SEO, Web Design
8 Website Features Your Customers Expect in 2025
Joe Smith | 10.10.25
In 2025, visitors expect more from a website than ever before. From speed and design to trust and accessibility, here are the website features your customers expect and how to make sure your site delivers them.
Introduction
What Website Features Your Customers Expect in 2025
The way people experience websites has changed dramatically over the past few years. In 2025, visitors are more impatient, more informed, and more selective than ever. They expect fast, easy, and trustworthy experiences from the moment your site loads, and if it does not deliver, they will move on to a competitor that does.
That means small businesses can no longer rely on outdated designs, slow loading speeds, or generic "Contact Us" buttons. Whether you are a tradesperson, a local shop, or a growing brand, your website needs to meet modern expectations to win trust and turn visitors into customers.
Here are eight website features your customers expect in 2025, along with how to make sure your site delivers every single one of them.
1. Fast, Seamless Performance
Websites speed and smoothness are now baseline expectations whenever a visitor is looking for something. Users expect websites to load instantly, scroll smoothly without interruption and adapt perfectly to mobile devices. The latter is particularly important, as most internet browsing is now done on a mobile device, be it a phone or a tablet. Gone are the days where you would be forced to scroll around a desktop version on a small screen, or even developing two separate websites. Responsive design is a key website feature your customers expect.
In order for your business' website to rank on search engines like Google, a website needs to adhere to Core Web Vitals, which are a set of metrics that measure a website's user experience in terms of loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. Keeping on top of these not only helps with your website's ranking, but user retention making sure that the right customers come back to your website when they're ready to hire your services or buy your products.
Website performance optimisation should also be at the forefront of any good website. Things like optimising image formats and sizes, using a lightweight theme on WordPress and having reliable hosting are all things that can help speed up your website and give your visitors the experience they expect as standard.
All SiteJacket websites are built for speed and optimised to perform beautifully across devices, so if you are looking to build your first website, or you're worried that your existing one isn't running as good as it should be, contact us today to discuss your project.
2. Modern, Clean Design with Clear Navigation
The days of clunky, cluttered design are over. Long live modern, clean design! Here in 2025 we may look back and laugh about the webpages of the past with their crowded spaces, irritating pop-ups and cluttered bodies of text as outdated as the modern age of web design prefers simplicity in both visual appeal and navigation.
White space, bold headings and scannable sections are important not just because they look good, but because they serve a purpose for your website's visitor - an easy way to digest information without getting lost or bogged down. Every element should serve a purpose, and that purpose usually is to create engaging content be it to inform, inspire or even sell to your visitors.
The rise of dark mode on a website, along with other accessibility-conscious colour palettes are also among our favourite web trends of 2025. Coupled with minimalist web design and clean website navigation, these are certainly features that every website should consider in 2025.
3. Authentic, Human Branding
With the rise of AI and other, more dubious practices, people can't always trust what they see on the internet. Even with the advances in AI image-generation, people can still easily spot the difference between an AI-generated logo or one that's been professionally created and truly reflects a brand's personality.
People also connect with genuine stories, not corporate jargon, and this is often reflected in verified testimonials and reviews that a business should be proud to feature on their website. Case studies and "about us" pages on a website also generate a feeling that a website visitor knows who they are dealing with; a brand that can build trust by telling you their story and even putting some faces to the names of those that potential clients may deal with.
A consistent tone of voice (do you want to present yourself as more professional/formal, or do you want to sound more friendly and approachable?) and colour palette , along with using genuine photos over stock or AI images, goes a long way to building trust online.
Authenticity drives conversion, and a small business website with authentic branding will succeed more often than one that tries to "fake it". If your website doesn't reflect your personality or story, it may be time for a rebrand.
4. AI-Enhanced Personalisation
AI does indeed have its place when integrated properly with a modern website, however. Smart websites in 2025 us AI to streamline the user experience in many different ways such as the following:
- AI chatbot integration for FAQs that act as agents on your behalf
- Dynamic content based on visitor behaviour
- Automated booking systems and responses to enquiries
- Voice search optimisation
Even small businesses can integrate lightweight AI features on their website using WordPress plugins and then spend a small amount of time customising these bots. This may seem in contradiction to the point above, but many well-regarded websites are using these features to deliver a personalised user experience.
According to FT Strategies, a website's personalisation increases engagement and session time. As a small business, this is exactly what you want; if a potential customer is spending more time on your website than a competitor's, it's more likely they'll make a purchase from you.
At SiteJacket, we are exploring AI integrations that make small business websites feel smarter because we understand that user experience and retention is one of the most important aspects your business can have.
5. Clear Calls to Action and Easy Contact Options
Among website features your customers expect are clear Calls to Action (CTAs) and easy contact options. A user's attention span has decreased dramatically regarding websites over the years (which why a fast-loading website is a key ranking feature for Google) and this means that your website CTAs need to be bold, well-placed and easy to understand.
Users need clear direction, so vague messages are not well-regarded and should instead be replaced by "Let's Talk", "Request a Quote" and "Get Started"; these types of statements make a user feel they are taking decisive action and are therefore more engaged with the process. Try to avoid "Contact Us" dead end buttons where possible. Users like to click links that guide them towards an action that benefits them.
Contact options should be clear, too. Contact forms shouldn't be lengthy and must be kept as simple as possible - Usually something as simple as Name, Address & Phone Phone Number will do the trick for a person who is requesting more information about the services your provide. Alternatively, you could include other contact methods on your website, such as a WhatsApp link, where visitors can message your phone directly from the website, or click-to-call buttons.
All SiteJacket designs are built with conversion design in mind, user-friendly CTAs and clear paths for your visitors to get to where they need to be.
6. Trust Signals and Social Proof
Relating back to the authentic, human experience, visitors want reassurance that your business is genuine and reliable, and the best way to build these trust signals is to show off as much credibility online as you can.
Testimonials from previous customers, verified reviews on your Google Business Profile, partner logos, SSL badges, industry-specific accreditations and case study links are all ways you can show off the social proof that you are who you say you are and can do what you say you can do. This is incredibly important for tradespeople or businesses wishing to serve a local area.
Other, simple things that'll help put customers minds at ease include having up-to-date contact details (both on your website and your Google Business Profile), a visible location and a privacy policy.
7. Ongoing Maintenance and Fresh Content
Upkeep = credibility and ranking power, which is why keeping on top of things should be a primary concern.
A website that has regular updates, such as case studies for recent work, high-quality images or even new services added, signals trust to users and search engines. In fact, Google looks for updates often and ranks based upon its findings as it won't promote a website that's been untouched for a long time due to the fear of promoting outdated content.
Auditing your website for technical errors is also something to be aware of - broken links and outdated plugins are areas of concern that can be easily addressed and can help prevent security issues later down the line which could end up being costly for you.
Fresh content improves SEO and user engagement, so publishing new blog posts (along with targeting the keywords you wish to rank for) not only keeps your visitors informed and on your website, but it'll also help your ranking on search engines.
Maintenance, SEO updates and fresh content are all important website features your customers expect in 2025 and if this something you are worried about keeping on top of, our WordPress Care Plans and SEO packages can help keep your website healthy and visible month after month.
8 - Accessibility and Inclusivity
It goes without saying, but accessibility and inclusivity equals professionalism. In 2025, more and more websites are focusing on becoming more accessible to those who have specific needs and as a result, not only are they hugely beneficial to more people, it also increases their chances in ranking on search engines.
Simple standards, such as ensuring your website images contain descriptive alt text for screen readers, proper contrast ratios and clear fonts are all things that can be factored in with inclusive design. Having your contact forms and navigation that work seamlessly via keyboard and screen readers are also important features for your website to have.
Tools and WordPress plugins, such as WP Accessibility, can help website owners comply with WCAG 2.2 standards, making it easier than ever to bring your website in line.
Conclusion - Does Your Website Meet 2025 Expectations?
Modern websites blend speed, design, authenticity and trust to show to their customers that they are a brand that they can rely on, which is important for any small business website. By integrating the features we have mentioned here, you'll upgrade an outdated website to one that people enjoy visiting and staying around for.
Fresh content to keep people engaged and informed, clean design with clear CTAs directing people to the action you want them to take, helping potential clients by utilising AI on your website effectively (and not using it to be dishonest) all build towards a great experience for your customers.
If your website isn't ticking all of these boxes, and doesn't contain the website features your customers expect, it could be costing you visitors or conversions. If you're concerned about this, request a free website or SEO report today and find out how SiteJacket can help.
