With the surge in people searching for answers and products online, your website is a vital part of your business. Without a good website, you will potentially lose prospective customers. Not to mention you may miss out on larger income avenues. Regardless of your business focus, your website should provide visitors with a clear description of what you do, the services you offer, and how people can reach you. That said, below are the crucial pages that your business website should have.
1. Homepage
The homepage is the first page that all visitors see when they visit your site. As such, it determines if the potential customer will continue browsing or exit your business website. When developing your homepage, ensure that the navigation bars, images, and controls meet your target customers' expectations. They should understand the objective of the homepage, the logo, and a precise call-to-action button with ease. Avoid filling your homepage with clutters of irrelevant pictures, outrageous color patterns, and words.
2. About Page
As the name suggests, this page provides an opportunity to provide more information about your business vision and mission. Bold these statements and explain how your customers will benefit from your business. To achieve this, you should employ an elaborate storytelling strategy. Ensure that your target customers can relate to your business's values, solutions, and can connect emotionally.
3. Contact Page
Communication is key if you want to build a solid relationship with your clients. Contact pages are more of a customer support tool that makes it possible to communicate with your potential clients. Businesses with physical locations should provide an address that connects to their Google business listings. Additionally ensure you provide a phone number, an email address, and a live chat option.
4. Product Page
Ecommerce stores need a product page to provide details of the products that they sell. When creating this page, start with a summary of the products that you stock or sell before listing them. If you have multiple products on your store, divide the page into categories to provide extensive information about the products and links to individual product pages.
This page provides an outline of the products available, short descriptions that sell the benefits. Put the products' features and details on their individual product pages. Provide a clear description explaining how the buyer will benefit from buying your products.
5. Service Page
If your business provides services, the service page should detail all the services that you provide. Like the products page, start the page with a summary of your services before listing them. Similarly, if you have multiple services with extensive descriptions, divide the page into sections and add links to the individual landing pages where visitors can find more information about a specific service.
6. Blog Page
The blog page isn't a page per se, but where all your blog posts are placed. Blog posts should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the recent posts appearing at the top. Updating your blog posts regularly with quality and relevant content significantly helps with inbound marketing. This helps to increase traffic to your website. It also boosts your search engine ranking, improves user experience, and builds your business brand credibility.
7. Privacy Policy Page
The privacy policy page is a perfect place to inform your customers how you handle any personal information they provide. Let your visitors know that any personal data gathered will not be shared with any third parties. You should as well adhere to the privacy policy strictly.
8. Terms of Service Page
Also, a crucial page on any business website, this page outlines the rules and regulations that your visitors should abide by when browsing your website. Include the rules or guides that will help visitors use your website better.
Bottom Line
While there is no specific number of pages that your business website should have, the pages mentioned above are crucial for your business's smooth running. You can also have other pages, such as the FAQ page, search result page, testimonials page, and a sitemap page.
Looking for help? Tired and believing there has got to be a better way?
Let's talk about your business. With over a decade of experience leading companies and transforming lives, and a Master's degree in Org. Development and Leadership, Mike can help you find the best way forward!
When you create your website, customer experience should be your primary focus during the development process. When your website is running, you need to be able to track customer behavior. Gaining an understanding of the customer journey will help you update your website accordingly to increase your profits. Here are some of the ways your website can guide the customer journey.
Backlinks and Keyword Research
There are many ways people can learn about your brand. From seeing a car with your company logo on it, to finding you on social media platforms. To ensure you use your online platforms to the fullest, you need to leave backlinks on these sites. The links will then lead potential customers straight to your website for more information.
Additionally, you need to conduct keyword research to rank higher on search engines. Devote yourself to finding out the most searched for keywords in your industry. Feature these keywords on your website in order to create an optimized website. This will generate more traffic to your site.
However, to improve the customer experience, you need to be ready for all of the traffic that will soon be streaming to your site. Design a home page that welcomes your customers and promises to address their needs. Include a call-to-action on your home page to prompt prospects to take action. This can be in the form of a signup form, a free trial or a free newsletter.
Build Trust
After you have managed to get traffic to your website, you need to build trust. This is one of the most challenging steps in the customer’s journey on your website. Some of the trust-building elements you should try to incorporate on your website include case studies and testimonials. Create informative blogs, videos, and podcasts, so the target audience can learn more about you and what you offer. Additionally, try using hub pages to consolidate all your content on a single page.
These tools will help you to connect to your prospects as they begin to compare their needs to those of your existing customers. Bear in mind that all these trust-building elements should have a call-to-action like a free consultation or a signup form for a newsletter. These call-to-actions will prompt your prospects to take the next crucial move - a purchase.
Make It Easy To Buy
After you have won over your customers, you can quickly lose them if you have a complicated purchase procedure. Customers do not like long payment processes that require them to fill in additional information. If you have an e-commerce site, make the process of adding items to the cart and purchasing as straightforward as possible. If you are dealing with a service, ensure that the signup forms are simple. You want prospects to easily be able to book an appointment. Include hints on how candidates can complete purchases quickly.
Retain Customers
Through your website, you can turn one-time customers into loyal clients and also have them refer other prospects to your brand. First, by having pages with related products and services, you are opening up your clients to extensive purchasing possibilities. This will help retain them. Having a CRM tool that tracks the purchases of your existing clients will assist you to inform them of related products and services through email campaigns.
To gain referrals, you should include forms that prompt customers to discuss their experiences and provide their feedback on your products and services. When such feedback forms are linked to your social media profiles, you will be able to use these to draw the attention of prospects. Do not forget to solicit referrals from your satisfied clients.
Summing Up: The Customer Journey
Your website is a crucial tool you can use to guide your customer's journey and boost your sales. With the right approach, you can use your website to increase customer loyalty and attract prospects. The above steps provide basic strategies for guiding your customer's journey once they land on your website.
Looking for help? Tired and believing there has got to be a better way?
Let’s talk about your business. With over a decade of experience leading companies and transforming lives, and a Master’s degree in Org. Development and Leadership, Mike can help you find the best way forward!
According to recent studies, 96% of all tested web applications have security vulnerabilities. A whopping 25% of these applications have XSS holes while 23% leak information, such as 911.re proxy service was recently shut down because hackers abused their system. The other 48% are vulnerable to website security authentication, authorization, and session management issues, as well as SQL injection and CSRF among other attacks.
You need to periodically test your websites, blogs, and mobile apps for vulnerabilities so you can uncover and fix any issues before it’s too late. Here are 4 FREE and extremely reliable online tools (plus a bonus 5th one!) you can use to scan for website security vulnerabilities and malware.
Siteguarding Siteguarding is a free online tool that will scan your site for malware and vulnerabilities. It’s a basic scan to help with website security compared to some of the others but it will give you information on your site and check as well to see if it is on any blacklists online. For WordPress users, it will also identify the version you are using so you can know immediately if you should update.
Quttera For those looking for an easy-to-use malware detector for website security, Quttera is your answer. Simple yet detailed in its analysis, Quttera allows internal and external monitoring, scheduled and on-demand scans, blacklist checking, detects modified files, uncovers traffic re-directs, malvertising, and generic malware detection among many others. And, if you detect a problem, there are always security experts at hand to help you address the issues right away.
Web Inspector Web Inspector is a straightforward tool for website security. To check for malware and vulnerabilities, enter your URL into the search box and start the scan. Depending on the size and complexity of the page, as well as the extent of damage, it can take up to five minutes to get results. After the scan is complete, generate a report. You’ll need to first sign up with Comodo Web Inspector first, though. But, don’t worry. Sign-up is free. UPDATE: Web Inspector seems to have gone away. A new and value resource is here: Website malware removal
AsafaWeb This is another very easy-to-use website vulnerability scanning service. Just copy the URL, paste it into the AsafaWeb search box, and click Scan. You can schedule scans so your site is automatically checked for vulnerabilities perhaps once or twice a week, or even daily. It's also necessary to check all the links and do not forget that many backlinks purchase is not safe.
Sitechecker Sitechecker is an online SEO platform for auditing and monitoring websites. The Url Fuzzer tool will help you analyze your website and find all the weak points. This tool scans all directories and hidden files of the website. In the report, you will see all the weak spots of your website that can be used by cyber criminals to download malicious code.
Final Thoughts on website security
If you’re serious about protecting your website and your customers’ data, pick one tool from this list and begin scanning your site for vulnerabilities now on a regular basis such as every 2 weeks. It’s free and valuable and should be a regular part of the website security you do. If you don’t have time for managing your site, hire an IT manager. Want more information? Click here.
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.How about if you can “build” your home before it’s actually built?
With Commodore Homes’ new interactive website, you can “build your own home” before you really build your home. Design your kitchen? Yes, you can do that too! Create a password-protected account and you’ll be able to save your selections for future reference.
The site encourages visitors to explore and connect with their qualified builders and custom products while viewing videos of the design, construction, and transformation of new homes. Interested in the specific cabinets and faucets and want to shop from home? In the Options area, there’s a complete listing of features and options to select from and save as you plan your next home.
Features of the Commodore Multi-Website System
When the prospective homeowner creates an account and enters the website, your address initiates a search for the nearest potential Commodore-approved builder. The visitor can find this information under the “Find a Builder” tab.
The Company Portal describes Commodore in more detail and answers informative Frequently Asked Questions, information about markets served and interesting residential-related news and blogs.
The site provides a sales rep access area to determine who may be showing notable interest. Beyond the corporate site each of their divisions has a site. Each site is managed by the web admin from one central website manager portal. View the division sites here:
For the prospective homeowner, this website offers a great opportunity to explore the range of possibilities with its interactive and unique inHouse Experience.
How many times have you visited a friend’s new home and heard them say, “If there is one thing I would have done differently, it would have been…” ? This unfortunate situation is not uncommon when elements are visualized independently of other features. Or, the plans may have been viewed in a 2-dimensional floor plan with a limited perspective.
Commodore’s fantastic interactive portal allows you to visualize all of the critical exterior and interior elements of your future home. Additionally, after saving your favorite configurations, you may go back to review, edit and save again.
How the Interactive inHouse Design Works
After opening Commodore’s easy-to-use (and even fun), interactive website, go to the inHouse Experience section where you can begin to design the “curb appeal” elements by selecting between one or two-story configurations, sidings and roof pitches. A simple click will show how your home would look; the graphics change with each selection.
Secondly, move inside to configure floor plan, kitchen, flooring, décor, and all of the other important features. The combinations are nearly limitless and seeing each element in the context of the others before construction is a homeowner’s dream.
Avoid those decorating mistakes that frequently raise their ugly heads, often after you have moved in.
Dream Your Dream Home
Exterior
First, you will select your choice of a one or two-story plan. From here you can visualize a range of roof pitch angles and exterior features including dormers and curbside exterior features that really create the personality of the home.
Next, you may select a shade of shake lower front sidings, exterior trim colors, vertical and horizontal siding shades, and various types of roofing and shutters. You can even select your front door. Each time you click on an option, the picture will change, allowing you to mix and match hundreds of combinations.
Interior
Move inside and browse the floorplan that fits your lifestyle. Options include three and four-bedroom plans with two bathrooms with a choice of shower styles in the Master bath.
Kitchen
To many, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. Here you have a world of combinations to create that dream kitchen. While there are literally hundreds of combinations to consider, create your custom kitchen cabinets, Neo Kitchen with a variety of flooring, countertop, cabinetry, appliances and hardware choices.
Robust Dealer / Builder Tools
Not just a website, Commodore is a website system with robust tools to empower Commodore and their builders to have online access to all sorts of information. The site includes the ability for the Admin to add new InHouse Experiences to any of the 8 sites as well as add builders/dealers and give the dealer embed code allowing them to add InHouse Experience tools to their own website!
Builders also have access to private logins with private information and downloadable resources on each home they carry. Commodore can add builders/dealers, and give them access to information on different home series, even access to more than one site.
Adding pages, adding new homes, adding home series, all of these are a snap as is managing call-to-actions and sales features. The cost effectiveness of building a portal and giving builders access to download materials rather than printing and shipping has been significant. Builders have timely information, the public has a resource-rich site where they can build their home, and Commodore has the tools and power to keep everyone up-to-date all the time! A triple win!
Does your dealer network or builder network need access to key marketing assets efficiently? Is your business ready to take the next step to develop tools for customizing your product online? Talk to us!
Following closely on Google’s “Mobilegeddon” algorithm update, Bing has announced its own rollout of mobile friendly ranking signals over the next few months.
The short update is that both search engines are now factoring into search ranking whether a website is mobile "friendly" or not.
Basically if your site is not easy to use and navigate on a mobile device, your rankings may be going down.
Unlike Google, Bing has not set a specified date for these search adjustments to go into full effect, choosing instead to use a slow release they’re calling the “mobile-friendliness road map”.
Bing is taking this approach in order to better communicate the changes, reduce webmaster crisis moments, and allow time for them to receive feedback along the way.
Bing first released their mobile-friendly search tags as part of a test in April. This allows users to easily identify sites that comply with mobile on the search engine results.
This signaled to the rest of the world that more mobile search updates were to follow. Now, they’ve released specific information around what things they will include in their new mobile signals.
Major considerations for those managing websites include:
Content load: Does a web page content load appropriately on a mobile device? Flash is an example of a plugin no longer considered mobile friendly as it will not render on a Apple device.
Navigation: Buttons, menu display, and links- Are they easy to press with one finger and spaced out enough to ensure clean clicking?
Scrolling: Vertical page scrolling is expected when on a mobile device, however, all horizontal scrolling should be eliminated.
Text: Is it easily readable without zoom? While Bing does not specify sizing, Google has said a font size of 16 CSS pixels should be used as a base size.
Bing is also releasing a tool this summer that will allow webmasters to test their sites for mobile compliance.
It will mimic Google’s existing mobile-friendly tool providing a simple yes or no answer on whether a site is mobile friendly with suggestions on what to improve if a “no” is given.
Keep in mind there is no degree of mobile friendliness - a site either is or isn’t. However, Bing’s algorithm will be real time, so as soon as Bing crawls the new mobile-friendly version of a page there will be a benefit due to the new signals.
For those wanting to dive into the geeky web developer side a bit more, here's a tip: Your web developer should also remember not to block resources such as CSS files or JavaScript from Bingbots.
These need to be fully crawled for the layout of a page to be understood, and thus appropriately labeled as mobile friendly.
While these changes will improve rankings for mobile-friendly pages, quality will remain the most important factor in search rankings for a website.
A page highly relevant to the search term requested that is not mobile friendly will still rank accordingly and not be heavily penalized.
Per Bing, this is because they are striving to reach a “fine balance” in terms of user-friendly rankings versus straight query relevancy.
So the shift to mobile continues on the web and wise businesses will be making plans to update their site to be mobile friendly.
We're here to answer any questions you have, please feel free to contact us.
"Why doesn't my website come up in Google when you type the term <fill in blank with your product>??"
If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked that, I'd be a wealthy man! Every business wants to come up first, or at least on the first page when a search for their key product or service is typed into a search engine like Google. This is, in fact, important because web searchers typically scan no lower than the first 6 results given for any search before making a decision on one of those web pages to visit.
Join me in this episode of the Halftime Mike podcast as I dive into the details you need to know to optimize any blog post or web page you publish!
It's all about keeping it practical, doable, and leading edge so you can grow more leads and sales online!
Episode Topic:
SEO 101 for Your Web Page:
A Small Business Guide
This week I fly solo and dive into the basics of SEO. This is for the small biz owner and marketer who doesn't want all the Greek and geek talk, but wants a simple "How to" that they can implement to help their content be maximized for best search ranking.
Quick note: I could really use some more reviews on iTunes! Do you enjoy what you hear? Take a minute and click through to iTunes and leave a review for me please!
Search Engine Optimization Key
The key is in knowing what helps a page rank well and what should be done on every web page for search engine optimization (SEO). Since Google is the most dominant Search Engine with average monthly search shares of 63-70% (of all searches done on the web in a search engine), it makes sense to pay attention to what Google outlines and to changes in their algorithm that impacts search rankings.
"Algor" what?
Yes, that's right. Google has a very in-depth programmatic method that helps them evaluate any web page or blog post and ultimately determine its ranking for keyword phrases.
Google's Search Engine Algorithm
I'll keep it simple by saying that Google is most interested in returning the best quality, relevant results for the searches that users input into their search engine. It makes sense. Google wants people to find the best answer for the question they type in. Since "Search Engine Optimization" started years ago, the role of SEO specialists was to help their clients come up on top for searches of key terms they wanted to rank for. This led to some SEO work that tried to manipulate Google's search ranking method, and Google subsequently would modify the search method based on their new technology and to overcome and punish sites that were trying to "game" the system.
Google wants to combat methods that try to artificially increase the rank of content when the content on a web page is not worthy of that ranking. It's an ongoing challenge and Google has made multiple shifts in the past couple of years with algorithm changes to keep things pure. Each time they do, some SEO tactics need to shift, while some core "quality content" items remain. We'll leave the more in-depth SEO tactics that are current to another time and focus on the more timeless search ranking keys that every website owner and Internet marketer should implement.
SEO Basics for Web Pages Cheat Sheet
SEO Keys for Blog Posts
When trying to have your website and a web pages rank for certain keyword phrases, the most basic key is regularly adding new, quality pages or blog posts to your site. Google is looking for active sites that are regularly updated. Second, when you post a new web page or blog article, the key items to focus on are:
Write for the intended audience, not a search engine. This means writing content that is quality, helpful, and a valuable resource.
Determine the keyword phrase you want to target. Do you know what actual phrase that web users are typing into Google related to your product/service? You can! Use tools like Exploding Topics, , io, or paid services like SEMrush and MOZ to learn the exact phrase that are searched the most for key terms.
Then, when you write your post, make sure to write titles for search engines, and yet make sure that they read well to the audience. This means including your targeted keyword phrase in the title, typically within the first few words of the title.
Be sure to incorporate the keyword phrase within the first few sentences of the web page or blog post, typically as part of the introductory paragraph.
After this be sure to include the keyword in the meta description. I recommend it is in the form of a question, such as: "Interested in <keyword phrase>? Discover the key points here.." Why do this? It's because search engine results include the title of the article, the meta description, and the URL to the page. They also "bold" the keyword phrase match so this brings more visual focus to your search result and the question can invite the use to click through to learn more.
Customize your web page url to include the keyword phrase. Search Engines will skip pronouns and articles so leave out "the", "of" etc., in your URL's but include your keyword terms.
Create article sub-headers that are related keyword terms and make these sub-headers stand out. Typically, website and blog readers are skimmers so by including headlines for different sections you help visitors skim and understand the article content as well as you help inform search engines about the topical focus for your post.
Keeping these 7 SEO basics in mind when writing web pages and blog posts can help your content rank well in search engines. Search ranking is a ever-changing arena, but these keys have remained constant for years and serve as the foundation that every page should start from.
As the co-founder and manager of TabSite, I understand the small business and start-up mindset. With over 7 years of consulting experience for small and medium sized businesses, I understand and can speak to those wanting to increase in-store traffic, elevate their online footprint, and those battling the challenges of juggling multiple priorities.
I speak the language of business. I understand the challenges – what it is like to meet budgets, to go out and get customers, and to keep them.
Those who hear me and follow my blog value my skill for simplifying technology and social business ideas to make them practical and useful.
You can view my complete bio at the About tab of this site.
Next Doable Task:
It’s always about taking away learning's and applying them! What’s your key takeaway that you need to do in the next 24 hours based on listening to this?
Help Spread the Word! Please let your Twitter followers know about this podcast. Simply click here now to post a tweet >>. If you enjoyed this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, please “go over to iTunes, leave a rating, write a review and subscribe! Thank you so much for your support!
Why the Halftime theme Mike?
I’m a Indiana Hoosier native where basketball is the top sport. Every team heads to the locker room at halftime to evaluate the first half and create a updated plan for the second half. That plan includes adjustments based on reviewing what worked and what didn’t.
The “halftime” is a key review point where the game stops, the team pulls away to huddle in the locker room away from the fans, and they come out prepared and ready to succeed in the second half.
That’s what this podcast is all about, taking the time to pull away for bit to evaluate, learn, and set some strategies for your business to succeed in the second half. Join me by subscribing and let me be your “business halftime” to help you find great success going forward!
Learning Generation Initiative, located in Elkhart, Indiana launched a new website developed by Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. The new website is designed to better reach current and future students in Elkhart County and surrounding areas.
Learning Generation's new website will allow prospective students to learn about the Learning Generation Initiative, print enrollment application and forms, and receive information about scholarships. The new website will help the Learning Generation Initiative better serve the needs of students in the Elkhart County area. This new web design features a CMS (content management system) editor allowing for easy content editing and creation of both main and sub categories. The new web design gives Learning Generation Initiative the website control they need to easily manage their website and keep it current with programs offered to Elkhart County and Northern Indiana students. Learning Generation can add pages, content, pictures, embed YouTube videos and more!
Learning Generation Initiative provides individualized, accessible educational services to adult learners in Elkhart and surrounding Indiana counties, including:
GED preparation
Computer literacy classes
Preparation for college entrance exams
Spanish Language programing
Located at 1396 Benham Ave. Suite A in Eklhart, the Learning Generation Initiative has been serving students in Elkhart County for nearly a decade. You can visit their new website at www.learninggeneration.com.
For over 13 years, Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. has specialized in Web Design, Ecommerce, SEO, Website Hosting, Social Media, Flash, 3-D Animation, Database Development, and Internet Marketing and Promotion Strategies in Northern Indiana and throughout the Country. They can be contacted at 888-537-0703 or www.digitalhill.com.
Press Release by Mike Gingerich, Internet Marketing Consultant, Digital Hill Multimedia
I'm excited to announce the launch of a new website for Chicago consulting firm, Balanced Growth, LLC.
After months of work and fine-tuning the new Balanced Growth website was launched earlier today. Boasting a wide range of web tools enabling the firm to communicate updates, easily expand areas of the site, and communicate news via a traditional news area as well as their blog, this site reflects the innovative nature of Balanced Growth.
Digital Hill was asked by Welch Packaging to implement the programming and e-commerce application for their new website. Welch Packaging has an in-house design team and they created the site design in Adobe Photo Shop and then sent the layered files on to Digital Hill for the website programming and setup.
The site now includes a robust manager area with the ability to choose different inner page layouts as well as the ability to add new images and hyperlinks to the footer flash scrolling gallery area. The e-commerce portion of the site is complete though not yet live as Welch prepares their internal systems to handle the anticipated increase in direct sales.
Welch Packaging is a national leader in the corrugated packaging and point-of-purchase design and production industries. With locations across the midwest from Chicago to Indianapolis and Toledo, they are a standard-bearer in the corrugated packaging industry.
Digital Hill is proud to have been selected to work with the Elkhart corporate office of Welch Packaging to implement their new web design and to turn their dream into reality.
I was able to serve as Web Consultant and project manager to see this web application completed. - Mike Gingerich
Digital Hill is in the process of launching a series of microsites targeting specific geographic regions with web design. This is an effort to continue to get the word out that Digital Hill is available and ready to serve the web design, e-Marketing, and web application needs of the greater Michiana area.
A few of the sites launched thus far include websitedesignsouthbend.com, and chicagowebdesignshop.com. These sites serve the specific geographic areas of Elkhart, South Bend, and Chicago which Digital Hill services from our web design main office in Goshen, IN.
Digital Hill is a full service web design agency offering a complete set of web services for business and organizations.
New SEO tools and expanded full-service e-Mail Marketing campaigns are just a few of the tools that Digital Hill is offering to clients in the greater Michiana region.
Digital Hill services clients nationwide while maintaining a specific focus on regional clients.
Here's a new website showing what can be done to give you a professional website without breaking the bank!
This site for Master's Craft Construction LLC of Hatfield, PA, was intended to help them demonstrate their ability as a high-end remodeler specializing in Kitchens, Bath, and Additions like the new Outdoor Living Room concepts.
With an updateable portfolio, this site offers the ability to grow with the business.
Mike Gingerich website design post
This is a good read on trends in marketing in the current economy and how marketers are making decisions. Budgets are tighter, sales cycles longer, and sales leads require increased nurturing.
Digital Hill offers leading edge marketing solutions that give you the biggest "bang for the buck" using e-mail marketing blasts and other online marketing campaigns.
How about if you can “build” your home before it’s actually built?
Episode Topic:
