Websites come in all shapes and sizes. While content and overall purpose will differ from business to business, there are specific web pages, content-wise, that are beneficial for all businesses. Whether you are preparing to build a website or have an existing one, there are five must have website pages that your website should include and here’s why they’re so key to the user experience.
1. Homepage
The most obvious and important page for every website is the homepage which is the primary landing page for people who visit your site. If your website was a tree, then the homepage would be the base that all other pages branch out from.
Your website homepage should immediately capture your visitor’s interest and briefly summarise what your business does, including a description of your products or services and an overview of who you are. Your homepage should also act as a portal for visitors to find more information deeper within your site, so the inclusion of links on the page is important as it will allow your visitors to flow through your website with ease.
Your website as a whole should be well designed but your homepage design should be especially well thought out and planned. This is because you only have around ten to twenty seconds to capture your visitor’s interest due to the shortening attention span of users online.
2. About page
The purpose of your about page is to explain, in detail, what your business is about. People are often eager to learn about the people behind a business and the business’ story.
The about page is the place on your website to talk about your company’s history, whom it employs, any special achievements you received, and the ways it differs from others in your industry that provide the same or similar products or services.
While it is good for you to talk about your own business, it is often better to let others do the talking for you through customer testimonials and reviews. Your about page is the perfect location to include positive comments that other customers have said about your business. Be sure to include the customer’s full name and any relevant details that could add credibility to your testimonials as authenticity helps build trust in your brand.
For more detail on perfecting the About page on your website, Moz provides 9 simple tips to help make an about page that works for your brand.
3. Product or service page
If you offer products or services of any kind, then visitors to your website will want to learn more about them. Your website should clearly list all of the products or services that you offer so by having a dedicated page for it will make it easier for customers to get the information that they need.
If you offer services then it is a good idea to include a synopsis of services offered, bullet points of services with short explanations, internal links to learn more about specialized services (this helps with your organic SEO), the advantages of using your services, and how they differ from the services your competition offers.
If you offer products then you should include an outline of products available – usually in the form of a product directory, short descriptions of each product, links to product pages that contain more information, what the customer can expect by purchasing those products, product pricing information and why customers should buy those products from you, rather than your competition.
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4. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) page
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) begin to arise as you engage with customers about your products or services. The answers to these questions form extremely valuable content that can be displayed on your website. For every question that you answer to a customer, chances are there will be future customers who may ask the same question. By displaying your FAQs and answers on your website, you make it easier for customers to find the answers that they are looking for about your products or services while also reducing the amount of questions received directly via email or phone calls.
FAQs are also fantastic for organic search engine optimisation (SEO). People often enter full questions into search engines and if one of your FAQs is a match for a question, it has the opportunity to rank prominently. FAQs can also be repurposed into blog content if you are ever stuck for topic ideas. While questions that are repurposed into blog posts generally perform better, the organic search traffic that your FAQs page generates will be from a very targeted audience that is likely interested in exactly what you offer.
5. 404 page
Sometimes forgotten about or neglected in the planning process of a website, 404 pages are equally as important as any other page on your website.
You might be asking ‘What exactly is a 404 page’? The 404 part refers to the HTTP 404, 404 Not Found, 404, Page Not Found, or Server Not Found error message that web browsers display when a requested page cannot be found on a website. Websites can display their own custom 404 page with their own branding and content instead of the default browser error message. This provides a significant improvement to the user experience of your website.
By having a custom 404 page on your website, your visitors will not feel like they have left your website if they accidentally find a page that no longer exists, or if they make a mistake when entering a URL of a page on your website. It is a good idea when designing a 404 page to include information to help the user understand that their page cannot be found, a link to allow the user to return to the home page and a search bar to help the user to find the content that they are seeking.
Not having a custom 404 page on your website increases the chance of visitors leaving your website immediately after stumbling upon a page that does not exist.
