20 Pages your Website Should Essentially Have - II

In our 2-part blog series, we are discussing the 20 must-have pages for your business website. Plan your website design keeping these 20 pages in mind and you will be able to optimize your website for good ranking in the search engines as well as retention of daily visitors. Discuss these 20 pages with your web design company so that it is fully aware of your requirements. The first 10 pages we discussed in our last blog were:

1. Home Page
2. About Us
3. Products / Services
4. Contact Us
5. Resources/Downloads
6. Testimonials or Reviews
7. Frequently Asked Questions
8. Blog
9. Site Map
10. Privacy Policy



Let us walk through the next 10 pages.

11. E-Magazine or Newsletter
An e-magazine (also popularly known as ‘ezine’) or a newsletter is a great way to connect with your website visitors and give them the latest updates in the field. If you give visitors useful and relevant information through your newsletters, they will keep coming back to your website for updates and may turn into customers in some time too. Not only that, you will be able to provide fresh content to your website, which can help with SEO purposes as well. Your visitors can access your ezine in two ways: online or via email. Ideally, you should send subscribers a copy of your newsletter as well as have a copy available on your website. Include as much company and contact information as you can in your newsletter, so that you can connect with potential customers. You can get a professional web development firm design the newsletter for you.


12. Resources/Articles
Through articles, you can provide information that is complimentary to your field. For example, if you are a wedding cake specialist, include information about where the visitors might get wedding dresses, decorators, reception venues etc. The more useful you make your website for visitors the more likely they are to come back for a second visit.


13. Portfolio/Gallery
    It is said that actions speak louder than words; the same is true in case of a business website. If the visitors or potential customers are able to see your work, they can judge your capability themselves. One portfolio of your work will be better than writing ten pages about your capabilities. Instruct your web design company to make an attractive presentation of all your work, which you can present in the “Portfolio” section of your website.
    
    
14. Events Calendar
In your “Events” section, you can put the details of conferences, seminars or presentations related to your fields that would be helpful to visitors. You can also give details regarding anything you are organizing or taking part in. For example, if you are a dentist, you can give details about a dentist seminar; if you are an artist, you can give details about where your art will be displayed.


15. “Search the Website” Feature
Not all visitors to your website know exactly what they are looking for. You can guide them to the section or information they require by having a search option in your website. Ask your web design company to put a “Search” option on the top of your website’s landing page, so it is easily visible and helpful to the visitors. This way, the visitor can instantly look for a topic he or she is interested in.


16. “Subscribe” or “Inquiry” form
In order to offer maximum service to your website visitors or potential customers, design a form in your website for subscription to your newsletter or for general inquiries. Such forms will help you develop your own database of interested clients as well as help you keep in touch with them. Tell your web design company to keep the form short and sweet, because website visitors do not have the patience of filling out long, winding forms.


17. Copyright Information
Your website should carry a copyright sign to protect its intellectual property. Such a copyright sign is generally given at the bottom of all pages of the website.


18. Terms of Use
Terms of website use usually lists out the terms under which the website, its content and other information pertaining to the company can be utilized by the visitors. The “Terms of Use” section clearly defines the rights of the company and the limited rights of the visitor to make use of the sections of the website.


19. Links
In this section you can place links of companies and associations related to your field. You can also request these companies to so the same for your website. Such link exchange with other websites will bring you more visitors as well as will improve your search engine rankings.


20. News
Any developments pertaining to your company can be covered in the “News” section of your website. This section can contain information like new product launch, change in management, awards, recognitions, news coverage etc. This will help keep visitors to your website updated regarding latest news of your company.

At the end, keep in mind that a professional website design company will have the experience and expertise necessary for designing a great website. Meet with your web design company to explain your requirements so that you have the perfect website for attracting visitors as well as better ranking.

20 Pages your Website Should Essentially Have - I

Planning to develop a website for your business? Wondering where to start? Here’s something you should know before hiring a professional web design company: there are 20 pages that are absolutely necessary for your website. Due to the sheer length of the write-up, we have divided it into 2 parts. Let’s walk through the first ten must-have web pages; the next ten will come in the next post of this blog.

The first and foremost requirement for you is a concrete plan which you can follow through; this will help you to be systematic as well as stay focused. Hence, before actually writing, make a brief skeleton of each page and what it will contain. Get help from your web design company for preparing your site’s skeleton. By the end of this exercise, you will have the entire site clearly mapped out for you.

Your site is your online shop, so while making a list of the important pages for your business, consider the type of industry you are in; not all pages will be a perfect fit for your business. For example, a photo gallery page might be imperative to a dentist but might not be that useful for a web design company; instead, a portfolio of work done is more appropriate for a professional web design firm.

The pages that your website should definitely have are as follows:

1. Home Page
   
   This is by default your site’s ‘landing page’ and it’s no great secret that you need to have a home page. But what is most important is to have a great home page that lets your visitors get easy navigation access to most of your site’s inner pages. The home page is a doorway to your entire site and you need to make sure that you put forward the best features of your sites inner pages. The home page of any website convinces or dissuades the visitor to browse through the rest of the website. The home page should hence be both informative and attractive.
   
   
2. About Us
   
   The “About us” page of your website should give information about who you are and why the customer should use your products and services. If your company has a great story about how it was formed, put it on this page. Many companies also put details about team members, core values, directions and contact details of offices etc. If you are a member of any professional organization, mention it in this section.
   
   
3. Products / Services
   
   It is better to have a separate section for each product or service you offer. Try to give as much information as possible in this section, as this page will hold the visitor’s interest. Include your contact details on this page as a quick reference, in case the visitor thinks of calling for more information.
   
   
4. Contact Us
   
   You can include the address, telephone, email, fax, website address etc. on this page. Your contact details should also be at many places in addition to the “Contact us” page. You can include them on the header or footer of the webpage, so that it becomes easy for the visitor to contact you.
   
   
5. Resources/Downloads
   
   Put as much complimentary information as possible that visitors can take back with them in your “Resources/Downloads” section. This section can contain downloadable pdfs as well as information pertaining to the industry your company belongs to.
   
   
6. Testimonials or Reviews
   
   Nothing convinces a customer about your products and services better than a testimonial or positive feedback from a past client. A positive testimonial from a past client can show the visitor that you provide great products or services and are reliable and trustworthy. Get in touch with your past client and ask for their feedback on your products or services.
   
   
7. Frequently Asked Questions
   
   This page of your website is designed to answer the most commonly asked questions by your customers or site visitors. This helps your customer get their question resolved faster and is often loved by the ‘do-it-yourself’ people.
   
   
8. Blog
   
   Blogs are the latest addition to the list of must-haves for your website. This is the easiest and most informal way of connecting to the customers, answering their queries and keeping them updated. Blogs are a free PR activity, which can help win the support and trust of the customers. Also, if the blog is optimized properly, it can improve search rankings on major search engines.
   
   
9. Map
   
   A site map goes a long way in guiding the visitor to the layout of the website. It’s a great aide for the search engines crawlers while they visit to cache your site. An incomplete or wrongly updated sitemap can work against you and affect your search rankings.
   
   
10. Policy
    
    Websites visitors today are concerned about how their information is going to be used. This is especially true in case of online shopping, where sensitive information like credit card and bank details are exchanged. It is hence imperative to have a clear privacy policy on your website, which ensures visitors that they can trust your website.

These were the prominent 10 pages your website must have. Don’t miss this blog’s second part for valuable insights on the other 10 pages.