Building the website for your small business and got lost in the process?
Don’t panic. We all have been there when we began our businesses.
We often worry over creating the perfect Home Page or an impressive About Us page, or how to make the Contact Us page interesting!
We go in circles over the same ‘How-To- Get-Your-Web Content-Right’ essays.
And if all that bogs you down, here’s your magic list:
A real quick checklist that comes in handy while creating content for your website.
We have listed the 5 main pages of a website:
The Home page
The About page
The Services page
The Contact page
FAQs
Plus, a general listing that is common for every web content
By the time you are done with ticking the list for all the categories, you would know what is right about your website, what is not and what you need to do about it!
So here you go.
Checklist #1 – The Four R’s
There are a few basic guidelines or protocols that you need to follow on all the pages, irrelevant of whether it is a personal, professional or a business website.
We call them the Four R’s of web content.
A.READABLE
The primary rule is whether your web page is easily readable. Well, here are the testers. Check for yourself whether the below statements apply to your web pages.
Is it cluttered?
The web page is not overloaded with text.
It has enough white space, especially between paragraphs.
The sentences and paragraphs are short and easy to read.
The font is adequately big and readable.
The content has good formatting with paragraphs, subheadings, bullet points etc.
Is it clear?
The web content is simple and precise.
It conveys the message/ information fluently to your target audience.
The information provided is not confusing or misleading for an average reader.
There isn't too much jargon or industry clichés. (You are not trying too hard to impress or look ‘intelligent’).
The CTA (Call-to-Action) copy is user-friendly and action-provoking.
B. RELEVANT
You cannot fill up your web pages with keywords for SEO marketing and assume that it is going to work. It won’t. Your readers or target audience need to truly “see” content that communicates and explains your processes to them. So make sure everything is meaningful and genuine.
Check for yourself:
Is your web page content relevant to your business?
The web content connects with your target audience
It matches the keywords they use to get to your website.
The page title and the content match each other
C. RESPONSIBLE
You have a responsibility to your customers or target audience. Your web content must always be about THEM and not you.
The web page must address the customers’ needs rather than your marketing goals.
Must give direct solutions to their searches or queries.
Must ensure help and guidance in navigating through your website.
Must provide easy access to action, the next step, or further information.
D. RELIABLE
Your web content must reflect your image as an expert and authentic seller/service provider who your target audience or customers can trust. Hence the quality of content and information is important.
You must ensure that:
The webpage has quality content without errors – technical, grammar or spelling.
There are no extravagant claims or clichéd terms like ‘the greatest’ ‘the best’ etc.
The information provided is true, authentic, and supported by data
Now that you have run through the mandatory checklist for a web page, you may proceed to check through each of the main tabs on your website.
We shall begin with the Home Page – the one all of us panic over.
Checklist #2: The Home Page
You know how important the Home Page is to a website. You would want to fill it with all the significant details, links, buttons and pop-ups. But here’s the checklist on the necessary factors and see if your website would agree with it.
PURPOSE:
To introduce the visitors to your business.
What you do
What you offer
And what makes you different
Here are the essentials a good business Home page must have:
A catchy and meaningful caption/tagline that sums up your business.
A brief summary of your business/company in not more than 2-3 paragraphs.
A well-written Call to Action copy
The credibility factors for your business/company (testimonials, awards, accolades)
Smart navigation to the other main pages like About Us, Services, Quick Enquiry etc
Checklist #3: The About page
The About page more or less functions as a detailed extension of the Home page.
PURPOSE:
Brings more credibility to your business by revealing a personal angle of your business, your vision, philosophies etc.
Tells the visitors who you are, your team is and what your business stands for.
Here’s what you need on the About page :
The photographs of the team members.
Seeing real faces adds the essential human touch and elevates the credibility and reliability of your company.
A brief introduction to you, your partners.
A mission or vision statement
Isn’t mandatory. But a clear and crisp Vision or Mission statement for your venture not only anchors the trust of your customers/ target audience deeper but also helps you and your team to stay focused on your fundamental goals.
A detailed showcasing of your credibility factors:
Awards
Achievements
Milestones
A clear and compelling Call-to-Action copy that would ensure conversions or sales.
Checklist #4: The Services page
We all love to have an exclusive service page to impress our target audience and also elaborate on what we do and what we offer.
PURPOSE:
One of the most important pages for you as well as your target audience
Sales and conversions depend upon the effective content on this page.
And in case you are wondering if you have done it all and said it all, then here’s the checklist for the main service page:
A short description that sums up your services.
A quick glance into all the service sub-categories with brief descriptions and links to the respective pages
Your business’s UVP (Unique Value Proposition): Well, why should anybody choose your services?
Credibility Factors: Logos, links or testimonials of your clients
Service Categories – Detailed pages
A service title.
A summary of the respective service category
Highlights of the service and its benefits
Good, authentic client-testimonials
A compelling Call-to-Action that will initiate communication
Checklist #5: The Contact page
The Contact page would seem less significant compared to the more prominent and informative pages. What more can you add other than the necessities like telephone numbers, email and address? Yet, remember this is where the business begins, after all.
PURPOSE:
This is a page almost every prospective customer would eventually land upon.
This is also the page your converted customers might visit to reach you regarding any clarifications or queries.
Hence make sure the page doesn’t look vacant.
Enrich it with a warm and friendly tone.
Make sure all your contact details are provided. (Phone numbers, email, office address, office hours, the company’s branch addresses with contact numbers etc)
Ensure the details are updated regularly and are without any errors.
Provide Quick Query Forms to facilitate action.
Assure a follow-up: A few sentences to assert your assistance with the customer-queries can build transparency and trust.
Provide links to the FAQ page.
Checklist #6: The FAQs page
Whether you are a small business with a single service category or a blooming start-up with add-on services, an FAQ page would help to communicate with your valuable readers or customers.
PURPOSE:
As a page with all the possible and relevant keywords, it is an SEO booster.
An FAQ page gives off an ‘approachable’ image to your business and shows your readiness to address customer issues, clarifications or complaints.
Acts as a ready information-supplier for new customers if they decide to gather as much information as possible before making the buy.
Furnish all the possible questions that could be raised regarding your products/services
Answer in clear and simple language.
Most relevant or frequently asked questions shall be at the top.
Try to frame fresh answers for the questions instead of copying it from other pages.
Avoid over-explanations. Keep the answers concise and to-the-point.
Provide links to other pages or blogs where the readers could get a more detailed picture.
Include CTA or link to the Contact page
Well, that was quick surfing through the basic guidelines for your web content. Especially if you are a beginner building it up, we believe the lists would help you get an idea as to how your web pages must be and not. With this quick listing, you can organize the content for every web page effectively and ensure that extra leg-up in SEO ranking.
If you would like to discuss more about getting your web content into better shape or create well-organised quality content for your new website, you are always welcome to reach us at +91 8448040030 .
Well, watch this space since we intend to get back with more details on keeping your web pages professional, interesting and high-ranking.