This is a writing sample (700+ words). View more samples and information about working with me as a writer at austinpranger.com/writer.

---

5 Essential Pages for a Successful Website

by Austin Pranger

Developing an online presence comes in many shapes and can be scaled based on the goals of the business and the industry and market the business is operating in. Most businesses today operate a website and may have various social media accounts. It takes careful planning, development, and ongoing maintenance of all online platforms to have the desirable impact of the business and the industry it’s operating in.

1. Home

One of the most important pages you can have on your website is the home page. It’s the business’ online “landing page” on the internet where your audience will discover you for the first time, find information that you provide, or connect with your business.

The home page is a perfect opportunity to establish a great first impression, provide an at-a-glance showcase of what you offer, and guide incoming traffic to pages that can convert visitors into customers.

Search engines also need an optimized home page to understand what your website is about. This helps your website get ranked and allows search engines to provide searching customers with the information you want them to see.

2. Services or Store

Without an informative services or store page, a business may as well not have a website to begin with. While there are many pages that are important on a website, it’s the services page that helps to move visitors down the line to become a happy customer.

A services page may simply list off what products or services you provide or it may also include an e-commerce store application where visitors can purchase your offerings directly without having to call or set up an appointment.

3. Blog

Many businesses choose not to utilize a blog on their website. Those that create a blog and publish content regularly will benefit from the ability to develop market authority, generate organic SEO, build credibility with an audience, and create more opportunities to convert audience members to paying customers.

A blog can be used in a variety of different ways depending on the business and how you want to engage with your audience. Blogs can be used to provide information about your products and services, a chance to share relevant news from the industry, specific news about developments in your business, a way to showcase testimonials, and more.

4. Contact

The contact page for a business is critical for communication between you and your audience. It will supply visitors with adequate contact information to get in touch with you, such as a phone number, email, and social media accounts.

It’s recommended to embed a “contact form” module into the contact page to allow customers to contact you directly through the website without having to use their own email application. The fewer hoops a visitor has to go through to reach you, the better.

5. About

An about page is a perfect opportunity to infuse personality and your desired “voice” into your business’ online presence. A few simple ways to start is to provide information about what your business does, how your business was created, what your mission is, information about you and your team, and how you can help your customers.

Curated about pages are a great way to add a layer of personality to your website to help customers resonate with you, your team, and the services you offer.

Important Considerations When Creating a Business Website

Creating a website for your business requires careful planning in order to create the desired first impressions, overall business image, and conversions. In many cases, it’s a step forward for a business to simply get their business information on the internet and update as they go.

For businesses that want to further develop their online presence, they’ll further investigate the following elements that will help them improve the impact of their website:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for search rankings.
• Copywriting to increase conversion of incoming traffic from visitor to buyer.
• Content quality to establish your business as an authoritative figure in the market.
• Online marketing strategy to get discovered by your target market.
• Mobile website optimization for the growing number of users browsing the internet on their phones.
• Calls to action to engage customers into buying or connecting with your business.

Creating a business website and online presence doesn’t need to be difficult. Send me a message today to help with your website development and content management needs.

// Image by Hal Gatewood.

// Find more writing samples and information about working with me as a writer at austinpranger.com/writer.