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Web Site Components
Web Site Components
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Pages We Will Design For Your Web SiteIn this class we will create a web site for you that will include a Home Page, an About Us Page, a Contact Page, and one or more Product and Service Pages. Additionally, your site may include other pages that make sense for your content. the following article, and another one included in the homework, explain what pages you ought to consider for inclusion and why they are important to your audience. But also keep in mind that brevity is the soul of wit, resist the urge to make your site bigger than it needs to be. As the writer, adventurer, artist, and aeronautical engineer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once put it, writing about the design of airplanes: «La perfection est atteinte non quand il ne reste rien à ajouter, mais quand il ne reste rien à enlever». (“Perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove”.) The 7 Essential Web Pages of a Business Website by Joel Walsh (Used with permission)The 4 essential basic web pages1) HomepageA homepage has to give visitors a snapshot of who you are and what visitors can do on your website. Ideally, the main body of the homepage should not be more than 350 words, with the rest of the content devoted to teasers of your products and services page(s) and your sticky pages, such as customer stories, news stories, and informational articles. 2) "About us" pageThe "about us" page should give information on your company to visitors who are interested in knowing more about the people behind your products, services, and cool website: your staff, your history, your mission, and your organizational structure. A lot of small businesses make the mistake of putting this information on the homepage. In reality, most people just aren't interested in you, just what you have to offer, which is why the homepage should be devoted to what you have to offer the visitor. But this "about us" information is still important to have for those prospective customers who want to dig deeper before making a decision. Such customers look for an "about us" page to tell them what they need to know. 3) FAQ (frequently asked questions page) A FAQ is a chance for you to address potential customers' concerns so they are more comfortable ordering. Of course, as your business grows, you may also want to create a FAQ with help information for returning visitors and customers, to cut down on support requests and to provide information even when you're closed. However, it is always important to make sure you keep your FAQ for potential customers separate, and make it the most prominent on your homepage. You don't want your potential customers to be getting an eyeful of everything that could possibly go wrong with your product or service. 4) Products and/or services pageYour site needs at least one page that sums up what products and services you offer, with important details about each one. Each product or service description can link to a page that has a more complete description about it. If you have two or more well-defined groups of products or services, you may want to give each group a separate page; for instance, UpMarket has a "content" page, "online copywriting services" page, and an "internet marketing services" page. If you have a shopping cart or catalog, you may not need a products and services page. Still, an overview of what you have to offer can always be useful for visitors who want to learn more about what you have to offer, especially if your assortment is subject to change. 3 essential "sticky" pagesThe pages are called "sticky" because they get visitors to read and therefore "stick" to your site. Every business website needs at least one each, but preferably more. Without anything to read, a visitor who needs a few minutes to decide might decide to think about it while looking at a different web page--and once they've left your site, they may never come back. 1) Customer stories (a.k.a. case studies)Explaining what you've done for one or two of your best customers is a great way to communicate what you do. You should incorporate testimonial quotations on these pages. You can also have another page just of testimonials from your customers, but a list of compliments is no substitute for explaining what you really do for your customers. 2) Informational articles (a.k.a. whitepapers)Your customers and potential customers will appreciate getting more general information about the field or industry of your business, and tips and tricks for using your products or services. Plus, publishing articles on a subject makes you an authority. An added benefit is that you can distribute these articles for other websites to publish in exchange for a link to your website--a great way to build your reputation and build up links to your site. 3) News stories (a.k.a. press releases)When you have a new product or service, or even if you've just re-launched your website, you need to announce it to the world. Putting a link to your news story or press release is a great way to announce the new developments in your business to your customers and returning visitors. Plus, by distributing your press release to other websites and web press release clearinghouses, you can build links back to your website. The sections The 7 Essential Web Pages of a Business Website and Secrets of Writing a Business Website Homepage were written by Joel Walsh and are used with permission.
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