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Building a website isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works for a national company trying to reach millions of customers across the country won’t necessarily work for a local business trying to connect with people in their neighborhood.
Local and national businesses have completely different goals, audiences, and challenges. Your website strategy should reflect those differences.
Here’s what both local and national businesses need to think about when designing their websites.
Local Businesses Need to Understand Their Market
National companies can afford to cast a wide net and appeal to general audiences. Local businesses, on the other hand, need to get laser-focused on their specific market and community.
Take Los Angeles, for example. It’s a massive, diverse city where businesses aren’t just competing with national brands—they’re up against boutique creative agencies in Silver Lake, fashion startups in DTLA, wellness brands in Venice, and tech companies in Santa Monica. A yoga studio in Echo Park needs a completely different tone and design approach than a legal firm in Century City.
That’s why choosing the right Los Angeles web design partner is crucial. You need someone who understands not just the city, but your neighborhood’s culture, audience expectations, and even design aesthetics that resonate locally. A smart web designer will know how to tailor content for a bilingual audience in East LA, and build a user flow that fits how they actually browse and buy.
Another example is San Diego—a city with its own unique character and competitive landscape. Just like in LA, success here depends on knowing your audience. A San Diego web designer should understand the difference between building a site for a tourist-focused business in the Gaslamp Quarter versus a wellness clinic in Hillcrest or a home service provider in North County. They need to account for San Diego’s mix of military families, surfers, and college students. The right partner will help you connect with your audience, whether that means incorporating bilingual features, showcasing sustainability efforts, or ensuring a smooth mobile experience for people on the go.
Your Location Should Be Front and Center
National businesses might bury their contact information in a footer or hide it behind a “Contact Us” page. Local businesses need to do the opposite.
Your address, phone number, and service area should be obvious from the moment someone lands on your homepage. People searching for local services want to know immediately if you’re actually in their area and easy to reach.
This means more than just listing your address. Show your location on a map, mention local landmarks, and make it clear which neighborhoods or cities you serve. Local customers need to feel confident that you’re truly local, not just another national company with a local phone number.
Local SEO Requires Different Content Strategy
National businesses focus on broad keywords and general topics. Local businesses need to think about how people actually search for services in their area.
This means creating content around local search terms, neighborhood names, and location-specific problems. Instead of just writing about “plumbing tips,” a local plumber might write about “common plumbing problems in older homes” if they serve an area with lots of historic houses.
Your website needs to answer the question: “Why should someone in my specific area choose me over competitors?” That requires understanding what makes your local market unique and addressing those specific needs.
Build Trust Through Local Connections
National companies can rely on brand recognition and massive advertising budgets. Local businesses need to build trust through community connections and local credibility.
This means featuring local testimonials, showcasing local projects, and highlighting your involvement in the community. Include photos from local events, mention local partnerships, and show that you’re genuinely part of the community you serve.
People want to work with businesses they feel connected to, and local businesses have a huge advantage here if they use it properly.
Mobile Experience Matters More for Local
While mobile is important for everyone, it’s absolutely critical for local businesses. People searching for local services are often on their phones, looking for immediate solutions.
Your website needs to load quickly on mobile, display your phone number prominently, and make it easy for people to get directions to your location. If someone’s searching for “emergency plumber near me” at 10 PM, you don’t want them struggling to find your contact information on a slow-loading mobile site.
Keep It Simple and Action-Focused
National businesses might have complex websites with multiple product lines, detailed corporate information, and extensive resources. Local businesses usually need simpler, more focused websites that make it easy for people to take action.
Your homepage should quickly answer: What do you do? Where do you serve? How can someone contact you? Everything else is secondary to those basic questions.
Local customers aren’t browsing your website for entertainment. They have a problem and want to know if you can solve it. Make that as clear and simple as possible.
Compete on Service and Local Knowledge
Your website should emphasize what makes you different as a local business. Maybe you offer same-day service, have deep knowledge of local building codes, or have been part of the community for decades. These advantages only matter if you highlight them.
Tips for National Businesses
National businesses face different challenges and opportunities when it comes to website design.
Focus on Broad Appeal and Scalability
National businesses need websites that work for diverse audiences across different regions, demographics, and use cases. Your design should be clean and universal rather than location-specific.
Build systems that can handle high traffic volumes and multiple user paths. Your website architecture needs to scale as your business grows into new markets.
Emphasize Trust and Credibility
Without local connections, national businesses need to build trust through other means. Feature customer reviews from multiple locations, showcase industry certifications, and highlight your company’s history and expertise.
Include detailed “About Us” sections, team bios, and clear company information. National customers need to feel confident they’re dealing with a legitimate, established business.
Optimize for Multiple Markets
Create location-specific landing pages for different markets you serve. Each page should address local regulations, regional preferences, and market-specific needs while maintaining your overall brand consistency.
Use geotargeting to show relevant content based on where visitors are located. Someone in New York might see different shipping options or local contact information than someone in California.
Invest in Advanced Functionality
National businesses can justify bigger website investments because they serve larger customer bases. Consider features like advanced search, customer portals, detailed product configurators, or integration with multiple business systems.
Build robust e-commerce capabilities if you sell products, including features like inventory management across multiple locations, complex shipping calculations, and customer account management.
The Bottom Line
Local businesses succeed when they embrace being local. Your website should reflect your local expertise, community connections, and understanding of your specific market.
Focus on strongly appealing to the people in your area who need what you offer. When you get that right, everything else becomes easier.
You may also like: A/B Testing Your Website Design: What to Test and Why It Matters
Image source: elements.envato.com
