Know your needs
Before starting the creation of your site, you must take the time to understand your needs. What is the primary goal of your website? Is it to inform the members of your association? Is it to share book reviews? Is it to promote your business or sell your best products? Knowing the answer to this question is a good starting point.
Here is something our customer service colleagues suggest: take a sheet of paper and a pen and then note down everything you would like to add to your website. Separate each page under a principal theme. You can even draw the pages if you have something specific in mind. With a plan, it will be easier to create your website and define your needs. Furthermore, do not hesitate to visit many sites to find inspiration. Did you know that there is a list of websites created with WebSelf? It is a place where you can find websites that we find especially well-made. It will surely inspire you.
The 4 basic pages of a website
Although it is possible that you only need to create a landing page (a one-page site with a precise goal), for most sites, there are four basic pages. Indeed, you will notice that a significant number of websites created today have these pages. More precisely, we are talking about the homepage, the about us page, the page about the services or products, and the contact page. Let’s see the technicalities of these four types of pages.
-
The homepage
We believe that the homepage is the most important page of your website. It is often the first page your visitors will see. It is also an essential part of your website SEO. Consequently, you need to make sure that your homepage is perfect. It must inspire confidence and credibility at a single glance; otherwise, people will leave. The homepage must also summarize the rest of your site and allow people to find what they are looking for easily.
-
The about us page
Talking about credibility, the about us page is particularly relevant if you have a business or provide services. It is the place where you can present yourself, tell your story and share your past experiences. In sum, show who you are! The about us page helps create trust between you and your potential customers by explaining what makes you stand out. People are looking for this kind of information. They want to know the people they will work with or are purchasing from. It is then not a page to neglect!
-
The products and services page
Let us now move to the page where your products or services are presented. In fact, it is a page where the most important content, the main purpose of the site, is shown. Use this specific page to answer all questions your members or potential customers could ask themselves. Explain what you offer; add examples or recommendations from past customers. It will once again help your credibility. Do not forget to add beautiful visuals and call-to-action buttons to guide your visitors through their visit.
-
The contact page
The last page on our list is the contact page. It might be one of the last pages you create on your site; however, you must not forget it! This is the place where your visitors will have access to much essential information regarding your business: open hours, address, phone number, social media pages, etc. The contact page is there to help the communication between you and your customer. It would then be relevant to have this page on your website.
Extra tip: Once you've created all the pages you want on your site, you can check which ones are in the Google index using the Page Counter tool.
The other pages of your website
The pages we just talked about are the basis of what we should find on a complete website; however, nothing stops you from adding as many pages as you need. For example, if you wish to sell online, you can add a shop page. If you want to write articles, you can add a blog to your site as well. If you need a page to present your team members or the schedule of the next competitions, you can add them too!
The most important thing is to keep in mind to have a page per different themes. That way, it will be easier to people to browse your website and find what they are looking for. Each page must also be relevant to your site and field of activities.
Did you know that you can create a free 5-page website with WebSelf?
In conclusion, you are the person in charge of finding the number of pages your site should have, but do not forget to add a homepage, an about us page, a page where you can present your products and services, and a contact page. It is the basis. If you are looking for well-made websites created with the WebSelf site builder, we invite you to discover 3 online stores that we love!