| Wondering what pages to include on your website | | | | 1. Email subscribers on a regular basis or 2. Publish |
| and why? Here is a list of important information | | | | it on your website. Or both. Include information |
| that should be included on your site. | | | | about your business, industry or anything that |
| Before you start thinking about what to write, it | | | | may be of interest to your customers. |
| is important that you create a plan, which outlines | | | | 9. Resources/Articles |
| what each page will contain. That way you won't | | | | Add value to your business. Provide information |
| repeat yourself or forget vital information. The | | | | that is complementary to what you do. For |
| most common pages on successful websites | | | | example, if you sell wedding dresses include |
| include: | | | | information about reception venues, wedding |
| 1. Home Page (First Page) | | | | planners, wedding cakes, flowers. By adding extra |
| This is your "sales" page and should provide | | | | information you encourage more hits. |
| information about what you can do for your | | | | 10. About Us |
| customers. It should also give your visitors a brief | | | | This is a very important page as it tells your |
| overview of what they can find on your site. | | | | customer about who you are and why they |
| 2. Products / Services | | | | should buy your products, services and/or trust |
| It is useful to have a separate page for each | | | | your organization. It can also feature your |
| product/service and write as much detail about | | | | business hours (if you have a bricks and mortar |
| each as possible. Start each page with a brief | | | | store) or when they can speak to someone live. |
| summary of the product/service, then provide | | | | Many companies also include their mission or |
| whatever information you can. If the page | | | | purpose on this page, details of their staff |
| appears too long, you can always break it into | | | | (photos, biographies, qualifications), recently |
| more pages. When people are searching for | | | | completed projects. Other information to include: |
| information on the internet, they want to know it | | | | ACN or ABN, logo, directions to your store/office. |
| NOW. They don't want to wait until tomorrow | | | | 11. Guarantee |
| when they can speak to you on the phone. The | | | | Offer a money back guarantee. The longer the |
| more information you can provide about your | | | | guarantee, the more effective it will be. It could |
| products/services, the better. | | | | be 30 days, 60 days, 1 year or lifetime. |
| 3. Contact Us | | | | 12. Survey |
| Place contact details in as many places as possible. | | | | Find out what customers think about your |
| Make it easy for your customers to contact you. | | | | website, business or product. |
| Create a special "Contact Us" page, include your | | | | 13. Events Calendar |
| details in "About Us" page and also at the bottom | | | | This can relate to your business or industry. If |
| of each page. Information to include: business | | | | you are an artist, you can feature dates where |
| name, physical address, mailing address, telephone, | | | | and when your art will be displayed or if you are |
| fax, email, emergency number, website address. | | | | a singer, where you will be performing. |
| 4. Pricing | | | | 14. Search My Website Feature |
| Whenever possible include the price of your | | | | Some visitors to your side may not know exactly |
| products/services. Even if you can't be specific. It | | | | what they want but if you include a search |
| is helpful to put at least a range of prices, eg. | | | | function on your site, they can look for it very |
| Carpet cleaning ranges between $40 - $60 per | | | | easily. Like search engines, this feature will allow |
| room. | | | | your visitors to type in a word or phrase and |
| 5. Testimonials / Product Reviews / Before | | | | then search for it on your site. It's like having |
| & After | | | | your own mini search engines, only instead of it |
| Include testimonials from your current customer | | | | searching the world wide web, it just searches |
| to show your potential clients that you are | | | | your website. |
| trustworthy, reliable and that you offer great | | | | 15. Return/Refund Policy |
| service and/or products. Make sure the | | | | To make your customers feel more comfortable |
| testimonials are real and if possible provide | | | | when making a transaction at your website, you |
| contact details of the person who supplied you | | | | should provide then with your return/refund policy. |
| with the testimonial. If you don't have any right | | | | Ensure it is easy to understand and spelt out step |
| now, get them! Simply email your customers and | | | | by step. |
| ask for their feedback on your business and | | | | 16. Privacy Policy |
| service. Most happy customers will gladly provide | | | | Privacy continues to be a major issue for |
| this. | | | | customers shopping online. Concerns about how |
| You could also include before and after photos. | | | | their information is going to be used is a major |
| Show the problem picture and beside it show the | | | | barrier when making a sale. Internet shopping |
| picture of resolution, with an explanation of your | | | | experience is built on trust and privacy is the |
| product's benefits. | | | | number one ingredient in trust. |
| 6. Frequently Asked Questions | | | | 17. Site Map |
| This has proven to be a great time saver for | | | | A site map is similar to a contents. It shows |
| many companies. Instead of having to answer the | | | | visitors how the site is laid out and which sections |
| same questions over and over again, place them | | | | are where. |
| on your website and keep adding to them. The | | | | 18. Copyright Information |
| more information you have on your website, the | | | | Your website should carry a copyright notice to |
| less time you will need to spend answering | | | | protect its intellectual property. It is generally in |
| questions by email or phone. | | | | the form of "Copyright © 2004, Your |
| Frequently Asked Questions should address your | | | | Company Name". |
| customer's concerns that may otherwise be an | | | | 19. Links |
| obstacle to making a sale. | | | | Here you can place links to the manufacturers of |
| 7. Response form such as "Subscribe" or "Enquiry" | | | | your products, trade associations or |
| form | | | | complementary services. When you place links to |
| An absolute must if you want to build a mailing list. | | | | other businesses, you can request they do the |
| Most people don't like giving out too much | | | | same for you. This will not only bring you more |
| information, so ask only the basics, such as Name | | | | visitors, but may improve your search engine |
| and Email Address. Then keep in touch with your | | | | ranking. |
| customers on a regular basis by sending out | | | | 20. Media Information |
| information that may be of interest to them. You | | | | Include any information, articles, photos of your |
| may even wish to develop your own on-line | | | | products, staff etc that have appeared in the |
| magazine (ezine). There are many fantastic free | | | | media - print, TV, radio or internet. |
| or inexpensive programs that can handle this for | | | | 21. News |
| you. We will discuss these in more detail in future | | | | This can include news about your products |
| articles. | | | | services or about your industry. |
| 8. On-line Magazine or Newsletter | | | | 22. On-line store |
| This is a great marketing tool. Not only does it | | | | An on-line store allows you sell products directly |
| help you keep in touch with your customers, but | | | | on the internet 24 hours a day/7 days a week. |
| provides your website with fresh content. You | | | | When building an online store it is important to |
| can set up your Ezine in 2 different ways: | | | | take in a number of key concepts. |