Making a website is easier than ever nowadays and because of this, having one should no longer be considered optional for startups or small business owners.
A website should be one of the first tasks on your startup to-do list, right after picking a business name and claiming your social media channels. This is because so much of life and business happens over the internet these days. If a customer can’t find you online, you virtually don’t exist. But before you go purchase a domain name and an affordable web hosting plan, here are 7 things to include when creating your startup’s first website.
7 Things Every Startup Website Should Include
1. Home Page
The home page is what a visitor lands on when they look up your primary domain name, and it is the heart of your website. Although it’s a no-brainer that every website includes a home page, not every home page is successful. Your home page will either convince users to stay and take a look around—or bounce. This is why you need to immediately let users know what your startup is all about.
Make sure your homepage effectively includes:
- Your business name
- A headline that clearly states what your business is about
- Sub-headline or tagline offering a brief description of what you do/offer
- Your products and services at a glance
- Features and benefits of your product at a glance
- Calls-to-action of what to do next to make the visitor dig deeper on your website
- Eye-catching media that supports your text
- Testimonials to instantly add credibility to your business
2. About Page
An About page is your chance to tell your startup story and give a potential customer something to connect with when learning about your company. About pages are often neglected because website owners don’t realize the importance of them. Make sure to include these 8 things to make the most memorable About page.
3. Products/Services Page
Regardless of whether you have an online store or not, you need to have a page that lists your startup’s product or services so that customers can be aware of what is available for purchase.
For each product or service, make sure to include:
- Name
- Description
- Price
- Availability
- How to order
WordPress users can set up an online store easily using WooCommerce. WooCommerce enables eCommerce features like a shopping cart, a variety of payment methods, shipping, and inventory management. For those who want the easiest experience possible when building their new website, you can use Weebly Site Builder which includes eCommerce features.
If your service price varies, it’s okay to leave the price tag off the page, but make sure to include a clear call-to-action button or link so that customers can easily get ahold of you and find out more. Otherwise, you’re likely to lose valuable conversions.
4. Contact Page
Each page on your website should clearly have your business name and contact information. This legitimizes your business and eliminates the extra step of looking around for contact information. However, it’s also crucial to have a contact page that clearly outlines how to contact you.
This contact page should also include:
- Contact form
- Hours of operation
- Contact information for specific departments or people
- Social media links
5. Blog
A great way to bring in new traffic to your website is through a blog. A blog allows you to share a variety of content that shows off your relevance and expertise as a startup.
In the early stages of your business, you may only be able to get out a couple of posts a month, and then ramp it up once your business takes off. Blog posts can be in any of the formats:
- Company announcements
- Industry news
- Event recaps
- Tips and tricks
6. Social Media Links
The majority of us use social media daily so it’s important to have your startup be available on a variety of social media channels. Create accounts on the ones you think your customers are most likely to be found on. Incorporate social media links onto every page of your website, either in the header or footer.
7. Media
We are becoming increasingly visual creatures online and everybody loves a good-looking website. Break up your text with images that support your copy, capture emotion, and show off your personality. Avoid cheesy stock images. Make sure your pictures are great quality but keep them small in file size so that they don’t slow down your website. There are WordPress plugins that will help you with this or steps you can take to optimize images in Photoshop or Illustrator.
It’s understandable if as a startup you can’t afford to make a video at this time and you can put this task on the backburner. A video is a great way to showcase your product or service in a more personal light.
Time to Build Your Startup Site!
Think of your website as the forefront of your online presence. As a startup that is new to the game, it’s even more important to make a good impression on potential customers and investors. Make sure your startup site includes the 7 above features. After creating your website, here are 7 quick tips to increase your brand’s online presence as a whole.
Once everything is set up on your website, make sure to continually update your site and add new content to keep your users coming back. Creating a website is only the beginning of your exciting startup journey!
[…] Sometimes overlooking the basics is the easiest mistake you can make. Take this time to double check that your website has all of the important basics: […]