Let’s be clear: if you’re a business owner, you need a website.
Why? For one, your customers expect you to have one. For example, instead of looking for your information in the phone book, they’ll look you up online.
Second, 31% of referrals come from social media. You need a strong online presence to gather new customers.
But how do you build a website that attracts clients? A good website has key components that show off what your business is, and why it’s the best for your customer. It needs to be clean looking and well organized.
But what types of content do you need so your clients can get a good idea of what you’re all about?
There’s an art to finding the right content for your company. To make it easier, we’ve made a list of the essential types of content you need for your business website.
You Need a Homepage
The homepage is one of the most important parts of a website. It’s where visitors will land if they find you in a search engine. It’s also where they’ll go if they need to get an idea of what your company does.
The homepage is also the foundation for all your different types of content. If it’s on your homepage, it’ll be somewhere else on your website in more detail.
So what does a homepage look like?
Menu Bar
You should have a menu bar at the top of all your web pages, including the homepage.
This menu bar should include:
- Your Company Name, and a Descriptor. Try to work in a Call to Action. For example: “ABC Education Software: Listen, Learn, Play.” The descriptor tells you what the company values, and calls you to do the same.
- Your Logo. For ideas on how to create a logo, click here.
- Navigation Menu. This will have shortcuts to the important parts of your site.
- Search Bar. If your customer doesn’t want to dig through your site, it’s easier for them to use the search bar.
Header
Your header needs to be eye-catching. You can either feature a relevant image or use fonts to get your client’s attention.
The header should also have your business name and a description of how you’re going to help them.
Consider the difference between these two descriptors.
“ABC Education Software. We create software to help children learn.”
“ABC Education Software. We help your child learn with fun and advanced software engineered just for them.”
The second descriptor makes the business seem all about the parent and a specific child. That’s because clients don’t care a lot about you. They care more about what you can do for them.
Call to Action
Your header should also contain a Call to Action. It’s important to guide your customers towards your goal: making the sale. That’s why you always need a Call to Action at the end of every section.
Other Sections
Your homepage should also have sections with links to the other content on your website. Each section will be a summary of the page you’ve linked it to.
We’ll list each section here, and go into more detail later.
- About Your Business
- Product Descriptions
- Team/Employee Descriptions, or “Meet the Gang”
- Testimonials
- Blog
- Contact Info
The “About” Section
The “About Us” section is one of the first types of content you need on your site.
On the homepage, the “About” section needs to have the essentials. This includes a brief bio, your address, e-mail, and business hours.
The “About Us” page can be more detailed. You can talk about the hows and whys of your company. You can talk about your business motto, and your passions that got your company started. Add a CTA at the end to help inspired customers to make the right choice.
Product Descriptions
In the “Products” section on your homepage, write a brief description of each product. Add a link to a sales page or a more detailed description.
The products page answers any questions your client has about what you’re selling. What is it, who does it help, and how does it help are great places to start.
As always, add a CTA that links to a sales page or a contact page.
You can organize your products however you’d like. What you feature is up to you.
“Meet the Gang”
If you run a small team of skilled employees, give them a shout-out in this section. This will help your customers connect to the people behind your company.
The homepage section can have brief descriptions of your team, with titles and photos.
The page can go into more detail, with brief bios and contact information.
Testimonials
Have people used your services? Ask them to write a brief testimonial that you can feature on your website.
Pick two to three great reviews to feature on your homepage. You can put however many you want on the separate web page.
If you work with any big name companies, be sure to feature them in this section.
The Blog
You might think your company doesn’t need a blog. But a blog is a great way to add SEO rich content to your site. This type of content will help boost your website in search engines. It can also give your customers other ways to find your company.
You can write the blogs yourself, or hire someone to do it for you.
The “Contact Us” Section
This type of content is vital to your business. If your customers don’t have a way to contact you, then your website is pointless.
Set up a contact form for them. List other contact information, like e-mail, phone numbers, and fax numbers. If you have social media accounts, and you should, then list them here.
The Footer
The footer is the bottom part of your website. It’s just as important as the menu bar at the top. It should have a clear sitemap for your customers to navigate. You should also list your contact information again, to give them another chance to find you.
Want More Ideas for Types of Content You Can Use?
If you’re building a website for your company and you want more ideas for the types of content you can use, then check out our blog. We have many posts about content, marketing, and even graphic design.
You can also check out the services we offer for business owners. They include content creation, as well as website management. We’re here to help your business succeed.
