A small business website doesn’t need dozens of pages. It needs the right ones, with clear, honest information. Customers want to know what you do, where you work, how to reach you and whether they can trust you. New Zealand law also sets some expectations, especially around privacy and the claims you make.
This guide covers what to include and why. It is general information, not legal advice. If your situation is complex, talk to a lawyer or your industry body.
The essential pages
Most small businesses can cover the basics with these pages:
- Home. Say what you do and where, in one or two plain sentences. Add a clear way to get in touch.
- Services or products. A page for each main service works better than one long list. Explain what is included and who it suits.
- About. Who you are, how long you have been operating, and any relevant qualifications or memberships.
- Contact. Full contact details, a map or service area, and your hours.
- Privacy statement. What personal information you collect and what you do with it. More on this below.
- Terms, returns or pricing information if you sell online or quote standard prices.
Optional pages that often help: frequently asked questions, examples of past work, and genuine customer reviews.
Contact details customers can rely on
Business.govt.nz recommends that businesses selling online show their phone, email and a street address, not just a PO box. Even if you don’t sell online, these details build trust.
- Put your phone number and email in the header or footer of every page.
- Make the phone number tappable on mobile so customers can call in one tap.
- If you work from home and travel to customers, you can list your service area instead of your home address. Be clear about where you operate.
- Use exactly the same business name, address and phone number as on your Google Business Profile and directory listings.
- Tell customers how to make a complaint, and mention any dispute resolution scheme your industry requires.
A privacy statement that meets the Privacy Act 2020
If your website collects personal information, such as names and emails through a contact form, booking details, or data through cookies and analytics, the Privacy Act 2020 applies. Under Information Privacy Principle 3, you must take reasonable steps to let people know certain things when you collect their information. A privacy statement on your website is the usual way to do that.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner says a privacy statement should cover:
- What personal information you collect.
- Why you collect it.
- Who you will share it with.
- What happens if someone doesn’t provide it, for example you can’t send a quote.
- People’s right to access their information and ask for it to be corrected.
- How to contact you about privacy.
- Whether a law requires you to collect it, and which law, if that applies.
Business.govt.nz also suggests covering how long you keep information. Write it in plain language and tailor it to your business. A copied template from an overseas site is unlikely to fit.
Two more points. First, the Privacy Act requires every New Zealand business to have a privacy officer. For a sole trader, that is usually you. Second, a newer principle, IPP3A, came into force in May 2026. It covers personal information you collect about people from someone other than the person themselves, such as a referral. If you do that, check the Commissioner’s guidance on what you need to tell them.
The Privacy Commissioner offers a free online tool called Priv-o-matic to help you draft a privacy statement. It is a useful starting point.
Honest claims: the Fair Trading Act
The Fair Trading Act applies to what you say on your website, just as it does to print or radio ads. The Commerce Commission’s guidance for businesses is clear:
- Claims must be accurate and must not be likely to mislead.
- You need a reasonable basis for claims when you make them. “Auckland’s best electrician” or “fastest service in Wellington” is risky unless you can back it up.
- Prices must be clear, accurate and unambiguous. Don’t exaggerate discounts or compare with a “usual” price you never really charged.
- Key terms must be easy to find. Price, delivery, returns and warranties shouldn’t be hidden in fine print.
- Don’t advertise what you can’t supply on the terms you state. Delivery costs, fees and timeframes must be clear and achievable.
- Don’t claim to be something you’re not, such as a qualification, award or membership you don’t hold.
If you sell to consumers online, make it clear you are in trade, so customers know their consumer law rights apply.
Don’t contradict the Consumer Guarantees Act
The Consumer Guarantees Act gives consumers automatic rights. Goods must be of acceptable quality, fit for purpose and match their description. Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time and at a reasonable price.
You can’t remove these rights for consumers with your website terms. Contracting out is only possible when selling to another business, in writing, where both agree and it is fair and reasonable. A blanket “no refunds” policy aimed at consumers doesn’t override the Act. Misleading statements about consumers’ rights can also breach the Fair Trading Act.
So when you write your returns or refunds page, explain how customers can ask for a repair, replacement or refund. Keep it consistent with their rights.
Display your NZBN
The New Zealand Business Number is a free, 13-digit identifier. Companies already have one. Sole traders, partnerships and trusts can apply online at nzbn.govt.nz.
Showing your NZBN in your website footer or on your contact page is a simple trust signal. It lets other businesses look up your details on the NZBN Register. Make sure your Primary Business Data on the register matches your website.
Make it work well on a phone
Many customers will find you on a phone, often while they are out or between jobs. Test your own site on your phone and check:
- Text is readable without zooming.
- Buttons and links are big enough to tap.
- Your phone number and contact form are easy to reach.
- Pages load quickly. Large images are the usual cause of slow pages. Resize and compress them before uploading.
- Pop-ups don’t block the content.
Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool can test a page and suggest fixes. Keep plugins and themes up to date, and remove ones you don’t use.
Help people find your site
Once your website is ready, link it from your Google Business Profile and add it to a few trusted directories. NZ Webz lists New Zealand websites for free, and every listing is checked by a person against our editorial policy. A clear, honest website with the pages above is what we look for. You can submit your website when you are ready.
Key points
- Cover the essentials: home, services, about, contact and a privacy statement.
- Show your phone, email and a street address or clear service area.
- Write a plain-language privacy statement that covers what you collect, why, who sees it and how people can access it.
- Every business needs a privacy officer under the Privacy Act 2020.
- Only make claims you can back up, and keep prices and terms clear.
- Don’t contradict consumers’ Consumer Guarantees Act rights.
- Display your NZBN and make sure the site works well on a phone.
Sources
Office of the Privacy Commissioner: Principle 3, Principle 3A, Privacy statements, notices and policies and Your obligations. Business.govt.nz: Information you must tell customers. Commerce Commission: Selling online. Consumer Protection: Obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act. NZBN: About the NZBN and Applying for an NZBN.