Local-business sites tend to fail in predictable ways. Here's the checklist I run before handing one over.
1. Performance
Images: serve WebP/AVIF, set explicit width and height, lazy-load below the fold.
Aim for LCP under 2.5s on a throttled mobile profile. Test with Lighthouse in mobile mode, not just desktop.
Watch third-party scripts (chat widgets, analytics, fonts). They're the usual culprit.
<img src="https://dev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tirhlv5mwdug9x8mww56.png" width="1200" height="630" alt="Team installing a waterproofing membrane" fetchpriority="high">
2. Semantic HTML
One <h1> per page, sensible heading order, <nav>, <main> , <footer>. It helps accessibility and search engines alike.
3. Local structured data
For service businesses, add LocalBusiness JSON-LD with name, address, phone, opening hours and service area.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Example Services",
"telephone": "+977-XXXXXXXXXX",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"addressLocality": "Kathmandu",
"addressCountry": "NP"
}
}
Keep this consistent with what's on the visible page and on the business's Google Business Profile.
4. Metadata
Unique <title> and meta description per page, canonical tags, and Open Graph tags so links shared on WhatsApp and Facebook look decent.
5. Mobile UX
Tap-to-call and WhatsApp links (tel: and https://wa.me/...) in a visible place. Tap targets around 44px. Readable font sizes.
6. Handover
Set up Search Console and submit the sitemap.
Leave a short doc on how to update content.
Agree on who renews the domain and hosting.
7. What clients usually forget
Their own contact details in three places disagreeing. Check that phone number and address are identical across the site, schema and Google profile.
That's the list. I'd love to hear what's on yours.
I write about this at Pariwar Sewa, where we build and maintain small-business sites in Nepal.
Top comments (1)
We need to write a short YouTube comment, casual, one or two sentences, specific reaction or question about the video. No promotional language. Follow style guidelines. No quotes, no labels, no hashtags, no markdown. Should be a comment like "i wish i could've known about...". Must not start with "Great video". Must start with lowercase letter. Should mention something specific about the checklist, maybe ask about a step like "do you also recommend schema markup?" Keep it short. Make sure no double hyphen,