8 Important Pages Your Website Must Have

You want your website to become a selling tool for your company. Right? Then it’s important to create content that works for you.

Whether you choose to write the copy yourself or hire a professional copywriter, maximize your site’s effectiveness by including at least these eight pages:

1. Home Page

Most people, whether they find you via a search engine or your company’s promotional materials, will land first on your home page. So you want to be sure that it has an appealing design and some engaging sales copy.

You won’t get more than a few seconds to make your case, as your visitors quickly determine whether you’re the solution they seek. Therefore, the words you use to describe your product or service, along with any relevant pictures, are key to the success of your website and your business.

Your home page’s sales copy should accomplish three main objectives: 1) immediately draw the visitor in with exciting benefits, 2) show the visitor the options available for navigating around your site, and 3) establish your credibility.

2. About Us

Yes, doing business on the web can be impersonal, but it doesn’t have to be. Your About Us page gives you a chance to tell prospects who you are. Don’t waste their time with doublespeak about your commitment to quality and your all-encompassing corporate mission. Empty words that serve no purpose for your visitors will drive them away from your site.

Instead, imagine yourself at a cocktail party meeting your visitor. Now tell him a bit about your background and your interests. Be interesting. Let your personality shine through. Heck, even include a picture of you and your company’s key players so the prospect can see you and feel like he knows you. It’s all about creating trust.

You can learn more about what to include on your About Us page here.

If you’re creating a “Meet the Team” page, you can find a template with a list of questions to answer here.

3. Product Descriptions

Too many website owners think that if they put all their product information online, then prospects won’t bother to call them. That’s simply not true.

The main reason that most people search online is they want information. They have questions they want answered and problems they want solved.

Describing your product or service in detail helps visitors decide if what you’re offering meets their needs. The more you tell, the more you sell.  If you don’t provide all the facts, they’ll just click to another website that does.

4. Testimonials

Sure it’s important for you to tout your own abilities, but objective, third-party testimonials are far more persuasive.

Include a page on your website that has quotes from your customers. Make sure these quotes are somewhat specific and detailed. That is, just saying, “I really like this company,” isn’t going to be nearly as effective as the customer explaining exactly what and why he likes it. If you can include full names and titles or location, that will further enhance the credibility of the testimonials.

While testimonials are often written quotes, they can also be videos that let the customer tell his or her story on camera. Another option is to create case studies.  These are more detailed than testimonials and should demonstrate how you successfully solved a customer’s problem.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

An FAQ page gives you an opportunity to educate your prospective buyer. Not only can you provide a great deal of information here, you can also brag about your company’s capabilities in an unobvious way. That is, ask the questions that show off your product’s unique qualities.

You can even use this space to respond to any common sales objections by presenting them in a Q/A format. If you have a lot of FAQs, then break them into categories that make the page easy to navigate.  Want to get creative?  You can even include a section of Infrequently Asked Questions.  And there’s nothing wrong with adding a little humor if it makes for good reading.  Learn more about what to include on your FAQ page here.

6. Opt-in Offer

Unfortunately, most visitors don’t buy the first time they visit a website. They shop around. They think it over. They procrastinate.

So how do you sell to someone if you only get one shot at it? The answer is to make sure you get more than one shot.

Offer a free report or an e-newsletter that’s relevant to your business and industry. The visitor signs up, and you get their email address. Now you can continue to stay in touch, promoting your products and keeping your name in front of them. When they’re ready to make a decision, it’s you they’ll contact.

7. Contact Us

Make it super easy for someone to get in touch with you. Some people prefer to call; others prefer to email. Give ALL your contact information so that your visitors have a choice, regardless of whether you have a preference of how they contact you.

Even include your physical address on this page because it helps inspire trust. Some buyers want to know that you have a real location and are not just an email company. Some buyers may want to deal with someone local.  And finally, some people just want to know in what state or country you’re located because they’re curious.

Whatever you do, don’t make visitors fill out a lengthy form asking personal information. No one likes completing forms, and many people are hesitant to provide address and phone number for fear they’ll end up on some mailing or telemarketing list. You can include a form, but that should be in addition to, not instead of, your full contact information.

8. Call to Action

For some businesses this is an Order page, while for others it’s simply their Contact Us page. Either way, make sure you have a place where you tell visitors what you want them to do, whether it’s contact you for more information, request a quote, subscribe to your blog or place an order.

Just as you would ask for the sale at an in-person meeting, you should do the same on your website. And sometimes people need that extra litle push to take action.

Your website has potential to become your best sales tool. Maximize its effectiveness and your return on investment by hiring a professional website copywriter to create online content.