Building your website is a big job. If you’re doing it yourself, there’s a lot to learn and many decisions to make. If you’re considering hiring a designer or an agency, you’re probably still researching to learn what’s worth investing in. One of the biggest questions you’ll encounter either way is how many web pages does your site need to be effective?
We’ve written before about why you should choose a multipage website over a single page site. But once you know WHY you need more than one page, how do you decide WHAT pages to include? We believe a website needs a minimum of 4 specific types of web pages: Home, About, Services, and Contact. We explain further what these web pages do for your business:
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A website needs a minimum of 4 specific types of web pages: Home, About, Services, and Contact.
Page 1 | Home
Every website needs a homepage. This is where people land when they first visit your site. In some cases, this is your first and only chance to get the attention of your customers. If people don’t see something relevant to what they’re looking for within a few seconds, they’re likely to click back to the search results and move on.
That’s why the homepage is one of the most important web pages. The home page should lead with an impactful image that communicates what your business is at a glance. This is often called the “Hero image” because it’s front and center, boldly proclaiming what you’re about. It often combines a high quality image with a headline and brief subhead or statement.
The rest of the home page should include a brief overview of what you do. Don’t be tempted to list every service or product in detail—you have other pages for that. All you need on the homepage is to let people know you have what they’re looking for in general. Then provide clear links and direction to more in-depth pages.
Page 2 | About
Everyone has a story to tell. The homepage may be your first impression, but the About page is your chance to make a real connection. The ultimate goal of the About Page is to get the viewer invested in you. Maybe you provide carpet cleaning services—so do ten other companies in the area. But there’s a customer looking at you right now, so how do you convince them to choose your service over someone else? Is it your equipment? Quality? How you got started? Depending on your business and your audience, what you put on the about page will change.
If you’re a small business focused on selling to industry professionals, you might choose to tell the story of how your company got started. Who was involved, what the evolution of the business looked like. Show that your company has the professional experience to serve them.
If you’re people-oriented and sell to individuals, you might feature photos of your team members and share a bit about what they each contribute to the business. Seeing real people with a passion for what they do can engage your audience and make the sale.
It’s all about what makes the most sense for your unique story. Just be genuine and write to your ideal customer.
Page 3 | Services
This is what most people are visiting your site to find. Whether you sell physical products or services, this is your opportunity to show the quality of your work. If your work can be photographed, an image gallery is the fastest way to show what you can do. If your work is service-based, before and after images can be the biggest selling point to your customers. It’s all about showcasing your services in the best light.
If you have many services or products, you may consider creating sub-pages for each one. This allows each web page to rank separately in customer searched. Consider if you do home remodeling. One customer might search for “kitchen countertops” and another might search for “hardwood flooring.” Having separate pages for each service helps you show up for both.
Either way, you still need one overall services page to give an overview of what you offer. If your services can’t be photographed, consider using icons and clear headlines to represent what you do. People are visual, and they more you can tell them at a glance, the more they’ll be willing to read the full explanation of a service.
Page 4 | Contact
Ultimately the point of all these web pages is to earn a new customer. So they need to know how to connect with you, and you should make it as easy for them as possible. Include your phone number and store location if you have one. But cosnsider how you can use buttons and maps to make contacting you easier.
Don’t just type the phone number, make it a button that calls when you click it. This is extremely useful when customers view your web pages on mobile. They don’t have to copy and paste or type it in, they can just click and go.
Google Maps can also be integrated easily to give them directions to your location. Contact forms allow people to send you a quick message without navigating to their own email platform. Basically, if your web pages have convinced them to contact you, make it possible to do it right away.
You can also use this web page to encourage people to follow you on social media. (And if your business isn’t on social media, you should probably look into it. Read more about the benefits of social media for small businesses in our previous blog.)
Now you know…
These are the 4 types of web pages we recommend for any website. Depending on your business, you may expand on that number and add sub-pages where it makes sense. Having additional web pages for your products or services is a common addition. If you have multiple stores, you may include a locations page with hours and contact info for each store. But getting the basics in place is crucial for the success of your business and website.
But before you move on, there is one more type of web page you should consider for your site. We don’t include it in the basics simply because it takes time to maintain. But if you really want to boost your website visibility and engage your visitors, consider adding a blog to your site.
Bonus page | The Blog
That’s right, a blog. Most web pages on your site will remain static. Sure you might add new images to a gallery, but unless your products rotate out or you frequently add new services, chances are most of your information will stay the same over time. Adding a blog that updates weekly or biweekly offers several major benefits for your site:
A blog:
– Adds activity to your website with continuously changing content
– Adds to search engine optimization for new keywords
– Brings in new traffic and generates valuable content
We’ve written on the benefits of having a blog on your site previously. Check it out for details of including a blog in your web pages.
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