Having a website is essential for any business or organization to establish and strengthen its online presence. 

But having a website isn’t enough. Especially since there are nearly 200 million active websites. 

That’s why it’s important to have a website that's well-organized, informative, and engaging for visitors. You need a website that has essential pages that help create a positive user experience for your visitors. These website pages not only showcase your business offerings but also help build trust with potential customers. 

Keep reading to discover the essential pages you should have on your site.

The importance of having essential pages on your website

When building a business website, you have to consider many aspects. One is to keep in mind your site’s content and structure. It's essential to have several relevant pages and provide users with useful information about your business. These pages are vital to designing an effective website that can grab the attention of potential customers.

Homepage – the face of your website

Your website’s homepage is the face of your business. It’s the first blog page that visitors see when they land on your website. In today’s digital age, first impressions can make or break a business. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure that your homepage presents the best possible face of your business, welcoming visitors with a clean, professional look and feel, and inviting them to explore your website further.

Navigation

A website’s homepage serves as the entry point to your website. Therefore, it’s critical to provide visitors with clear navigation that leads them to the essential pages of your website. Your homepage should contain a well-designed menu that makes it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. You may also want to consider a search bar, so visitors can quickly find the content or product they’re looking for.

Branding and personality 

Your homepage is an opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality. It’s a chance to show visitors what your business stands for, what your values are, and what makes your business unique. You can use your homepage to integrate your company’s branding elements, including your logo, tagline, and any other essential branding elements that make your business stand out.

Images

In addition to branding and navigation elements, your homepage should also feature beautiful, high-quality images. Images can be a powerful tool for engaging visitors and conveying your business’s story. They add visual interest to your website and can help to showcase your products or services in action. Well-chosen images can also help to generate emotion and create a sense of connection with your website visitors.

About us – building trust with your visitors

Building trust with your visitors is essential in establishing a long and beneficial relationship with them. This is where the About Us page of your website comes in. Your website visitors want to know who they are dealing with. And the About Us page offers a narrative on your brand, your goals, and your people. 

Your team

Utilize this web page to highlight your company’s history, values, and team. Personalizing your page with team pictures and short descriptions can give visitors a sense of who they’re dealing with and provide a more intimate connection, which is necessary for building trust.

Success stories

The About Us page is also an excellent platform to showcase your achievements and notable projects. Sharing your success stories can give visitors an idea of what your brand is capable of. Plus, they can gauge the quality of your work. In turn, this builds credibility, highlighting what sets you apart from competitors in the market. Share any noteworthy media outlets that have featured you, any community programs you’ve participated in, or awards you have won. Doing so highlights your values, differentiating you from competitors, attracting clients with similar values, and possibly converting them into loyal clients.

Credibility markers

Remember that your website is your digital storefront. It is essential to place credibility markers on your website to gain and keep your visitors’ trust. Including customer testimonials, certifications, and industry affiliations/references can act as credibility markers.

This reassures your visitors that they are dealing with a reputable and experienced organization. Include any certifications obtained by the company, recognition from notable industry organizations, and links to relevant affiliations. The About Us page serves as the perfect place for you to put these markers to gain customer trust.

Company’s story

The About Us page of your site provides an opportunity to share your company’s story and differentiate you from competitors. Putting a personal touch on this page can help build trust, making the customer feel like they’re dealing with real people and not simply a website. Take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your company’s value proposition while highlighting the excellence you’ve achieved in the past. Invest the effort to make this page as effective as possible, and it will act as an essential tool for building customer trust and converting website visitors into loyal clients.

Services/products – showcase your offerings

Your website helps you showcase your offerings to potential customers. This is where your services/products page comes into play. This page provides visitors with a clear understanding of what you offer. And that’s why it's one of the most important on your website.

Descriptions

Your services/products page should include clear descriptions of every service or product you offer. You should also provide images or videos of your products or services. Through images and videos, visitors get a better understanding of what they can expect. Be sure to include pricing information or any promotions you are currently running as well.

Navigation

How your website functions greatly impacts the user experience. So make your services/products page easy to navigate. Break down your offerings into categories. Additionally, use headings and subheadings to make it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for. You may also want to include a search bar. This can help visitors quickly find the information they need.

Regular updates

It's important to regularly update your services/products page, as your offerings may change over time. Keep the page current. And don't be afraid to highlight any new products or services you've recently added. By doing so, you're keeping your website relevant. Plus, you’re giving visitors a reason to come back and check out what's new.

Contact page – the gateway for potential customers

It's essential to showcase your contact details prominently on your website. The contact details or Contact Us page serves as the gateway for potential customers to get in touch with you. It's the starting point for building a relationship with your customers. It's essential to create a user-friendly and well-designed contact page. It should include your phone number, email address, physical address, and links to your social media profiles.

With advancements in technology, businesses can offer several ways for customers to connect with them. A comprehensive contact page could include a contact form for customers to fill in their details and get in touch with you. You could also consider incorporating a live chat feature on your contact page that allows customers to interact with a representative of your business instantly. Providing multiple ways to contact you can differentiate your business from competitors. Plus, this makes it easier for customers to connect with you.

The contact information on your website must be up-to-date and accurate. Nothing is more frustrating for a customer than trying to get in touch with a business and finding that the number is out of service or the email bounces back. Ensure that you include your business hours on your contact page. This is so your customers know when you're available.

What's the optimum number of pages on a website?

So how many pages on a website should there be? This largely depends on your business needs, goals, and the type of website you have. However, in general, a website with essential pages typically has around five to seven pages. This number provides enough room to showcase your business and its offerings and provides a way for visitors to get in touch with you.

You need to keep a few things in mind while deciding on the number of pages. A longer website with an extensive menu may be overwhelming for visitors, and they may not be willing to go through every page. On the other hand, a website with too few pages runs the risk of not being comprehensive enough. And you can potentially lose business to competitors with more detailed sites. Therefore, finding the perfect balance is critical for the overall user experience.

The optimum number of pages may vary depending on your business model. But it's best to start with a basic set of pages that deliver the necessary information and continually update and grow from there. If you're unsure about what you need, start with these essential pages from the list above – Homepage, About Us, Services/Products, and Contact Us – and customize as your business grows.

Don't forget to submit your XML sitemap to Google, so your essential pages can be crawled and indexed. Additionally, as you scale, it is important to review and update your website's content and structure regularly. Use tools such as Google Search Console to view reports on your indexed pages. Simply go to your Google Search Console account dashboard to get the insights you need.

You want your website to continue delivering an optimal user experience, including relevant content and easy-to-use navigation. In addition, updates help with search engine optimization (SEO) and keep your site current. It indicates to search engines and visitors that you are active and engaged.

Build a quality site with appealing web pages

Launch a beautiful, professional website in 30 days or less with B12. With a B12 website, you can build a strong online presence that allows for effortless discoverability. Our designers will help you ensure you have the right pages on your site and it's simple to navigate.

Start by seeing a free draft in 60 seconds, then work with expert designers and copywriters to personalize and refine it.