faq-features 3 Questions and Answers Questions are the building blocks of a forum. Once questions are asked, other people can start to offer up their answers and truly begin a community of shared knowledge. Organize the questions and answers of your forum or FAQ by topic, much like you organized your blog. As with the blog, make these questions searchable. 3 Documents and Guides Every company has set guides and processes, and customers benefit from that documentation as well. Consider making customer-facing documentation and making that available in your knowledge base. 3 Infographics Infographics explain a big concept in a small picture. If your company has infographics that explain processes or data, make that available through the knowledge base. A Business Website's Back-End Functionalities
Everything we’ve discussed so far has been customer-facing, which is helpful in creating a wonderful user experience. But what are some of the elements you should consider on your end, in the control room? We’ve certainly gone more in-depth on this topic in the business website ultimate guide. But for those of you just looking for a quick checklist of things to consider, the following will get you off to a good start. 3 CMS Tool A content management system (CMS) helps organize and retain all of the content that is on your website. Even if you take a post down after its related event or holiday, you can store it within the CMS should it be needed again later. Many CMS platforms have hundreds of customizable add-ons for any use case. For example there are countless popular Wordpress plugins for e-commerce stores. 3 SEO/Optimization Tool SEO software tools help you word content in such a way that it attracts the most visitors possible. Keyword optimization helps you utilize the words other people are searching so as to lead them directly to your website. 40. Site Analytics Analytics tools help you understand who is coming to your site and how much time they’re spending on it. This kind of insight is great for analyzing the effectiveness of certain pages or content for the purpose of changing failing strategies. 4 Website Hosting Similar to a domain name, websites cannot function without a host. If you’re using a website builder, you won't need to worry about a web hosting provider as your site is probably hosted through them, and you don’t have to worry about finding a host externally. 4 Content Descriptions
On the back-end, your website should offer you the option of adding meta descriptions to content and updating its title. This is useful for improving SEO, as adding in certain words in the meta description will make your site appear in certain searches. Avoid These Features on Your Company Website Among multiple sources, a few things are clear: Do not upload video content directly to your site, as it increases the likelihood of error. Instead, use video hosting websites, such as YouTube, and embed the video to your site. Auto-playing videos is also bothersome to some. Avoid using elements that require Adobe Flash Player, as not every visitor is able or willing to download the corresponding software. Stay away from background music. Many consider it bothersome to forcibly listen to music they did not choose. Next Steps for Your Business Website There are certainly more elements to consider, but there’s no need to bog you down as you’re just getting set up. The aforementioned thoughts and advice should get you started on what we hope will turn into a beautiful, functional and successful website. You can then begin to consider web design trends and overall user experience to breathe life into your business website's essential features.
What pages should my website have? After choosing a domain, this is the next question online entrepreneurs and small business owners ask when they are developing their website. On this page, we’ll detail the most important pages your small business website needs. Best Web Hosts for Small Business Websites A dependable web host is vital to your small business so choosing one is an important decision. Reliable web hosting ensures your visitors have access to your products and services when they need them most. Here are the top five web hosts for new websites you should consider: Bluehost: Best Overall Web-Hosting DreamHost: Best Shared Hosting A2-Hosting: Best Hosting for Speed SiteGround: Best Hosting with Live Support WP Engine: Best Managed WordPress
What Pages Do You Need on Your Small Business Website? When it comes to content creation for a newly created website, every business is unique and needs something different. But, there is a set of pages that all websites must have because visitors (your potential customers) have expectations of the information on your site and where to find it. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before producing your website content: What pages do I need on my website? What should I put on the homepage? Do I need a privacy policy page? Should I have a testimonials page? Do I really need a company blog? On the “about” page, should I talk about myself or the company? 13 Pages Your Small Business Website Must Have Homepage About page Services page Products page FAQ page Testimonials/reviews page
Contact page Blog Press/latest news page Privacy policy page Terms and conditions page Sitemap “Page not found” page This is the list of the most common pages and information we believe every website should have. Homepage homepageThis is the page most people will see first, and as such, it should tell everyone who you are and what your company does. The content on your homepage should be intriguing enough to capture the attention of your visitors within seconds. Your homepage needs to be well-designed, load fast and look professional. There are studies that show that you have 0.05 seconds to convince people stay on your website. What to include:
A short description of who you are and what you do, a brief explanation of your services and products, and perhaps some bullet points on how you can help your potential customer or client. Read more: How to create a homepage that converts List of examples of good homepages About page about pagePeople do business with other people, and visitors want to learn a bit more about who the people are behind the company. The about page is often one of the most visited page on any website. This page should give a brief summary of who you are, your company history and what isolates you from the competition. What to include:
A summary of your company, whom it employs (with biographies and pictures of the staff, or just yourself if you are a sole proprietor), any special achievements you received, and the ways you differ from others that provide the same product or service. Read more: 9 tips for making an about page that works for your brand How to write an about us page Services page (if you offer services) services pageHere you can list details about the services you provide. Begin the page with a summary of your services prior to outlining them. If your services are vast and their descriptions are quite extensive, consider dividing them into sections, as well as adding a link to a landing page, where readers can learn more about a particular service.
What to include: A synopsis of services presented, bullet points of services with short explanations, links to learn more about specialized services (if you desire), the advantages of using your services, and how they differ from the services your competition offers. Read more: Why you need a dedicated services page Products page (if you offer products) products pageThis is your chance to offer details about the products you sell. Begin the page with a short summary of your products before listing them. If you sell multiple products and have extensive information on each product, consider dividing them into categories and adding a link to their product pages. What to include: An outline of products available, short descriptions of each product, links to product pages that contain more information, what the customer can expect by purchasing those products, and why customers should buy those products from you, rather than your competition. Read more: 25 must have pages for your ecommerce website FAQ page
faq pageThe FAQ page is your space to answer the most frequent questions you are asked. The frequently asked questions (FAQ) page will tell everyone – on one page – what they need to know. This will save you time answering those same questions on an individual basis. Provide honest answers for each one. Your answers should be a call to action, and persuade a potential customer to take the next step and buy whatever you’re selling. What to include: The most common questions you are most frequently asked should be on this page. Such questions should also remove any doubts a customer may have, in order to make them feel secure enough to make a purchase from you. Read more: How to design the perfect FAQ page Testimonials / reviews page testimonials reviews pageThis is your chance to show off positive reviews your company has received. Where possible, include photos and contact info of the author (a link their social media account, not their personal phone number). This will add authenticity to each testimonial. Anyone can write a review, but those with photos of real people that can be traced to an actual source credibility and establishes trust.
What to include: A brief paragraph of praise from customers, perhaps as long as a sentence or two. Include photos and contact info of the reviewer, preferably with a headline above each testimonial, to catch a customer’s eye. Read more: 11 testimonial page examples Contact page contact pageYour contact page show potential customers all the ways they can get in touch with you. It is also important to have your phone number, email address and physical mailing address on the footer throughout all of your website pages, where possible. If you need to create a custom email address, our guide here will show you how. What to include: All of your social media accounts, your mailing address, phone and fax number, email address, and even your business hours. Some companies prefer using a contact form instead of listing their email address for spam prevention purposes.
Read more: How to make the perfect contact us page Blog blog pageThis isn’t a page per say, as a blog is the sum of all blog posts. A blog is a website, or a section of a website, made up of topically related blog posts (like journal entries). Blog posts are usually listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent blog post appearing first. If you have a small business website without a blog then you are seriously missing out! Think of your blog as your greatest and most affordable marketing tool. A blog drives traffic and leads/sales. A survey by HubSpot found that 57% of businesses who blog have generated a lead from it. A blog gives your company a voice, it creates a place where you can tell your company’s story, share your expertise and engage with your customers. What to include: First and foremost you need to do a bit of strategy work, you need to know why you are starting a blog and who you are blogging for (your target audience). Next you need to map out what your blog should be about, i.e. what your should write about and the topics to cover. Think of how you write and the language you use, most of us don’t like to read academic journals so don’t be afraid to be conversational and casual in the way you write. Quality trumps quantity. Studies suggest that long-form and in-depth blog posts outperform shorter shallow blog posts, when it comes to search engine optimization and getting shared on social media.
Read more: Why you should use WordPress Beginners guide to small business blogging Press / latest news page press latest news pageThis is where you can address the media. Here, you should post links to articles written about your business, press releases, advertisements, videos featured on other platforms, and any other recognizable commercial accomplishments. What to include: Ways the media can get in touch with you, links to download PDFs and photos, and press releases. If you have a media or press kit, post it here, so the media can learn more about your company prior to further publicity. Read more: How to create a good press kit How to create a good press page on your website Privacy policy page privacy policy pageA privacy policy is must for every website, a privacy policy lets the visitor to your website know what you’ll do with the personal information they give you. On this page, let the site visitor know how any personal information and data (e.g. advertising, cookies, emails etc) collected will be used, and whether or not it will be shared with third parties. You must strictly adhere to your privacy policy.
What to include: What data you collect, how it is collected, how visitors can obtain a copy of the information you obtain, if such content will be shared, and if so, with whom. Read more: Why you need a privacy policy page List of free privacy policy generator tools 1 Terms and conditions page terms or use pageSimilar to the above mentioned privacy policy, a terms of conditions page is usually a must for most websites. This is a page the outlines the “rules” a visitor to your site must agree to abide by in order to use your website. What to include: You want to include the rules and guidelines and how your website functions. For example, which country’s laws that governs the agreement, an intellectual property disclosure that states that your website is your property and that it’s protected by copyright laws, and a links to other sites clause that you are not responsible for or have control over third party links on your website. Read more: Free terms and conditions generator tool 1 Sitemap page sitemap pageSitemaps come in two formats. XML sitemaps (these are made for search engine bots, helps search engines discover your content and is good to have from an SEO standpoint). HTML sitemaps are made for your “human” visitors (and what we refer to here.) A sitemap page is a non-fancy index page that lists all the web pages you have on your website. For example check out our sitemap page on https:///sitemap/.
What to include: Your sitemap page should include links to all of your web page, your pages and blog posts. Your sitemap page should be located in the footer throughout all of your website pages, where possible. If you use WordPress then there are plenty of plugins that can help you build an HTML sitemap. Read more: Free HTML sitemap WordPress plugins 1 “Page not found” page page not found pageA page not found page (technically speaking it’s called a “404 error” page) is a page your visitors get directed to when a webpage no longer exists, have moved or has expired. Because a 404 error page can be a standard HTML page, you can (and should) customize it any way you want. What to include: Tell visitors clearly that the page they’re looking for cannot be found. Your page not found page should include a link back to your homepage, you could also include a search form.
Read more: Why you should create a page not found page How to create the perfect 404 page not found page 1 5 Other Must-have Pages for Your Small Business Site You Should Consider Depending on what type of website you have, you may also consider including the following pages: Search result page Jobs or careers page Events page Advertising information page Affiliate link disclosure page Summary What type of pages do you have on your small biz website, and what type of pages do you think everyone small business website owner should include on their website? If you need to create a website, we guide you step-by-step through the process using WordPress.
Did you know that over 70% of people will research a company on the web before deciding to buy or visit, yet 46% of small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a website? If you don’t have a site, people can’t research your company and determine if you’re a good fit for their needs. If you find yourself asking, “Do I need a website for my business?” we’ve got the answers you need. On this page, we’ll provide you with six reasons you need a website for your business and three tips for building your website. Keep reading or contact us to speak with a strategist about our web design services, including our 30-day website design plans! Why you need a website: 6 compelling reasons If you don’t have a website for your business, you’ve probably asked yourself: Do I need a website? While it may seem like your company thrives without one, there are many reasons to have a website. Let’s look at six reasons to build a website for your business: People expect you to have one If you’re looking for the most straightforward answer to the question, “Do I need a website?” it’s this: People expect you to have one. With the growth of the digital age and ability to find information online, people assume that your business’s information is online, too. Your audience expects you to have an online presence, and just having a Facebook page isn’t going to cut it.
You need a website because people expect you to have one. If someone searches for your business, they expect to find your site in the search results. Without a website, people will view your company as less professional and trustworthy and won’t feel comfortable becoming a client. So, if you’re asking, “Do I need a website for my business?” the answer is yes. You need a website because your target market expects you to have one so they can learn about your company and become customers. People search for you online Let’s imagine that two friends are together, having a cup of coffee and talking. The one friend, Marta, tells the other, Louise, about your business, as she visited the other day, and gives a glowing recommendation to visit your company. When Louise returns home, she decides to look up your organization to learn more. When she searches for your company’s name, she can’t find a website. She trusts her friend Marta, but she’s skeptical because she can’t find your site to learn more about your company. This scenario happens to companies that don’t have a website.
You need a website for your business because people search for your business online. Whether a friend recommends you or they drive past your location, people will look up your company to learn more. Without a website, these potential customers can’t get valuable information, and as a result, won’t visit your store. Consider this fact, too: 93% of online experiences start with a search engine. Most people start their browsing sessions by searching. To help these searchers find your business in search results, you need a website for your brand to help guide those leads to your company. People want basic answers fast One of the most important reasons to have a website is that your leads want information fast. Do you find yourself overwhelmed with phone calls of people asking about your hours of operation, your specials, or how your business works? If so, it’s time to build a website for your brand.
Website Design ExeterYou save your company from answering basic questions when you provide the information on your site. A website stops you from answering questions like, “What time do you close?” or “What specials do you have today?” dozens of times a day. When you invest in building a website, you create an opportunity to provide all the essential information in one place. You post information like: Hours of operation Specials Products/services Prices Location Company background Contact information Take a second to think: How many people call your business related to the information above? If you find most inquiries surround these topics, you need a website for your business. A website lets you provide essential information to your audience fast, which creates more time for you to focus your energy on running your business and answering more complex questions.
People use your website to engage with your business If you’re still asking the question, “Do I need a website for my business?” here’s another excellent reason to invest in building a website: Engagement. Engagement plays a critical role in turning leads into life-long customers. Over 63% of consumers use a company’s website to engage with the brand. In this digitally-run world, you must create a robust online presence to engage prospects and get them to become customers. Without a website, you’re missing these critical moments where you can turn leads into conversions. An informative and visually-appealing website goes a long way in helping your business attract prospects, delight them, and turn them into clients for your company.
People want to do more than buy products online Many business owners ask themselves, “Do I need a website for my business?” and respond with “I don’t sell my products online, so there’s no point.” We’re here to squash that myth. A website isn’t just for ecommerce businesses — it’s for everyone. You don’t need to sell products online to have a website. Even if you sell products that are too big to plop into a virtual shopping cart, like construction equipment or building materials, a site still benefits your business. A website will attract prospects to your company. Why? People want to do more than buy products online. There are three main types of search queries on Google: Informational: Users conducting searches to learn about specific subjects or topics. Navigational: Users looking for a specific page or website. Transactional: Users searching with the intent to purchase products. Want to guess which type of search query is most popular on Google? It’s informational.People conduct dozens of searches every day, looking for information.