It has been 25 years since the launch of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), America's first exchange-traded fund. Since then, U.S. ETF assets have growth to more than $3.4 trillion across more than 5,000 funds. They've become the product of choice for individual and institutional investors alike.

However, of those several trillion dollars, only $174 billion, or roughly 5%, gets put into small-cap ETFs. That's unfortunate, because the exchange-traded fund is the perfect way to capture the potential of small-cap stocks while reducing downside risk.

It doesn't hurt that smaller companies have been performing financially well.

"Small-cap equities provide an opportunity for investors to invest in companies that generate a large portion of their revenue inside the U.S., potentially insulating them from geopolitical developments," says Michael O'Keeffe, Stifel's chief investment officer and global head of investment strategy. "We remain constructive on U.S. small-cap equities looking forward."

Here's a look at 10 small-cap ETFs that should be on your radar. If you want to build a well-constructed portfolio, it would be wise to consider a fund that invests in U.S. small-cap stocks, as well as one that holds foreign small caps.

iShares Core S&P Small