3XV-STUDIO – WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIO

  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 at 888-256-9448 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.

 You 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.

Design

  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.

  Whether it’s asking a simple question like “How old is Betty White?” or something more in-depth like “How to build my credit score,” people conduct queries looking for information. Even if you don’t provide products online, you provide information. Whether it’s information about your business or content on topics in your industry, you have an excellent opportunity to educate your audience. When people feel informed, they’re more likely to convert. Since you provided the helpful information they needed, they’re more likely to choose your business when it comes time to convert because they trust you. Again, you don’t need to be an ecommerce business to have a website online. When created properly, a site will benefit any company by providing prospects with helpful information, which can grow brand awareness, trust, and more. People see you with your competition Do you know who isn’t asking the question, “Do I need a website for my business?” Your competitors — because they already have one. If you want to remain competitive, you need a website. Your competition is one of the most important reasons to have a site.

  Without a website for your business, people who search online will find and visit your competitor’s company instead. Did you know that 50% of users visit a store within a day of conducting a local search? That means, if you don’t have a website, these users are visiting your competitors instead. You’re missing an opportunity to attract new leads and drive them to your business. If you want to remain in competition with your competitors, you must invest in building a website for your business. It will help you establish an online presence among competing companies and drive more leads to your organization instead of the competition. How to make a website for your small-to-midsize business If you’re asking, “Do I need a website for my business?” and now answering “Yes,” it’s time to get started on building your business’s dream website. Check out these three quick tips for creating your dream website:

  Choose who’s going to develop it First, decide who will make your website. You have three options: Do it yourself Hire a freelancer Partner with a web design company So, which option is best for your business? That’s up to you to decide! If you’re looking to save money, you can build your website yourself. If you don’t have experience with web design, don’t put the pressure on yourself to try and create a website. It will cause you more stress trying to find the right design and add the correct elements to your site than if you hire a web design company. In the case that you don’t do it yourself, you can hire a freelance web designer.

  The biggest problem with freelancers is that you typically hire them for one-time needs, like building your design or updating your design. That means you still need someone to monitor your site for errors after the design is up, which comes at an extra cost to your business. If you want ongoing help with your website, a web design agency may fit your needs best. A web design agency will help you build a custom website unique to your business and help you monitor your design to ensure everything operates correctly. A potential downside of web design companies, however, is overpaying for services. If you hire a web design agency, you need to be proactive by researching web design costs and creating a realistic budget for your company. By setting a budget, you’ll know which web design companies will work well with your business. Additionally, a good web design company will offer transparent pricing and only provide you with the services you need, like . The right web design company will also respect your budget and deliver a website unique to your business.

  Pick your web design style One of the best reasons to have a website is that it creates an opportunity for you to showcase your unique brand. When you’re designing your website, you’ll want to choose your website’s design style. Establish your web design style by creating a brand style guide. Your style guide helps you stay consistent with web design and implement your brand’s unique style into your website. Stick to colors that reflect your brand. If you have a color scheme already, like on traditional marketing pieces, carry that style over to your website. Establish colors and styles for every aspect of your site, including: Website colors Font colors

  Font styles Image/video styles Copywriting style Whether you want a rustic or elegant brand identity, establish a brand look that works for your business. Use search engine optimization (SEO) Great web design goes beyond the visual aspects. You need a website that appears in search results and drives traffic to your page. With search engine optimization (SEO), you’ll help your beautifully designed site appear in more relevant search results. SEO helps people find you when they search online. From keyword integration to page speed optimization, SEO enables you to create a discoverable website that’s easy for your audience to browse. This strategy helps you compete with competitors too.

  If you’re using SEO, you’ll achieve better rankings in search results, which will allow you to outrank your competitors. You’ll drive more traffic to your website and earn more leads for your business. If you choose to outsource your website design, partner with an SEO web design agency. An SEO web design agency will know how to build a beautifully designed site and optimize it for search engines. To learn more about SEO, check out our guide, SEO From Start to Finish! We don’t want to tell you about the work we do, we want to SHOW you. View Our Portfolio WE’VE BUILT OVER 1,100 WEBSITES in a variety of industries.

  Do I need a website for my business? Yes! Your website is the heart of your online presence and all your digital marketing efforts. If you want to drive traffic and earn valuable leads, you must build a website that reflects your business and focuses on delivering an excellent experience for your audience. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with building your website, let take that weight off your shoulders. We’ve won dozens of web design awards and have a team of over 450 experts that will help you build your dream website. If your business has gotten this far without a website, you might be wondering: do I need a website for my business? What’s the point if my business is already successful without one? The short answer is that there has never been a better or more important time to invest in a website for your business. A website offers a wide variety of benefits for small businesses, and most of these benefits increase in value exponentially year over year, just like the Internet itself.

  Does your small #business need a #website? 10 reasons the answer is a resounding yes 🙌 CLICK TO TWEET Not convinced? We’ve collected ten of the biggest benefits your small business can receive from even a simple website. Ten reasons why you need a website for your small business A website makes you look professional 84% of today’s consumers think a website makes your business more credible than companies who only have social media profiles. Your website is also the perfect place to show off any professional certifications or awards your business has.

  Beyond that, having your own website lets you create a branded email address (e.g. dianna@yoursite.com) which adds a level of professionalism to all of your correspondence, especially if you’ve used a personal email address to conduct business up until now. In addition, some email marketing tools no longer allow users to send emails from personal addresses. This means that if you want to take advantage of the power of email marketing, you’ll need a business email account. Your website can attract new customers through Google You may be happy with the current size of your business, but every company experiences customer turnover. To encourage continued success, you need to attract new customers, and one of the best ways to do it is by making yourself more visible on Google. Social media networks are indexed on Google, and social media posts can be found with the search engine, but a website gives you access to many more tools and strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And SEO is the key to making your business appear on the front page of Google.

  The phrase “search engine optimization” might be intimidating, but in practice, it’s fairly simple. You enter words and phrases related to your business into a keyword research tool, figure out which ones are getting the most traffic on Google, then build your content around those phrases. As a rule, each piece of content should be focused on a different keyword, so that as your list of content grows, your site is able to rank for more keywords. There are some excellent SEO plugins for WordPress that make it easy to do this, no previous training required. You can clearly showcase your products and services You can show potential customers what they’ll get when they work with you by displaying high-quality photography on your website. Take a look at how the UK restaurant Blackhouse has accomplished this on their website: The Blockhouse business needs a website to show pictures of its food You can also use your website design, along with the featured images, to give people a sense of what it feels like to enter your physical location. This works particularly well if your brand is closely tied to the “feel” of your location, like the Canadian restaurant Stormcrow Manor.