The 7 essential pages to have on your website

Online BusinessWeb Design TipsBusiness Tips

Feb 5

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Creating a website for the first time can be an "Oh shit" moment in more ways than one. There's a lot to think about when it comes to design, photos, text, layout... the list goes on and on. But today, I'm giving you some basic blueprints when building your site that will take the headache out of the process.

Your website needs to be built with the foundations of these seven essential pages. I'm going to walk you through each one step-by-step, and hopefully, you'll have a better picture of the overall plan when we're through.

The 7 essential pages to have on your website.png

1 Homepage

While it may seem obvious, your website definitely needs a homepage, not just any homepage, though, an optimized ready-to-convert homepage. This means that the second visitors land on your site, they are enticed to stick around, are introduced to your business, and are guided to the next steps they are to take.

Above the fold include a hero image with a tagline - who you are, what you do, and who you do it for. Then proceed to introduce your website visitors to your featured services, a little bio, some testimonials, and any other doorways that will lead them around your site.

Slap on some very clear and prominent calls-to-action (buttons telling them where to go next), and you're good to go!

Want to know more about the website footer that appears on every page of your site? Check out this post:

2 About

Your about page is key to building trust with potential clients and customers online. It tells them who you are, of course, but it ought to showcase why you are a good fit for them as well. You see, your website visitors want to know your business is a good match. So while you want to shed some light on your inner life, you'll also want to cut anything that isn't helpful.

Highlight your mission and values, share a backstory on your company, or even sprinkle in some fun facts. But remember to include why your product or services align with your client's biggest problems, fears, or needs and how you can ultimately help them.

Plus, don't forget to include some fun photos of you and your team! Nothing says trust like a real person behind the scenes.

3 Product/Service

The meat and potatoes of your business, your website needs to include a page of what you are selling! Lay it all out on the table. The sales page will consist of your offer, yes, but also FAQ, testimonials, a little bio on you or your company, basically, any information that will help potential customers make their buying decision.

Don't be afraid to make this a long scrolling page.

Your visitors are more likely to scroll than to hop from link to link looking for all of the information they need, so make it easy for them and compile it all in one spot.

4 Blog

Even if your content creation is a different medium - videos, podcasts, social media posts - you still need a blog for your site. The keywords generated in your blog posts will help your SEO or, in lamens terms, help you land on the first page of Google so that people can find you!

You don't need to create new content to do this. You can take the content you are already developing and repurpose it inside of your blog. For example, if you have a weekly podcast, you can take an excerpt or even the whole episode and transcribe it to your website - easy peasy.

If you want to know more about why you should be blogging for your business, check out these posts:

5 Contact

Ah yes, the contact page. You may think that a simple email, phone number, and address will suffice. And of course, this information is vital to include. But a contact page can be so much more than that. It's not just about giving your website visitors a way to contact you but anticipating the questions they have before they even get to that point.

Let me explain.

Perhaps they have a question that they couldn't find a solution to. This is an excellent opportunity to provide some top answers to queries that customers have in an FAQ section. You could include your store hours, your refund policy, or even the process of working with you and restate your pricing information.

Maybe they'd like to book a service, collaborate or become an affiliate. Again you can anticipate this by offering different forms, buttons, or sectors to help organize the incoming questions and give them specific information about what to do.

Utilize your contact page well, and your inbox, plus sanity, will thank you.

6 Privacy Policy

Arguably one of the most important pages you need on your website is a privacy policy. A privacy policy, required by federal law, is a legal agreement between you and your website visitors that explains what kinds of personal information you gather, how you use this information, and how you keep it safe.

It's a big deal.

Not only does it make you look legit as a business, but it will cover your butt should the unthinkable happen.

7 Terms & Conditions

To go along with your privacy policy is something called terms and conditions. While not required by federal law, a terms and conditions page is something that I recommend you have right alongside your privacy policy. It states how people can and cannot use your intellectual property, like your website text, graphics, and photos.

If you want to know more about getting your legal documents in place, check out these posts:

Ready to buy your legal documents? Get them now at The Contract Shop (That's an affiliate link!)

While your website can include many more than these seven pages, getting started with the foundations will help you build the rest of the site and your online business.

Need help bringing your creative vision to life?!

I know how overwhelming it can be to start your online business. That's why I decided to create a simple and easy process. Together we’ll build a stunning website that you can launch in just two weeks!

Book your free consultation call today! Chat with me about your website goals and together we’ll navigate the best solutions for your business.

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