain point through clearly organized benefit sections that highlight three key features: hassle-free nighttime feedings, latch assistance, and hands-free convenience.
The website prominently features the founders’ personal backgrounds as parents who faced the same struggles as their customers. It also provides detailed explanations of the product’s technology, explaining how its red-spectrum illumination prevents melatonin disruption, setting it apart from ordinary nightlights.
PODCAST: A Bright Idea for a Baby Product
6. London Terrariums
London Terrariums creates self-sustaining, self-watering houseplants and terrariums for city dwellers looking to reconnect with nature. The web design features a rich mossy green color scheme and draws focus to the glass-encased miniatures by setting products against simple backgrounds.
Its founding story, dating back to 2014, highlights how a passion for gardening despite limited space in London led to an authentic connection with urban customers facing similar constraints. Beyond selling products, London Terrariums nurtures community through educational resources and workshops, providing expert guidance to help others bring the beauty of nature indoors.
PODCAST: Growing a Hobby Into a Business
7. Mid-Day Squares
Mid-Day Squares produces chocolate snack squares that blend indulgence with nutrition, packing six grams of protein and four grams of fiber into every piece. Its website’s minimalist design helps the boldly colored packaging stand out—vibrant blues, oranges, yellows, and reds. On the homepage, punchy statements like “We just taste better” and “Everything a chocolate bar isn’t” establish the company’s confident brand voice.
The strategic display of social proof, with its 4.9-star rating and impressive “3,000,000 people” customer base, builds credibility while transparent ingredient callouts (non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan certified) appeal directly to health-conscious consumers. Mid-Day has also cultivated a content ecosystem with its podcast and active social channels.
PODCAST: The Chocolate Company That Sold One Million Bars In 20 Months
8. Reparations Club
Reparations Club is a Black-owned, woman-owned bookshop in Los Angeles, celebrating Black literature through curated collections organized by theme rather than traditional categories.
Its professional website is a digital extension of the brick-and-mortar location, using bold neon yellow against black backgrounds to create a striking visual identity. Aside from selling hand-picked books, the site promotes upcoming readings and community gatherings at Reparations Club’s physical location.
PODCAST: Inside This Black-Owned Bookstore’s Massive Organic Growth
9. Somos
SOMOS offers authentic, ready-to-heat Mexican meals developed by three entrepreneurs who previously built KIND Snacks. Its website uses vibrant magenta and yellow color blocks with traditional Mexican patterns to create a festive, celebratory feel.
The site discusses its mission to replace “fake Mexican food” in American pantries with real Mexican recipes, and a recipes section shares dishes like spicy refried bean flautas and breakfast tacos a la salsa ranchera. SOMOS maintains retail partnerships with stores like Whole Foods and uses its digital store locator to help online shoppers find its products in these physical locations.
PODCAST: How a Mexican Food Brand Turns Restaurant Trends Into Pantry Staples
10. Unsun Cosmetics
Unsun Cosmetics, founded by Katonya Breaux (aka Frank Ocean’s mom), offers mineral-based, tinted face sunscreens designed to work on all skin tones without leaving a white cast. The brand’s messaging communicates its mission: Create vegan, reef-safe sunscreen options for women of color, free from harmful ingredients and packaged sustainably.
Its press section is packed with praise from publications like Glamour, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Allure, Elle, and The Wall Street Journal. Its simple layout, clear messaging, and focus on solving real skin care challenges underscore the brand’s commitment to inclusivity and innovation.
PODCAST: Unsun Cosmetics Paves the Way for Inclusive Sunscreen
Best small business websites FAQ
What is the best website maker for small businesses?
Shopify is the best website builder for creating an online store of any size and managing an ecommerce business. For general websites that don’t have a commerce component, WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix are some options.
What is the best platform to sell for small businesses?
Shopify is the world’s leading ecommerce platform. It provides a collection of tools for selling products online and in person, including multichannel selling, integrated marketing tools, point-of-sale systems, and the ability to sell globally with easy international payment options.
Is it worth having a website for a small business?
Yes. Taking your business online with a website allows customers to shop anytime, lets you access customer data, and gives potential buyers 24/7 access to information about your products and services. Even if you don’t sell products, a business website is a valuable resource to build your brand, populate search engine results pages, provide important business information, and connect with customers.
