Maybe you are thinking about getting a website or you already have one.  Whatever the case, there are five main pages every site needs to have.  And these pages should be linked from your main menu, which should be placed across the top right of your site next to your logo:

1. Home

You should always have a link for people to return to the home page of your website.  If you don’t have an actual link for this, your logo should link to your home page.

Your home page should showcase what you do and be very simple and clear.  Do not clutter up your home page with unnecessary information.  Trying to put too much stuff on your page makes your site busy and difficult to navigate.  You want your visitors to easily find what they are looking for, so they will want to work with you.

Make sure your home page gets updated often.  You should schedule posts at least once or twice a month to keep your content fresh.  Google loves new content and will give your site a boost in its listings when it finds updates.

Your home page is a great place to put news, specials, and featured items.  You can also put your blog articles on your home page to keep it fresh, if you can commit to actually keeping up with your updates.

2. About

You should have a page where you introduce yourself and put a human face on your business.  You should talk about why you started your business, what your mission is, and why people should do business with you.  You can also write about your company history if it’s interesting and relevant.

Over 65% of people look at the About page before doing business with a company, so it’s important to have this information on your site.

3. Products and/or Services

You obviously need a page that showcases what you offer.  You may want to put products and services on separate pages, or just have a Shop page for everything.

When listing your offerings, give the name of the product or service, a description that clearly outlines the benefits to the customer, and important info like colors, sizes, and prices.  Having professional looking photos for your listings will greatly help you sell more, since people love to see exactly what they are getting when they buy online.

4. Reviews or Testimonials

Having quotes from happy customers will help people trust you and feel good about doing business with you.  Get a photo of your customer and quote them exactly.  You can pull out a little phrase as a headline, such as “A pleasure to work with” or “Really knows their stuff.”

Linking to an authority site like Google or Yelp that offers independent reviews is even better, since people are more likely to trust these sources.  After your customers buy something from you, encourage them to leave you a review on one of these websites, and email them links directly to your business listings, so they can easily do it.

5. Contact

It seems like a no-brainer, but your visitors need to be able to contact you directly from your website to ask questions and to get more information and to book appointments, etc.

To protect your email address from spammers, have a contact form with a verification system.  You will still get an email from your website when someone contacts you.

Decide whether you want your phone number online.  You may need to get a dedicated business number or Google number to protect you.  If you give an address, make it your storefront address or a post office box if you don’t have a brick and mortar shop.

Putting all of your pages in this order on your main menu will help your website visitors find what they are looking for quickly and easily.  Keeping it clear and simple will help you set your business up for success.

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