2026 Philadelphia business website report
The Philadelphia homepages we tested have good bones and faded lettering.
Of the 42 independent Philadelphia business sites that finished our phone test, 22 came in under 2 MB and 33 failed the color-contrast check. In a city that reads for a living, we'd repaint before we'd rebuild.
The median home in Philadelphia was built in 1949, so this is a good city in which to explain the difference between an old building and a bad one. We tested 44 independent business sites here on a phone, and the frames held up better than the paint. The median homepage weighs 1.97 MB, against 3.08 MB in our 31-city sample. 22 of 42 came in under 2 MB, 52% against 31%. This is a modest sample at one run per site, but those gaps are wide enough to take seriously. 4 landed in the poor speed band, 10% against 26%, a figure we'd hold more loosely, since speed scores move with how busy our shared test machine was.
Then you try to read the sign. 33 of 42 homepages have at least some text with too little contrast against its background, 79% against 62%. Business markup, which tells a search engine what kind of business this is, appears on 12 of 44, 27% against 45%. A single main heading appears on 52% against 61%, a smaller gap we wouldn't lean on alone. None of this is structural. It's paint and lettering.
Our read is that lettering counts for more in this economy than a homepage's owner might guess. Higher education, healthcare, insurance, law and finance are all among the city's main industries, and we'd expect their customers to read before they call. A page that is hard to read is a poor pitch to a reading public. The sensible move is smaller than the one you may have been quoted. Before anyone sells you a rebuild, ask what design fixes would do for the site you have, and introduce yourself to search engines properly. Check your own site before you call anyone.
Measured November 7, 2026
We tested 44 Philadelphia business websites on a phone.
Independent businesses with a Philadelphia street address on their own site. Totals only: we do not name anyone. How we tested.
65.5 of 100
Median mobile speed score
31-city sample: 61
6.6 seconds
Until the main content shows
On a simulated mid-range phone. 31 cities: 7.4s
83% of sites
Took over 4 seconds
35 of 42 tested
9% of sites
Let a visitor book online
31 cities: 10%
Scores for Philadelphia are from our own test, described under How we tested.
What it means
The inspection report, room by room.
The frame is lighter than most, which isn't the same as fast.
Weight is the clearest good news: 1.97 MB at the median against 3.08 MB. Blocking time is about the same, a median of 231 ms against 277 ms. The median speed score of 65.5 sits a few points above the 61 in our 31-city sample, which on 42 sites is nothing to lean on. And 35 of 42 still took more than four seconds to show their main content, about the same share as the 31-city sample. So these sites are light, and they could be quicker. Here is where we'd look.
Hard to read is the common fault.
33 of 42 homepages failed the color-contrast check, 79% against 62%. A failure means some text on the page falls short, perhaps only a footer line, so it doesn't mean the whole page is unreadable. It also tends to be a small fix, often a matter of choosing darker text. Design fixes are built for jobs that size. Text too small to read on a phone turned up on 3 of 42, a count too small to say much.
Search engines get a thin introduction.
Business markup appears on 27% of homepages against 45%, the widest gap in this test on the search side. A search description appears on 84% against 82%, about the same. Vague link text runs the other way, failing on 21% against 32%, a point in Philadelphia's favor. We don't claim that markup moves rankings. It's a plain statement of who you are, and most of these homepages don't make it. SEO starts with that.
Some old wiring behind good walls.
10 of 42 use deprecated browser features, 24% against 18%. Those features work until the browsers drop them. 4 of 42 aren't fully on HTTPS, against 4%. These counts are small and we'd call them no trend. They're the things an inspector would still point out, though, and mixed-content warnings are a small job while they stay small. Broken pages are too.
How Philadelphia sites ask for the business
30 Philadelphia sites · 31-city sample: 72%
15 Philadelphia sites · 31-city sample: 31%
4 Philadelphia sites · 31-city sample: 10%
12 Philadelphia sites · 31-city sample: 45%
Most common failures
- Text with too little color contrast79%
- Uses third-party cookies57%
- Links with no discernible name48%
- Browser errors logged in the console40%
- Headings that skip levels33%
- Uses deprecated browser features24%
Free tool
How does your site compare with the rest of Philadelphia?
Give it your address and you get a graded report in about twenty seconds. It runs its own checks, so its grade isn't comparable with our speed scores. These three you can check yourself, against what we counted in Philadelphia:
- 68% have a tap-to-call link
- 84% have a search description
- 27% tell search engines what kind of business they are
Who does business in Philadelphia
Eds, meds, law and the trades in the old houses.
Medical practices and clinics
Healthcare and medicine is one of the main industries, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals are among the big employers. Of the 12 health sites we tested, 11 had tap-to-call and 3 had a lead form on the homepage.
The site has to: say who you see and how a new patient gets in, set the text dark enough to read at arm's length, and offer a way to ask for a visit after hours.
Healthcare website designLaw, insurance and finance offices
All three are among the city's main industries. The 11 professional-services sites we tested post a median speed score of 68, and 2 of them have a lead form on the homepage, against 37% of 343 in our 31-city sample. A group this small can swing a long way, so call it a hint. A form could also be a newsletter sign-up.
The site has to: name the people and the practice areas, make the long paragraphs easy on the eye, and take a first note in writing.
Law firm website designSchools, training and nonprofits
Higher education is a main industry, with Temple and the University of Pennsylvania among the big employers. We have no measurement for these organizations as a group. Our read is that content here piles up for years and few people are left who can tidy it.
The site has to: keep programs, dates and costs findable on a phone, and let someone who isn't a developer change them.
Education websitesTrades working on older houses
A median home built in 1949 gives a plumber, an electrician or a roofer something specific to say. We had too few of these sites to report as a group. Our guess is that the owner of an old house wants proof you've met one before.
The site has to: name the older-house jobs you do, show them, and put a phone link and a short form on the first screen.
Home service websitesRestaurants, hotels and event trade
Leisure, hospitality and tourism is a main industry, and Marathon Weekend's own site counts over 30,000 athletes. Only 5 food and drink sites came through this test, too few to read as a group.
The site has to: show hours, menus and dates in readable type, and stay current ahead of the Flower Show and the race weekends.
Restaurant website designPhiladelphia by the numbers
1.58 million
Population
Census Reporter — Philadelphia, PA (ACS figures are 2020–2024 five-year; page opens on one-year)$61,953
Median household income
Census Reporter — Philadelphia, PA (ACS figures are 2020–2024 five-year; page opens on one-year)33,456
Business establishments (Philadelphia County)
BLS QCEW 2025 annual averages — Philadelphia County1949
Median year homes were built
Census Reporter — Philadelphia, PA (ACS figures are 2020–2024 five-year; page opens on one-year)24.4%
Speak a language other than English at home
Census Reporter — Philadelphia, PA (ACS figures are 2020–2024 five-year; page opens on one-year)134.3 sq mi
Land area
Census Reporter — Philadelphia, PA (ACS figures are 2020–2024 five-year; page opens on one-year)Businesses online
Statewide, 50% of Pennsylvania small businesses use an AI platform (state scope; survey fielded June 2025).
U.S. Chamber of Commerce — Empowering Small Business 2025 (state scorecards)Before you spend a dollar
Five things to check before anyone brings a wrecking ball.
- 1
Get an inspection before a demolition.
22 of the 42 sites we tested came in under 2 MB. If yours is among the sound ones, a rebuild buys a new front for a frame that wasn't failing. Run Google's PageSpeed Insights on mobile and read it. A redesign makes sense when the structure is the problem, and we'd say so if it is.
- 2
Repaint the type first.
Darker text on a plain background, checked on a phone, in daylight. On 79% of the sites we tested, at least some text fell short. It's among the smallest jobs on this list, and design upgrades can carry it further if you'd like.
- 3
Put one name on the door.
A page should have one main heading that says what the business does. 52% of the sites we tested have exactly one. Skipped heading levels run 33% against 47%, so the order is better kept than the count. For a financial office or a school with long pages, headings are also how a reader finds the part that matters.
- 4
Introduce yourself to the machines.
12 of 44 homepages carry business markup. Add yours, with a name, address and phone that match everywhere else. It's plain paperwork. SEO work includes more than that, and this is where we'd begin.
- 5
Have the wiring checked.
Ask what's running behind the walls. 10 of 42 sites we tested use deprecated browser features. WordPress runs 23 of the 44, so plugin updates are the first thing we'd look at on those. Regular maintenance is dull, and we'd take dull.
Local marketing
Fix the sign, then advertise the shop.
Search opportunities
Things people here would like to read before they call.
Our read of what buyers here need answered, not search-volume figures.
“Do you work on older homes in Philadelphia?”
It is a question with a specific answer, and the median house here makes it a fair one. A page of real jobs on real old houses answers it better than the word "experienced."
Home service marketing“Is this firm taking new clients?”
It's a small thing to state on a page. Our opinion is that a reader would sooner learn it there than by leaving a message.
Law firm marketing“Is this practice accepting new patients?”
12 health sites came through this test, and 3 had a lead form on the homepage. If you're accepting patients, say so where one will see it, along with what happens next.
Healthcare websites“Where can we eat after the Broad Street Run?”
Ten miles straight down Broad Street, every early May, and the Marathon Weekend each November. Our view is that a page kept current for those dates is a small job, and it can come back every year.
Restaurant marketing
What it costs
What the work runs, in writing.
Repairs start at $149. A full website up to 70 pages runs $1,500 to $5,750 at a fixed price, set by how many pages it has, and online stores start at $2,500. We lead with the smaller number because on these figures many sites here may need the smaller job. You can read the whole list before you talk to anyone.
Website, up to 10 pages
$1,500
fixed price
Website, 11 to 20 pages
$2,250
fixed price
Website, 21 to 50 pages
$3,750
fixed price
Website, 51 to 70 pages
$5,750
fixed price
- Online storeFrom $2,500
- Web app, portal or integrationFrom $575***
- Mobile appFrom $3,750
- SEO, local marketing or PPCFrom $575 a month***
***Pricing depends on complexity. ***Pricing depends on complexity, setup and budget. Ad spend is paid to the ad platform directly.
See every priceThe Philadelphia playbook
A repair order, in the order we'd do it.
- 1
Read your own page at arm's length.
Take your phone outside and read the homepage. Then run Google's PageSpeed Insights on mobile and open the accessibility section, which lists the text that failed the contrast check. Our health check gives a separate graded report, and its grade doesn't compare with our figures.
- 2
Fix the type.
Change the failing colors, starting with whatever sits on your first screen. Keep the page's weight where it is: the median here is 1.97 MB, and it's easier to stay light than to lose it later. Mobile fixes can go in the same pass.
- 3
Fix the headings and the markup.
One main heading per page, in order, and business markup that matches your listings. Check the search description while you're there. Search Console will show you what Google reports about your site, at no charge.
- 4
Give the reader a way to answer.
On 19 of 44 homepages, a phone link is the only way in that we counted, and 8 offered no phone link, form or booking tool at all. A short form suits the customer who has been reading at a desk. Then send yourself a test, since forms can fail quietly.
- 5
Write what only you can write.
The old-house job, the question every new client asks, the dates of the Flower Show if you live on them. Content that specific is hard for anyone to copy. Then tidy your Google Business Profile, and you're in fair shape.
Recent work
Modern builds we've shipped.
Bleuwave HVAC
HVAC — Residential & Commercial
A WordPress site rebuilt on Next.js, a same-day HVAC operation with an instant-estimate engine, 0% financing flow, and 40+ service pages, built to load fast and book jobs around the clock.
Bleuwave (Home Services)
Multi-Trade Brand Hub
The parent brand hub tying HVAC, plumbing, and electrical together in one highly interactive site.
Regional Concrete
Custom PHP Build · Concrete Contractor
A Battle Creek, Michigan concrete contractor working since 2008, with a site that takes a homeowner or a plant manager from the right service page to a written estimate.
Core Construction Group
Construction & Remodeling
A dark, modern build for a veteran-owned Phoenix construction group whose pitch is the org chart: you deal with the owner, not a subcontractor chain.
Simply amazing!
They took our outdated website and transformed it into a modern, user-friendly platform that truly represents our brand.
They get it done.
We had no idea where to start; they explained the build process and were patient with our many questions. All expectations and timelines were met. Double thumbs up!
Start here
Tell us what you need in Philadelphia.
Pick what you want and the price appears on the spot. The developer follows up, not a salesperson.
Prefer to talk? (480) 525-7582.
See what your project costs. It takes about a minute.
Rather talk? (480) 525-7582. 0% financing on any project, 25% down. See all pricing
Philadelphia website questions, answered.
How fast were the Philadelphia business websites you tested?
On a simulated mid-range phone, the median site took 6.6 seconds to show its main content and scored 65.5 out of 100 for mobile speed, across 42 completed tests. Each site ran once and the sample is modest, so treat that as a benchmark. It grades nobody.
Does "good bones" mean my site is fast?
No. It means the sites we tested were lighter than most, and few landed at the bottom. 35 of 42 still took more than four seconds to show their main content. Yours may be different in either direction, so check what the scores measure and test it.
Should I redesign my site or repair it?
Repair first if the structure is sound: type, headings, markup, broken parts. Redesign if the site can't say what you now do, or can't be changed without a developer. Repairs start at $149, and this page covers redesigns.
What is the comparison sample?
1274 independent business sites across 31 US cities, tested the same way, and it includes these Philadelphia sites. Treat it as a yardstick. It isn't representative of the US, and it isn't an average for the country. Gaps of a few points may be noise, so we've tried to lean only on the wide ones.
What does a website cost for a Philadelphia business?
Our published prices are $1,500 to $5,750 for a site up to 70 pages, online stores from $2,500, and repairs from $149. See the whole list.
Can I see my own business's score?
Not from this report, which gives totals and names nobody. You can test it yourself. Try the free Website Health Check for a graded report, and Google's PageSpeed Insights, which uses the Lighthouse engine we did. Run the second one more than once, because scores move.
Method
How we tested.
We started from OpenStreetMap business listings, independents only, screened 63 candidate sites in a shuffled, evenly mixed order, and kept 44 independent businesses that publish a Philadelphia street address on their own site. We left out national chains, referral sites, parked or broken domains, and sites that block automated tests, along with anything we built ourselves.
Each homepage got one run of Google Lighthouse 12.6.0: mobile form factor (412 x 823 screen emulation), Lighthouse default simulated throttling (150 ms round trip, 1.6 Mbps throughput, 4x CPU slowdown), headless Chrome, one run per site. 42 runs completed. A second pass in headless Chrome looked for tap-to-call links, forms, booking tools and search markup, on the homepage only, so a form on a contact page or an email link doesn't count. A form with an email, phone or message field counts as a lead form, which means a newsletter sign-up can count too. Business markup means JSON-LD naming one of the common local-business types, so another format or a more general type isn't counted. Testing ran on November 7, 2026, several sites at a time on one machine.
A lab test is one controlled load, which makes sites comparable with each other. It does not measure any real visitor's experience, and one run per site carries noise. Tests ran several at a time on one machine, and a busy machine lowers speed scores and lengthens blocking time, so we reran the tests taken when it was busiest. Read those two figures as rough, and small gaps as noise. Listings skew toward businesses someone has bothered to map, so read this as a careful sample, not a census. The comparison figures are 1274 sites across 31 US cities, tested the same way, and they include these Philadelphia sites. Our Mesa report found its sample through web searches and ran one site at a time, so its figures aren't directly comparable.
- Candidate sites screened
- 63
- Philadelphia businesses kept
- 44
- Speed runs completed
- 42
- Tested
- November 7, 2026
- Speed test
- Lighthouse 12.6.0
Sources for the facts on this page
Beat the Philadelphia median.
Fifteen minutes, plain English, and a number in writing. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.