Having a website is your biggest selling tool if you’re an online shop owner. Not only does it give your business a home online, but it differentiates you from competitors and allows customers to find you through SEO.
But simply having a website isn’t enough. If you don’t have the right website pages in place, you’re going to have a hard time converting traffic to sales.
Think about it this way: If you’re a customer shopping for a product and you stumble upon a website that’s hard to navigate, what kind of experience are you going to have?
As a business owner, you want people to love the products you sell and the experience they have purchased them.
In today’s blog post, you’re going to learn about the website pages you must have to do exactly that.
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1 | The HomePage
Think of your homepage like you would the curb appeal of your house. You want to give onlookers a sense of your style while also enticing people to step inside so they can see more.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with their website is putting everything and the kitchen sink on their homepage. Having too much information, too many pictures and too much copy is not only visually unappealing, but it can be confusing to find what your takeaway message is.
Captivate customers with a beautiful template on your homepage that only shows top-level information. Don’t know where to start? Check out our WordPress themes.
2 | The About Us Page
One of the website pages you must have (no exceptions!) is an “about us” page. This is where customers can learn more about your business. It should answer these questions:
- Who are you?
- Where are you based out of?
- What do you sell?
- What niche do you fill in the market?
- Why should someone choose you versus a competitor?
If possible, include a photo of yourself or team members in your business. People like to put a face to the business, and that humanity can make a big difference for first-time customers who haven’t heard of you before.
3 | The Products Page
First and foremost, it should be easy for your customers to find what you sell. You may have this section on your top navigation bar under the heading, “shop” (like we do!). From this section, you can break up your product offerings by category.
Another page to consider on your website is a “new” section or a page for “best sellers.” Sometimes when customers end up on your site, they may not even know what they want—and here is where you can guide them.
For customers who are being indecisive, having a section dedicated to what other people have bought can help you close the sale.
Once you get your analytics up and running, you will be surprised by how many people view a page like this.
Looking for the perfect new theme for your online shop? Check out ChicShop, our WordPress theme built for online shop owners!
4 | The Blog
One of the website pages you must have that you may not even think of is a blog. Not only can you repurpose your blog posts to increase traffic, but you also get an SEO benefit and help customers that didn’t even know you existed find you.
All of these strategies can help you drive more sales.
It’s also a learning tool for prospective customers to find out more about your business, the products you offer, and the overall expertise you have in your space. Win. Win. Win.
Related Post: How to Reach Your Business Goals With Blogging
5 | The Email Newsletter Opt-in Page
A lot of people who love your products will want to know more—whether it’s about upcoming products or sales. The place where they are going to look is a web page to sign up for your newsletter.
Make this easy for people to find by placing this page in your navigational bar.
An email newsletter is an essential marketing tool for reaching your targeted customer base directly.
Unlike other forms of marketing where you are going after a broad audience, the people who are opting-in to your email newsletter are dedicated customers. And dedicated customers are more likely to buy things.
6 | The Testimonials Page
There’s a reason ratings and reviews are so important—customers want to know about other people’s experiences before they commit to buying, which makes a testimonial page a website page you must have.
If you have a website that is sophisticated enough to have ratings tied to specific products on each page, amazing! If not, get one comprehensive testimonial page on your website.
This could include email snippets from happy customers with their names (make sure to ask permission first!). You could also ask customers to submit testimonials via your email newsletter.
Related Post: How to Use Testimonials to Drive Conversions
7 | The Privacy Policy Page
As much as you may think this is a filler page on your website, some customers actually want to see that you have a privacy policy because it builds trust.
Things you would have on this page include that you won’t sell your customers’ information to a third party, your site, and payment methods are secure and safe, and you won’t store credit card information.
Privacy policies are also required by law if you are collecting personal data from your customers (which includes things like email addresses, shipping information, and payment).
Related Post: How to Legally Protect Your Website and Business
8 | The Terms and Conditions Page
A terms and conditions page differs from a policy page in that it outlines the rules and guidelines in order for customers to use your website—both of these website pages are essential to have.
Although terms and conditions aren’t required by law, it’s still smart to have because it protects your rights to the content of your website and it could limit your liability should a customer take you to court due to errors that occur on your website.
You can get the Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy for Your Website (GDPR & CCPA Compliant) here!
9 | The 404 Redirect Page
Oh, the dreaded 404 redirect page. Your users will see it if they click on a link that leads to a nonexistent page on your website. You hope that this won’t happen, but in business, you want to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
But the reason a 404 redirect is a website page you must have is because it turns the ship around.
Instead of being bounced back to your homepage or having users exit the browser, a 404 page can include links that can help your customers find potentially relevant information on another page.
10 | The FAQ Page
The FAQ page (or frequently asked questions) will save you a lot of time answering emails because it will answer the questions you will most likely receive. Here are some common things to include:
- Shipping cost (if applicable)
- What shipping carrier you use (if applicable)
- How long shipping takes (if applicable)
- The return policy (including cost)
- If you ship internationally (if applicable)
- What forms of payment you accept
- Gift wrapping (if applicable)
11 | The Contact Us Page
Some business owners have contact information embedded within an “about us” page on their website, but it’s actually more helpful for customers to have a dedicated “contact us” page they can search for.
This includes all the necessities, like your address, phone number, email address, and hours of operation if you also have a brick-and-mortar location.
Final Thoughts
Just like creating a website for your business is a necessity, it’s just as important to make sure the right website pages are on there.
Not only will it create clarity and ease of use for your customers, but it also allows for a better experience overall. And every business owner wants that.