A website is like a snowflake—no two are alike. The number of website pages your site should have depends on your business type, budget, and a host of other factors. However, there are some important pages that every website needs. Let's take a closer look.
1. Homepage
Your home page is the face of your website and often the first page your website visitors land. Therefore, it needs to make a good first impression. But it's important to remember that first impressions are not always based on looks alone.
The layout, navigation, and overall user experience (UX) of your homepage are just as important as its visuals. That being said, you'll want to ensure that your homepage is well-designed and visually appealing so that visitors will want to stick around and explore what your site offers.
What makes a great homepage?
Keep it simple
The average person has the attention span of a goldfish, so it's essential to keep your homepage simple and easy to understand. Visitors should be able to tell at a glance what your company does and what they can expect from your website. Too much text or too many images will only overwhelm and confuse most users. Stick to the essentials, and you'll keep them returning for more.
Make it visually appealing
Remember that first impression we talked about? Aesthetics are important when it comes to making a great homepage. Use high-quality images and graphics, and make sure they're properly sized and aligned.
Use Call-to-Actions
Call-to-actions are an essential part of web design. Your homepage should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) that tells visitors what you want them to do next. Whether checking out your online store's new arrivals, signing up for your newsletter, or reading a blog post, make sure your CTA is prominently featured on the page and easy to find. A good CTA will make it obvious what you want visitors to do next, leading them down the path toward becoming paying customers.
2. About us page
An about us page is a great way to give visitors a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and what makes you different from your competition. This page should be engaging and informative, so that site visitors get a sense of who you are as a person or business.
Most businesses have an about us page, but many go wrong because they only talk about what the company does rather than why they do it or who they are as people. Your potential customers want to know your story and what makes you different. Next, let's explore ways to make your about us page more intriguing.
How to write an about us page?
Talk about your journey
Many people are interested in your company's history and how you got to where you are today. Consider telling your audience about your motivations for starting a business and the most important milestones along the way. Customers like buying from businesses that have a story behind them.
Be personable
One of the best ways to get customers to connect with you is by being personable on your about us page. Share photos and stories from behind the scenes that give insight into the people behind the business. This will help customers feel like they know and can trust you, which is essential for building long-term relationships.
Use humor
A little humor can go a long way in making your about us page more intriguing. Customers will appreciate your lightheartedness and will be more likely to remember you when they need your product or service. Just be careful not to overdo it—too much humor can come across as try-hard or even unprofessional.
Share your mission statement
Finally, don't forget to share your mission on your about us page! This will remind visitors of why you do what you do and may even inspire them to become customers themselves. Just make sure that your mission statement is clear, concise, and easy to understand—otherwise, it won't have the desired effect.
3. Products and services page(s)
You'll need product pages if you sell products or services on your website. These pages should list all of the products and services you offer, pricing information, and any special promotions or deals you may be running. Moreover, if you sell multiple products, you can split them into categories to help users find what they are looking for.
A product page is an essential piece of any online store. After all, it's the page that potential customers visit to learn more about a product before making a purchase. So, what makes a good product page? Let's take a look.
How to make a good product page?
Detailed product descriptions
When writing a product description, it's essential to be as detailed as possible. Your potential customers want to be well-informed about a product before making a purchase, so ensure you include detailed information about the product's features, available variations, benefits, price, and dimensions, for example.
Start with a brief summary to give an overview of the product or service. Then offer details on other specifications and technical information. It is also important to make the text easy to read by dividing it into paragraphs, using bullet points, and so on.
If you're renting products or selling services tied to a specific date, an important product page element is the booking calendar, which shows the available times. Furthermore, you can add a mention about shipping time and cost.
High-quality product photos
Product photos are another essential element of a good product page. After all, potential customers can't physically see or touch the product before they make a purchase, so high-quality photos are essential in giving them a good idea of what they're buying. Be sure to use clear, well-lit photos that show the product from different angles. And if possible, provide multiple photos so potential customers can get a 360-degree view of the product and its details.
Customer Reviews
Lastly, customer reviews can be beneficial in convincing other shoppers to make a purchase. Reviews allow people to share their customer experience with your business or a product, which can help put other potential buyers at ease.
If you don't have any customer reviews yet, consider reaching out to your most loyal customers and asking them to write one.
4. Contact page
Every website needs a contact page so visitors can quickly get in touch with you. The most important thing about an effective contact page is the contact information and ensuring that the information is prominently displayed and easy to find.
Be sure to include all relevant contact information—such as your mailing address, email address, phone number, business hours, social media links, etc.—so visitors can reach you however they prefer.
You may also want to include a contact form so visitors can send messages directly from your website. And don't forget to add a map if your business has a brick-and-mortar location!
By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your contact page is effective and encourages visitors to get in touch.
5. Terms and conditions page
The terms and conditions page outlines how your website functions and the rules that customers must agree to use your site and services. It also helps to protect you from liability.
There are a few critical components that the terms and conditions page should include:
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Using the site and placing orders
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Order confirmation
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Cancellation policy
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Limitations to liability
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Determination of the price and costs of additional services
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Returns and refund policy
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Payment terms
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Conditions relating to the use of gift cards, coupons, and special promotions
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Instructions on making a complaint
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Copyright and intellectual property disclosure
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Company information
6. Privacy policy page
A privacy policy page outlines what information is collected from users, how it is used, and how it is protected. This gives users peace of mind that their personal data is safe and secure.
Privacy policy pages also help to build trust between a website and its users. By being transparent about data collection and use, websites can show that they are committed to protecting user privacy. This can encourage users to return to the site and recommend it to others. In addition, a detailed privacy policy can help to comply with data protection laws such as GDPR.
When creating a privacy policy page, the website owner should include information on what type of data is collected, how it is used, and who has access to it. They should also clearly state what rights customers have concerning their personal data.
7. Returns and refund policy page
The returns and refunds policy page is essential if you sell anything on your website. The returns and refunds page should tell the website user your returns and refunds policy, how to return an item, and how to get a refund.
If you're running a business that rents out products or services tied to a specific time, it's crucial to include cancellation policy details on your returns and refunds page. This way, customers will know precisely when to cancel to be eligible for a refund.
Returns and refunds are part of doing business online. Thus, you'll want to ensure that your returns and refund policy is fair and reasonable because nobody wants to be punished for trying to return an order or cancel a booking in good faith. As long as you're transparent and upfront about your policy, you should have no problem maintaining a good relationship with your customers.
And lastly, be sure to include a contact number for customer service.
8. Blog page
A blog page is a page that lists all blog posts you have published. A blog post, on the other hand, is a piece of writing on a particular topic that's relevant to your target audience.
Starting a blog makes sense even for a small business because it allows you to share your knowledge and expertise. This can help attract and retain customers and build authority around the topics your business is about. Blogging also allows companies to add value and connect with customers by sharing relevant information and valuable tips and answering questions they might have. Such content can be inspiring and keep users engaged with your business.
In addition, blogging is one of the best content marketing strategies. Blogging increases organic traffic from search engines, and you can also easily share the posts on social media. This can further increase the website's traffic and your brand's visibility and engagement on different social media channels.
Ultimately, a blog can be a valuable addition for businesses of all sizes, and writing can be fun.
9. FAQ page
Part of having a solid website is including an FAQ page. A questions and answers page allows you to provide answers to the same questions that are asked over and over again. This can be very helpful for multiple reasons.
First, it gives you a chance to address common objections head-on. If specific objections or concerns frequently arise during the sales process, addressing them upfront on your website can help alleviate potential customers' hesitation about doing business with you. By being transparent about what you do (and don't do), people are more likely to trust you.
Additionally, having an FAQ page can save you time in the long run. If there are specific questions that you find yourself regularly answering (via email, phone calls, etc.), having an FAQ page can help cut down on the amount of time you spend doing customer service.
10. 404 error page
404 refers to the error when a website page is not found. The most common reason is that there used to be a page at a particular address, but it has either been removed or moved to a new address.
Even though you want to avoid users ending up on a 404 error page, it is still a valuable page to have. 404 error pages can help to improve the general user experience and keep users browsing your site by providing a way back to the homepage or other relevant pages.
Any error when using a website frustrates users. Therefore, you can try to mitigate their negative feelings by showing empathy.
Conclusion
Of course, we recognize that each website is unique and that the importance of different pages differs site by site. However, by having these ten standard pages on your website, you can be sure that your site will stand up to the competition.
Once you have the must-have pages in place, you can move on to search engine optimization and consider adding other pages according to your needs. These include:
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Store locations page
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Search page
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Sitemap page
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Careers page
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Partners page
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Testimonials page, etc.
Evaluate the relevance and purpose of each web page from your perspective and assess what might help your customers. Then just build it.
Featured website: Katve
