Study: 638 Swiss SME websites analysed and the average is a 4.5

The average website of a Swiss SME scores 4.5 out of 10 points. Of 638 analysed websites not a single one reaches an overall average of 7. The biggest weakness is SEO and content at 3.6 out of 10, followed by conversion at 4.0. These are the core results of our analysis from June and July 2026.

Why this study

At amai! we analyse websites of Swiss SMEs continuously: structured, along a fixed grid and with the same criteria for every website. After five weeks and 638 analyses this produced a dataset that gives an honest answer to a simple question: how fit are the websites of Swiss SMEs really?

Methodology

Between 14 June and 20 July 2026 we analysed 638 publicly reachable websites of SMEs in German speaking Switzerland, from Zurich via Basel, Zug and Lucerne to Bern and Solothurn. Represented are among others construction and crafts, gastronomy, garages, health practices, hairdressers and cosmetics, florists, cleaning and many other service providers.

Every website was scored in eight categories from 0 to 10: first impression, positioning, conversion, UX and structure, visual design, SEO and content, trust and proof plus mobile experience. The ratings are indicative and based on visible website elements, not on analytics or lab measurements. All results are anonymised and aggregated; individual companies are not named.

The results at a glance

Averages per category across all 638 websites:

• Positioning: 4.8 out of 10. 41 percent sit below 5 points.
• First impression: 4.7 out of 10. 44 percent sit below 5 points.
• Visual design: 4.7 out of 10. 45 percent sit below 5 points.
• Trust and proof: 4.6 out of 10. 45 percent sit below 5 points.
• Mobile experience: 4.6 out of 10. 47 percent sit below 5 points.
• UX and structure: 4.6 out of 10. 47 percent sit below 5 points.
• Conversion: 4.0 out of 10. 71 percent sit below 5 points.
• SEO and content: 3.6 out of 10. 85 percent sit below 5 points.

Four numbers sum up the state of play. 71 percent of all websites fail to reach an overall average of 5. Not a single one of the 638 websites reaches an overall average of 7. 90 percent do not reach a 7 in any category at all. And 59 percent have at least one category at 3 points or less, a weak spot that actively costs customers.

The biggest gap: invisible to Google and AI

SEO and content is by far the weakest category. 85 percent of the websites sit below 5 points and half of them at 3 or lower. For 40 percent of the websites it is the weakest category of all.

In practice this means: page titles without service and location, missing or empty meta descriptions, hardly any text that explains what the company actually offers and for whom. These websites often look tidy but Google and increasingly AI assistants can neither classify nor recommend them. The result is a website that stays silent: technically online, practically invisible.

The second gap: visitors arrive but nothing happens

Conversion is the second weakest category at 4.0; 71 percent sit below 5 and a quarter at 3 or lower. Typical patterns from the analyses: no clear call to action, phone numbers as plain text instead of a tappable link and contact options that only appear after several clicks. Whoever reaches these websites often simply finds no easy next step.

Quick technical fixes with real effect

Some problems came up again and again in the analyses and can be fixed within hours. At least 35 percent of the websites lack an og:image, so shared links on WhatsApp or LinkedIn appear without a preview picture. At least 29 percent have a generic or incomplete page title. At least 28 percent have a missing or empty meta description. On 15 percent zooming on the phone is technically blocked. And on about 5 percent the phone number cannot be tapped on mobile.

The problem is structural, not industry specific

The differences between industries are small: the averages range from 3.9 to 4.8. Gastronomy and health practices score slightly better, cleaning companies the weakest. No sector can lean back: the gap runs through the whole SME landscape.

What your SME can do tomorrow

1. Put service and location into the page title, for example carpentry in Aarau instead of only the company name.
2. Fill the meta description of every important page with two clear sentences.
3. Make the phone number tappable and place a visible call to action on the home page.
4. Add an og:image so shared links show a preview picture.
5. Answer on the home page in two sentences what you offer, for whom and why with you.

Conclusion

Most Swiss SME websites are no write off but nearly all of them stay well below their potential. The average of 4.5 shows: whoever gets the basics right quickly belongs to the best of their industry, because nobody there reaches a 7 today.

Want to know where your website stands? We run exactly the analysis from this study for your website free of charge: request the free website analysis. Read more about the foundations under SEO foundations for SMEs and how we build websites that get found under websites by amai!.