Just determining what website platform and theme to use can feel overwhelming when first starting a business. But once you’ve done that, the real work begins.
Whether you are creating your first business website or are on your site’s fourth iteration, you want to make sure your business website includes these 7 must-have pages.
- Homepage – A homepage might seem like a no brainer, but it can be a page that is easy to forget about depending on what type of business you run. Be sure your homepage includes these elements:
- A quick snapshot of who you are and what you can offer a site visitor.
- A clear and simple navigation bar.
- A call to action towards the top of your page.
- About page – Often, about pages end up being some of the highest trafficked pages on business websites because people want to know who they are buying from. People want to buy from people. Include a photo of yourself. Share a few interesting facts that others can connect with.
- Contact page – Make it easy for people to contact you. Include an email form and email address on the contact page. Also, share social media links and other important contact links. Bonus points if you invite them to sign up for your email list!
- Service/Product Page – Small businesses need a page (or pages) dedicated to sharing what they offer and how others can pay them for those services. Create a page that includes all of your offerings and then build subpages that highlight each service or product.
- Blog – Many product and service based businesses choose not to have a blog because determining what to write and keeping a schedule up seems overwhelming. But a blog should be a must-have on every small business’s list because it’s an awesome marketing tool.If you feel overwhelmed by thinking of topics to cover, flip the script and think about it from your ideal client’s perspective. What do they want to know about your product or service? How can you educate them?If you are worried about keeping to a schedule, then start small. Creating one awesome blog post a month is better than no blog posts or four poorly written posts. As you consistently publish one post a month, Google will also take notice of your fresh content each month, which will improve your website’s SEO.
- Privacy Policy – Many people often overlook a privacy policy, but if you are collecting any information on website visitors, you need to make sure you have a privacy policy on your website. Even if you just have an email list sign up or Google Analytics installed, you are collecting data and need a privacy policy.Don’t try to draft your own privacy policy. I highly recommend purchasing one from an attorney, like this privacy policy template (affiliate) from Annette Stepanian.
- Terms of Service – Much like the privacy policy, terms of service is another often forgotten page. This goes over the rules of your website. It will review copyright and let others know how they can use and link to your site. It’s a must-have! Once again, I recommend purchasing a terms of service template (affiliate) from an attorney.
I bet you already have many of these must-have pages on your website, but if you are missing any of them, be sure to add them to your website.
It’s also a good idea to review your website pages on a regular basis so you can catch any typos or update information that isn’t current. Add a website review date to your calendar every quarter so you can make any important updates.