In today’s technological age, websites have become almost a necessity for many businesses. When designing and structuring your new website, there are many parts that need to be taken into account and prepared. This article will go over some of the sections all websites should have and the most important pages, so that you can make sure your page is all set for launch.
Global Sections
Header
Headers are one of the main sections of a website, as they are at the top of every page. It should generally include your website’s logo, a navigation menu, contact information, or a call-to-action button. If relevant to your website, you can also add a search bar to make the user experience easier. Your header should be visible on all your pages and give the user an easy way to navigate your website. Make sure your logo links to your homepage, as many users will use it as a way of returning to your homepage.
The header section is also a very useful place for when you have a promotion, as you can add a banner to it to promote what is happening.
Menu
Often incorporated in your header, the menu should act like a roadmap to your webpage and include links to all pages of your site that users may be interested in. You shouldn’t cram all your pages into your menu, as this could make it overwhelming for some users. Make sure you divide your menu into clear sections so that users can easily find the page they are interested in.
Footer
Your footer will appear at the bottom of all your pages and will usually include additional navigation links, contact details, social media links, a newsletter form, and links to legal information.
Once the user has reached your footer, they are done with your page, so you should make sure you can keep them or get a lead. Your footer should include relevant links and information that will help the user take their next step on your page instead of having to scroll back up.
Key Pages
Homepage
Your homepage is the entrance to your website and should have the goal of capturing visitors attention and guiding them to the pages that will interest them the most. Good elements to add to your homepage are a headline, an introduction, a highlight of services and products, and calls to action.
About Us
This page is where you should give visitors insights into your company’s mission, values, and team. When people visit the About Us section, it is usually so they can decide if they can trust you by making sure you are a company they can get behind. Make sure to base your content on this page on gathering the trust of the users and showing them what makes you different from other competitors.
Services/Product Categories Page
Each of these pages should make sure to detail what is offered while including calls to action such as forms, links to the contact page, or, if you have a shop, a list of the related products. You should create a unique page for every service or product category page you have so that you can target specific keywords for each of your pages.
Shop
If you are an e-commerce business, you will need a shop page where customers can browse and purchase products. Make sure this page works properly on all devices and is easy to navigate. Make use of product categories and tags so that users can easily filter the products they are looking for. On your product pages, you should make sure there is a description of the product and high-quality images. You should also make sure that it is easy to complete the purchase once the product has been added to their basket.
Contact Page
Your contact page should include all the necessary information that a user might need to get in touch with you. This normally includes a contact form, phone number, email address, physical address, and a map. Make sure that sections like phone number and email address have clickable links.
Blog
Blogs are your way of providing additional information about your website’s content and are also great for bringing new users to your page. By writing informative and unique blogs, you can bring new traffic to your website who might eventually be interested in your business or help future customers make an informed decision when deciding what service or product to purchase.
FAQ
Your FAQ section should help address any common inquiry that you may receive, reducing the need for customer support and giving users an answer without having to contact you. FAQ can be a unique page, but if your business offers various services, we also recommend adding a FAQ section under any relevant page answering questions related to it.
Testimonials/Reviews/Our Work
These pages are your way of convincing users through your previous work and what people you have worked with think about your business. You can either write about your different projects or insert existing reviews from happy customers.
Legal Pages
There are different legal pages that you should think of adding to your page, the three main ones being your privacy policy, cookie policy, and terms and conditions. These pages should be linked in your footer (in the case of having a cookie policy, this should be linked in your cookie pop-up). Make sure these pages are clear and properly inform users of their rights and obligations.
If your website collects data, you will be required to add a privacy policy. Cookie policy can be included in your privacy policy or separate as you see best. Terms and conditions, on the other hand, aren’t mandatory, but it is always good to have one as they build trust with the user.
We hope this post has given you a better understanding of the different parts of a website. At RankFresh we have years of experience in the web design industry and would be happy to help you if you have any questions regarding websites.
