Creating a website isn’t just about making it aesthetically appealing. Besides the design elements, you also need to focus on functionality, and a big part of making a website functional is knowing exactly what to put on it. And that’s exactly what we’re going to tackle in this article.
So, without further ado, here’s what to put on a website.
There are 8 essential pages that every business website should have, which are:
Homepage
When exploring your website, your visitors will most likely start with the homepage. That’s why it should grab the attention of your visitors and tell them who you are and what your company does. Both the design and the content of the homepage should be intriguing since you only have seconds to capture the attention of your visitors and keep them engaged.
What to put on a website: Homepage content
As mentioned above, the homepage is basically the digital face of your business, which is why you should pay special attention to it when deciding what to put on a website. You’re in luck because we’re dedicating a whole section just for that.
Headline
This is where you tell visitors what your business has to offer. Granted, it’s only a few words, but it’s one of the most critical pieces of copy on your site.
Remember, you can’t hit home with everyone, so make sure the headline can attract the attention of visitors who are most likely to convert and become actual clients or customers.
Dropbox is a great example of a company that does exactly that:
Calls-to-action
You shouldn’t waste an opportunity to add a CTA when it doesn’t look spammy, and the homepage is a great place to do that.
The CTAs on your homepage should be visually striking, and the copy should be kept to a minimum. Use as few words as possible to convey the message and encourage visitors to take action.
Image
People love visual elements, so make sure to include an image or a video that clearly indicates what you have to offer. When picking the image, make sure to find one that captures emotion, tells a story and drives action.
Social proof
The homepage is also a great place to display social proof. That can be in the form of reviews, testimonials, etc. After all, people won’t believe how good your services or products are until they hear it from other people.
To keep the bounce rate of your homepage at bay, make sure to give your visitors a clear path to the pages they might need right from the homepage. That can be done by including a navigation menu at the top of the page and organising the links in a hierarchical structure.
About us section
A small “about us” or “about me” section right on the homepage is also great to have since it allows you to tell your story in a brief manner, which can build credibility and trust.
What to put on a website: About page
On your about page, you should:
Tell your company’s story
When people click on “About”, they’re looking for a story that will allow them to connect with you on a deeper level.
Why is your company a business or brand? How did it all start? Why does it matter? What’s your purpose? What are your company’s beliefs and values?
All of those are elements of your story – a story that you should tell honestly if you want to build trust.
Here’s a pro top: if you want your story to feel more human, record a video of you telling it. That can drive engagement through the roof.
Just remember, it’s your company’s story you’re telling, not your life story. If the about us page gets too long, it can bore your visitors to death and push them to leave the website.
Put a face (or several) on your site
On the about page, make sure to include pictures of you and your team. Use real photos, not stock ones. Add a small bio for each team member to make the about page feel personal, human and friendly.
Why, you ask?
Well, there are many benefits to both traffic and conversion. The main two benefits are:
- Visitors don’t engage with a faceless website. To get comments, likes, follows, shares, and other forms of engagement across social platforms, make sure to show the faces of the people who work in your company
- Putting a name and a face on your website builds trust, which boosts conversion rates as users feel more inclined to submit their information using your forms, book phone calls, and buy whatever you have to offer
Remember, the more human your website feels, the more likely it is to engage visitors and drive conversions.
Contact page
Simply put, the contact page should include all the ways through which customers can contact you. Those include:
- Your company’s phone number
- A valid email address
- Physical mailing address or location along with your business hours
- Links to your social media accounts
- A contact form if you want to prevent spam
Services or products page
If you’re running social media ads, this is probably the first page your potential customers will see.
To make sure that your product or service pages convert, there are five questions that you must answer quickly, according to Marcus Sheridan. Otherwise, your prospects will turn to other websites for answers. Those questions are:
- How much do your services and/or products cost?
- Are there any problems with your approach?
- How do your services/or products compare to those offered by competitors?
- What do people think about your products and/or services?
- What are the best products and/or services in your niche?
There are many other questions that you can answer depending on your industry, so make sure to do your own due diligence and find the questions your potential customers are asking.
Testimonials/reviews page
These days, people rely on the feedback (reviews and testimonials) and actions (purchases) of others to determine what products to buy and services to get. That phenomenon is commonly known as social proof.
When building a company website, especially if it’s a service-based business, you ought to include a testimonials (or reviews) page. That’s the best way to display and show off the praise your company has received.
Each testimonial should include:
- A headline
- A brief paragraph containing the actual review from the customer.
- The customer’s photo if possible because it establishes credibility and trust
- The contact info of the reviewer (a link to their social media account, for example, not a phone number or email address)
When picking testimonials for this page, steer away from those that sound like you’re bragging, like “this is the best company ever” as they’re only going to sound disingenuous.
What to put on a website: Blog
Even if you have a small business, including a blog on your website can be greatly beneficial to your brand. That’s because:
- A blog can act as your company’s voice, allowing you to tell your story, share your expertise and engage with your customers
- It can be an excellent way to drive traffic through search engine optimisation
- Each blog post can be used to persuade prospects to convert by including a small CTA at the end
- As a bonus, you’ll get to hone your writing skills!
Before starting a blog, you need to do some thorough research. Start by researching your customers and understanding your target audience, which includes all the people you’re blogging for. Next, you must take care of keyword research to know which topics your prospects are interested in. After all, there’s no point in churning out tens or hundreds of articles every month if no one is going to read them. Finally, set up a content schedule and start writing (or hire someone to do it for you!).
Privacy policy page
A privacy policy page lets your visitors know what personal information you collect through your website and what you’re going to do with it.
By personal information, we mean anything that can be used by itself or in conjunction with other pieces of data to identify a person. You probably need a privacy policy if you collect any of the following:
- Visitor names
- Email addresses
- Physical addresses
- Social security numbers
- Etc
Here’s what to include on this page:
- What data you collect (emails, advertising, cookies, etc.)
- How you’re collecting it
- Whether you’re going to share it with third parties. If so, mention with whom you’re going to share it
- How the visitor can obtain a copy of the information you collect
Remember that you must strictly adhere to your privacy policy. Otherwise, the consequences can be dire.
FAQ page
If potential customers keep asking the same questions, consider adding a FAQ page to your website. There you can tell everyone what they need to know about your business as well as products and/or services. That way, you can save time answering the same questions again and again.
Pro tip: include a subtle Call to Action within every answer to persuade prospects to take the next step and convert into customers or clients.
Why not leave it to us?
If all of the above information seems a bit confusing to you, worry not, as we can help. Book a discovery call with us today, and when the time comes, we’ll show you how we can create the ideal website your business needs.
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