Building a Website may appear to be very complex, but it's really an easy process. The best way to start is by developing a map of the pages and content that you want to include. This depends upon the type of business you have, and how informative you want your Website to be. Below is a list of sample pages for you to review while you plan out your site.
Absolute Essential pages :
At a bare minimum, your business Website should include the following pages:
Home Page - Every site has at least one or more 'landing pages'.
About Us if appropriate, or About Our CEO or leaders
Our Services - The different service or products you provide, along with a very short description of each. If your products or service require more in-depth descriptions, link to separate pages for more information purposes.
Contact Us - This can range from a simple listing of your contact information to a more complex "intake form", with a range of questions on your prospect's needs or desires.
Create a different name for these Website sections if you'd like to add more personality to your site! For example, your About Us page can be titled, "Who We Are," or "About Us."
Service- vs. Product-based businesses:
In addition to these basic pages, you may wish to include other pages. Services- and product-based businesses require different types of pages. If your company performs services for others, your business is a service-based business, and your site should include these pages:
Clients - List of your clients can be presented in terms of specific client names or a more general industry listing.
Testimonials - These can be on their own page, listed on the clients page, or distributed throughout the site.
Request a Quote or How to get Started with your service or offers
In service-based businesses, it's important to ground your claims in facts and add to your credibility with a demonstration of your capabilities or skills.
You can do so with these types of pages:
References - These are more formal and longer than standard testimonials.
Portfolio - This is appropriate for artists, designers, writers, and other creative professions.
Sound Clips-This is appropriate for entertainers, bands, DJs, and speakers.
Samples of our work - These are for other professions, as appropriate.
Resume(s).
If your company sells products, your business is a product-based business. To provide your customers with quick and easy access to your products, your site should include:
Product Description(s) - Include limited photos, details, pricing, and "Add to Cart" capabilities.
View your Shopping Cart
Check Out-- As Simple As Possible--No long waits here!
Adding credibility:
Once you have these basic pages, the next step is to add credibility and information to your site. PR, news, and information pages can do this for you, providing visitors an incentive to return time and time again to learn about your services.
News - Include current as well as past articles on your company.
Pressroom - This is for press releases produced by your company- Be revelant and up to date
Newsletters and/or Articles- These are written by your firm or principals and help provide you with "expert" status, as opposed to articles written by outsources.
Media or Press Kit - This area will contain a company backgrounder, logos, photos, and tools that others may use when writing articles for your company.
Audio clips- These would be sound clips of you talking about your business and makes your website more personable. You need to keep these simple and plain, they can irritate or be a blessing.
Video Clips- According to Web trend forecasters, a video testimonial is quickly becoming the next hot item for building credibility and Who You Are.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), or Ask the Expert
Additional business pages may also be appropriate, depending upon the type and size of your business:
Company Mission - Not Only For Today but the Future Also.
Company Vision - Growth and Expansion Plans.
History of Services Offered and Completed
Case Studies
Why Choose Us?
Bios of your Team Members
Jobs or Opportunities-Out-Sourced or In Person On Site
Map and/or Directions-- Yellow Page Listings
Events/Classes/Workshops - This page would include details about, as well as the schedule of and sign-up for various company events open to public attendance.
Downloads - These are PDFs (preferrably), brochures, presentations, and software demos or programs.
Statistics or Studies - Either related to your firm, clients or industry
Pricing - If you sell products, your pricing should be in plain site and listed in your shopping cart. For service-based businesses, whether or not you list your pricing depends upon the standards in your industry; you don't want to price your services on your site if you don't have to ( competitors! ).
Additional Information Pages:
Recommended Books - Linking these to a reseller account through Amazon.com or ClickBank can generate extra revenue for your business ventures.
Resources - Other services that are compatible with yours, or links to places online where you can learn more.
Links to & from - Exchanging quality links with other sites can be a good way to increase your search engine rankings.
We hope that this list is helpful in your website planning process!
