Why “just having a website” is not enough anymore
A lot of German small businesses already have what they consider a “finished” website.
It has an imprint and privacy notice. The logo is there. There is a list of services, an address, and maybe a few photos. On paper, the box “website” is ticked. In practice, not much happens because of it.
When you ask where new clients come from, the answer is often “recommendations, existing network, maybe LinkedIn”. The website rarely shows up in that list. It is treated as something that has to exist, not something that actively helps.
The good news is that you do not need to turn your website into a Silicon Valley landing page to change that. You mainly need to move from “we exist” to “here is who we help, how we help them, and how to start a conversation with us”.
This article focuses on business and marketing websites for German small businesses—not e-commerce shops, not large portals. The patterns are deliberately simple so they can fit into the way German companies already work rather than asking you to rebuild your entire sales process around the site.
Step 1: get painfully clear on who the site is for
Most small business websites try to speak to everyone: private customers, business clients, partners, sometimes even potential employees, all on the same page. The result is language that feels safe but vague. Nobody feels directly addressed.
The first step toward a lead-generating site is to decide who you are willing to write for.
If you mainly serve Mittelstand companies in a specific region, say it. If you specialise in a narrow industry—real estate, manufacturing, consulting—make that obvious above the fold. People in Germany tend to value competence and focus. A website that looks like it could belong to any generic provider in any country does not send that signal.
You do not have to exclude everyone else. You just have to be specific enough that your ideal clients immediately think “this might be for us” when they land on the page.
Step 2: design the homepage around one main path
Many small business homepages in Germany are organised around the company rather than the visitor. They start with “We have been around since 1998”, show a large stock photo, and then spread services, news, and generic text across several sections without a clear path.
A more effective homepage behaves a bit like a calm salesperson:
It quickly explains who you help and with what kind of problems.
It offers one or two obvious next steps depending on where the visitor is.
It gives just enough detail to make a first decision without overwhelming anyone.
In practical terms, this often means:
An opening section that clearly names your audience and main service (“Webdesign und Entwicklung für kleine Unternehmen in Baden-Württemberg” is already better than “Willkommen auf unserer Website”).
A short explanation of typical outcomes (“Mehr qualifizierte Anfragen, weniger Hin und Her per E-Mail”).
A clear link or button to a focused service page and another to a straightforward contact or project brief page.
The goal is not to impress other designers. It is to help a busy business owner decide, within seconds, whether it is worth reading more.
Step 3: treat at least one service page as your “main sales conversation”
For many small businesses, all of the serious information lives in PDFs, offers, and conversations—almost none of it appears on the website. The service pages stay thin and generic: “We offer quality, reliability, flexibility.”
Instead of trying to make every service page perfect, choose one that matters most and treat it like your main sales conversation in text form.
Explain the typical situations where people call you. Use the same phrases your German clients use, not internal jargon. Describe what you do in a way that a non-expert decision-maker would understand. Add one or two short examples that feel plausible for your scale instead of abstract claims.
You do not need case studies with names and logos if you cannot share them. You do need concrete language: industries, problem types, and results that feel grounded in reality.
At the end of the page, make it easy to start a low-friction next step. It could be a simple contact form, a link to your project brief, or a clearly written “Rückruf anfordern” option. The key is that the action feels proportional to the level of trust you have built so far.
Step 4: use trust the way German buyers expect it
Trust looks and feels slightly different in every market. In Germany, small business buyers often default to caution. They look for seriousness, reliability, and signs that you do not disappear after launch.
That means a few small choices matter more than loud claims:
Using realistic photos or well-designed abstract visuals instead of generic stock images that could belong to any company.
Keeping typography, spacing, and colours consistent across pages so the site feels cared for.
Mentioning how long you have been active and where you are based, without turning the site into a CV.
Showing a few concrete examples of work, even if you cannot name all clients—industries, project types, and outcomes are often enough.
If you already have Google reviews or testimonials, integrate a small, credible slice of that social proof on the homepage or service page. Even short quotes with initials and company types (“Inhaber eines Handwerksbetriebs in Stuttgart”) can make a difference.
Step 5: make the technical basics invisible—in a good way
Visitors should not notice your hosting setup, Core Web Vitals, or cookie choices. They should simply experience a site that loads quickly, feels stable, and treats their privacy with respect.
From a small business perspective, that usually translates into:
Pages that load comfortably on mobile connections without huge hero videos or uncompressed images.
Layouts that do not jump around when images load or when banners appear.
Cookie and consent handling that offers a real choice instead of a dark-pattern “OK” button.
You do not need perfect scores in every performance tool. You do need a site that feels responsive and trustworthy for someone opening it on an older smartphone during a short break.
If you want to go deeper into the business side of speed, the article on performance optimisation ROI shows how load time connects to leads and revenue.
Step 6: connect the website to the way you actually sell
A website does not have to replace your existing sales process. It just needs to connect to it cleanly.
If most of your business still comes from referrals, think of the site as a tool that helps those referrals feel confident before they call. Make sure the main story and prices on the site roughly match what you say in offers and conversations. Outdated pricing or services that no longer exist create friction in Germany faster than in many other markets.
If you use discovery calls or project briefs, align the website with that structure. A short explanation of how a typical project starts (“Erstgespräch, unverbindliches Angebot, Umsetzung in klaren Phasen”) makes it easier for new contacts to say yes to the first step.
For German companies that prefer email to phone, a well-designed project brief form can capture exactly the information you need without going back and forth five times. Your site already has a project brief flow that supports this; the article on how to write a project brief goes into more detail.
When small improvements are enough—and when you need more
Not every small business website needs a full redesign. Sometimes, tightening your homepage messaging, improving a key service page, and cleaning up the contact flow already moves the needle.
You are probably in the “improvement” zone if:
The site is not embarrassing next to your current competitors.
The structure is roughly right, but some sections are outdated or unclear.
You can still update content and add sections without fighting the system.
You are likely in the “redesign” zone if:
The website reflects what you did three pivots ago, not what you do now.
The design clearly looks older than what your best clients expect in 2025.
The underlying system makes every change painful or risky.
The article on business website redesign ROI helps you decide when a larger investment makes sense.
Using this article as a checklist for your own site
If you want a simple way to apply these ideas, pick one evening or a quiet morning and open your website on a regular laptop and a phone—ideally with someone from your team who is not too close to it.
Read the homepage aloud and ask: would a stranger understand who this is for within ten seconds?
Open your most important service page and ask: does this sound like the real conversations you have with German clients, or like generic marketing?
Try to find your contact or project brief flow and ask: does this feel easy and trustworthy for someone who is only half convinced yet?
You do not have to fix everything at once. But if you notice gaps in clarity, trust, or flow, those are strong candidates for your next website iteration.
If you decide you want help turning a brochure site into something more effective, the business website development services page shows how a focused project can look from the implementation side. Even if you work with someone else, thinking in these terms will make your next investment feel more like a growth decision and less like a box to tick.
