What Are The Must Have Pages For Your Business Website?
What website pages should even the most basic site have? Hopefully, you’ve at least got a website. No matter what your business is – whether you provide services or sell products – there are some basic website pages that every site should have.
You only have a very short period of time – mere seconds – in which to captivate a visitor to your website, so it’s important to invest in a quality site. Attempting to make an impression with a free or DIY website will often backfire.
Basic Website Pages You Need
Home Page
Most people, no matter how they find you, will land first on your home page. Your home page is your pitch to a potential customer, so it should be visually appealing and have sharp, concise copy.
You won’t get more than a few seconds to make your case, as your visitors quickly determine whether you’re the solution they seek. Therefore, the words you use to describe your product or service, along with any relevant pictures, are key to the success of your website and your business.
Your home page’s sales copy should accomplish three main objectives: 1) immediately draw the visitor in with exciting benefits, 2) show the visitor the options available for navigating around your site, and 3) establish your credibility.
About
The first page most visitors look for if they want to learn more about your site is the about page. Your about page should start a conversation with a user that focuses more on them than you. This means that instead of listing information that serves your own purposes, include information that solves the problem your visitor has. Visitors to your site need to be sold on “what’s in it for me” to convert them to a customer. Don’t waste their time with industry jargon about your commitment to quality and your corporate mission.
A good About page will be interesting and will showcase your personality. Instead of listing all your qualifications (though these are often important), consider also including how those qualifications mean that customers receive the best possible product or service. It’s all about creating trust.
Product/Service Descriptions
Your website is not the place to play shy. Most visitors to your website are there to gain information about a product or service in which they’re interested. They have questions they want answered and problems they want solved.
Describing your product or service in detail helps visitors decide if what you’re offering meets their needs. Here, a balance between providing enough information while being crisp and concise is key. A professional writer will be able to achieve this for you.
Opt-in Offer
Do you have something of value you can offer a potential customer? Unfortunately, most visitors don’t buy the first time they visit a website. They think it over. They procrastinate. But if you can obtain details from a customer by offering them something for free, you get more than once chance to sell yourself to them.
Offer a free report or an e-newsletter that’s relevant to your business and industry. The visitor signs up, and you get their email address. Now you can continue to stay in touch, promoting your products and keeping your name in front of them. When they’re ready to make a decision, it’s you they’ll contact.
Contact
This seems rather obvious as far as website pages you should have. You will need at least an email contact form, phone number, and maybe a Google map with directions on your contact pages. Make sure you give a visitor all the ways in which they can contact you. Some people prefer to call; others prefer to email. You may even decide that people can text you.
Even include your physical address on this page because it helps inspire trust. Some buyers want to know that you have a real location and are not just an email company. Some buyers may want to deal with someone local. And finally, some people just want to know in what state or country you’re located because they’re curious.
Whatever you do, don’t make visitors fill out a lengthy form asking personal information; most people will avoid this for fear they’ll end up on some mailing list.
Call to Action
What your call to action looks like will be unique to your business. It might be an Order page, while for others it’s simply their Contact Us page. Either way, make sure you have a place where you tell visitors what you want them to do, whether it’s contact you for more information, request a quote, subscribe to your blog or place an order.
Your website is your first and best salesperson. Most potential customers will check out your website long before they step foot into your business or contact you. So it is crucial you have a modern, functional, easy-to-navigate website that tells your customers what they need to know.
Website design involves the planning, creation and updating of a website. It also includes structure, user interface, layout, colours, fonts, and imagery that is consistent with your brand. A good website expresses who you are and how you’ll help your audience.