5 must have website pages and what their purposes are

Websites come in all shapes and sizes. While the content and overall purpose differ from business to business, there are a handful of pages that every website should include, whatever the industry.

Whether you are preparing to build a website or already have one, here are five must-have website pages, and why each is so key to the experience you give your visitors.

Getting your pages, and the way they connect, right is the foundation of good site structure.

Contents

Page Its job
Homepage Capture interest and point visitors deeper
About Tell your story and build trust
Product or service Explain clearly what you offer
FAQs Answer questions and capture search and AI traffic
404 Catch lost visitors and keep them on your site

1. Homepage

The most obvious and important page is your homepage, the primary landing page for most people who visit your site. If your website were a tree, the homepage would be the trunk that every other page branches out from.

Your homepage should immediately capture a visitor’s interest and briefly summarise what your business does, including your products or services and an overview of who you are. It should also act as a portal, with clear links that let visitors flow deeper into your site with ease. And it needs to do all this fast, since you only have a few seconds to capture someone’s interest before they decide whether to stay. That is why your homepage design deserves extra thought, as we cover in our web design principles.

2. About page

The job of your about page is to explain, in detail, what your business is really about. People are often eager to learn about the people behind a business, and the story that brought it to life.

This is the place to talk about your company’s history, who it employs, any special achievements, and the ways it differs from others offering the same or similar products and services. While it is good to talk about your own business, it is often more powerful to let others do the talking through customer testimonials and reviews. Your about page is a perfect spot to include positive comments from customers, complete with their full name and any relevant detail that adds credibility, since authenticity is what builds trust in your brand.

3. Product or service page

If you offer products or services of any kind, visitors will want to learn more about them, so your website should list everything clearly. A dedicated page (or set of pages) makes it far easier for customers to find the information they need.

For services, include a short synopsis of what you offer, a bulleted list with brief explanations, internal links through to more detail on specialised services (which also helps your organic SEO), the advantages of working with you, and how you differ from your competitors. For products, include an outline of what is available, usually as a product directory, short descriptions of each, links to fuller product pages, pricing where appropriate, and, crucially, why customers should buy from you rather than someone else. This is exactly where a sharp value proposition does its work.

4. FAQs page

Frequently asked questions build up naturally as you engage with customers about your products or services, and the answers make valuable website content. For every question you answer one-on-one, chances are future customers will ask the same thing. Putting your FAQs on your site helps people find answers for themselves, while reducing the volume of repetitive emails and phone calls you field.

FAQs are also excellent for organic SEO, and more so than ever in 2026. People type full questions into search engines, and increasingly into AI tools, so a well-written FAQ that matches a real question has a strong chance of being surfaced, including in AI Overviews and AI search, which lean heavily on clear question-and-answer content. It all feeds your organic SEO, and spare questions make great blog fodder whenever you are stuck for topic ideas.

5. 404 page

Often forgotten or neglected in the planning of a website, the humble 404 page is just as important as any other. You might be wondering what a 404 page even is. The “404” refers to the “page not found” error a browser displays when a requested page cannot be found. Rather than show the bland default browser message, you can display your own branded 404 page with your own content, and you should.

A custom 404 page stops visitors feeling like they have left your site when they hit a broken link or mistype a URL. A good one explains that the page cannot be found, offers a clear link back to the homepage, and ideally includes a search bar to help people find what they were after. Without one, you are far more likely to lose visitors the moment they stumble onto a dead end, a small detail that makes a real difference to your user experience. If pages and flow are not your strong suit, that is exactly what a proper UX design process is built to sort out.

A few other pages worth having

While these five are the essentials, most modern websites also benefit from a few more. A clear contact page is almost always worth having (the easier you are to reach, the better), a blog or insights section gives you fresh content that boosts SEO, and a privacy policy is increasingly expected by visitors and, in many cases, legally required.

Other pages worth having Why
Contact Make it easy for people to reach you
Blog or Insights Fresh content that strengthens your SEO
Privacy policy Builds trust and meets legal obligations

Frequently asked questions

What pages should every website have?
At a minimum, every website should have a homepage, an about page, a product or service page, an FAQs page, and a custom 404 page. Most businesses also benefit from a contact page, a blog or insights section, and a privacy policy. Together these cover the core jobs of informing, building trust, and guiding visitors towards action.

Why is a homepage so important?
Because it is the primary landing page for most visitors and sets their first impression of your business. A good homepage instantly communicates what you do and who you are, then acts as a portal, linking visitors deeper into your site. Since you have only a few seconds to capture interest, homepage design deserves particular care.

What should an about page include?
Your about page should tell your business story: your history, your team, your achievements, and what sets you apart from competitors. It is also the ideal place for customer testimonials and reviews. People want to know the humans behind a business, so authenticity here builds real trust and helps turn interested visitors into customers.

Are FAQ pages good for SEO?
Yes, very. People often type full questions into search engines and AI tools, so a well-written FAQ that matches a real question can rank prominently and appear in AI Overviews and AI search, which favour clear question-and-answer content. FAQ pages also attract a targeted audience and can be repurposed into blog content.

What is a 404 page and do I need one?
A 404 page is what shows when a requested page cannot be found, due to a broken link or mistyped URL. A custom, branded 404 page keeps visitors on your site by explaining the error and offering a way back, usually a homepage link and a search bar. Yes, you need one, as it prevents lost visitors leaving immediately.

Does my website need a contact page?
Almost certainly. A clear contact page makes it easy for potential customers to reach you, which removes friction at the exact moment someone is ready to get in touch. While not always counted among the core five, a contact page is one of the most practical and valuable pages you can have, so do not leave it out.

Read more: 7 tips to increase the SEO of your website