A recent blog post titled “Make Sure Your Website Designer Does these 5 Things” was all about getting started with the creation of a website for your business or organization. The blog stressed the importance of having a website which clearly identifies your “brand” and conveys information that aligns with your organization’s mission and key features, making it easy to market a consistent message across all branding and marketing materials.
This blog focuses on content and specific pages your website should include before you launch. Users and bots expect webpages at certain URLs, so it is important that site layout and navigation accommodate them. Becky Chumley, Director of Digital Marketing and EIG Partner explains, “The content that you have on your website should be predictable. Potentials customers should not have to search for your contact information or information about the services that you offer. It should be obvious where they should be clicking.”
Here are our Top 5 “must have” pages:
1. About
The “About” page is the most common page for nearly every website. This page includes information about the office location(s), brief details about the business or organization, and possibly information about staff.
While many sites have a separate “Contact” page, consider putting that information here too; there may not be a need for a separate page. Think about fewer pages and less maintenance.
Expected URLs for this page: /about-us/, /about/, /contact/, /contact-us/
2. Services
If you’re a service-based company or organization – rather than one which sells a product(s) – you’ll want one or more pages describing those services. Some websites have all services listed on one page, but others may have them spread out over multiple pages. It may also depend on the range and diversity of services you offer and whether a user is more likely to want to explore the whole range of services or one particular aspect.
Some websites might also use something like “what we do,” as a header instead of “Services,” and that works too if it better aligns with your branding and SEO strategy.
Expected URL: /services/
3. Careers
Even if there are no current job openings, it’s important to have this page on your website. Then, when you are ready to hire, the page is already there; at other times it’s easy enough to use a place holder which says something like, “We’re not hiring at this time, but check back frequently.” Having this page on your website can reap great benefits from organic visits to your site and may mean less recruiting when the need is there.
Here again, you have a choice of whether to create a separate domain for this page or whether to include it with in another category such as “About.”
Expected URLs: /jobs/, /careers/, /work/, /employment/, /apply/
4. Blog
“During the last decade, nearly every new website has added a blog.” Previous blog posts have described how frequently updated blogs can help boost the SEO of your website and tips on writing to improve the content of those blogs while creating great content for social media at the same time.
Expected URL: /blog/
Blog URLs should be descriptive, but short and relevant. Don’t try to include every word of the title and leave out conjunctions.
5. Contact
Whether you decide to include a separate page with contact information or include it in the About section, be sure to include all important information such as location, business hours, phone number, and email address.
Expected URL: /contact/
Once the essential “must haves” are in place, other pages can be added as needed -and budgets allow – to create the best website for your business or organization!
The Evolve Impact Group Piece
Take a look at the Evolve Impact Group website for examples of how this is put into practice. The “About” page includes our company philosophy, as well as information about our team, brief descriptions of our services, a tab for job opportunities, and contact information. There are separate tabs for our blog and another one devoted just to contact information.
Our unique approach to website development begins with identifying your brand and what sets your company apart from others in the marketplace. We develop a plan to ensure that the information posted on your website aligns with your organization’s “why” and that your message is consistent across all branding and marketing materials. Contact us today to learn more.