If you have a startup and you’re postponing the task of building a website for later when your business starts making money – don’t! Building a website should be one of the first things to do, regardless of your company’s size, location, or industry.
Today, everything happens online, so if you want to attract customers, your focus should be exactly there – on the internet. But just building any kind of website isn’t enough. It has to have everything your visitors are looking for.
Here are 7 essential elements every startup website should have.
1. Great Domain Name
Choosing a good domain name for your startup might seem like an insignificant thing but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Your business name will be the crucial factor in choosing a domain name since your domain name is basically the front door to your store in the online world. It’s the URL that people will type into their browser to find you and it’s how they’ll enter your site.
That’s why the process of choosing the right domain name for your business should not be taken lightly.
A perfect domain name should be catchy, unique, and easy to remember, so take your time to choose the right one. Make sure to pick a domain that represents your startup the right way. Bear in mind that new domains are being registered all the time, so chances are the ones you like the most are already taken, which will make the brainstorming process somewhat complicated.
You will have to be really creative, but doing this manually can be a laborious task. For that reason, it’s best to use domain name providers where you can choose from a list of thousands of cheapest domain names. You can also easily check whether your dream domain is taken and, if it’s still available, register it right away.
2. Home Page
The home page is the first-page people land on when they click through your website, so it has to be perfect.
Your homepage has to clearly inform visitors what your website is about, i.e. what your business does. However, it also needs to be visually appealing in order to intrigue them and make them stick around.
Grabbing the people’s attention and making them want to continue browsing is your primary goal. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by using attractive, high-quality photos. Photos break up large blocks of text, giving the people’s minds and eyes a brief rest from all that reading. Be careful to select photos that are related to your products and services and that they are of high quality because nothing turns visitors away like poor quality, blurry photos.
Another option is to create a professional-looking video about your business to showcase on your site. People like videos because they bring together two things that capture our attention like nothing else: auditory and visual stimulation.
Finally, don’t forget to place links to your social media pages on your site. People spend a lot of time on social platforms, so it’s very important to ensure they can easily find you there.
3. Contact Us Page
Letting visitors know how they can reach you is very important. Your business name, phone number, and email should be on every page of your site, but you should also have a separate Contact Us page.
This page will be strictly dedicated to informing people how they can get in touch with you. You can highlight your contact info so that it easily captures people’s attention, add your social media links, and/or add an email form for visitors to fill out.
4. Blog
Having a blog is a great way to attract traffic to your website and build a relationship with your customers.
You can use your blog to share useful tips, answer the most frequently asked questions about your products or services, inform about new product launches, share what’s happening in your business, etc.
Bear in mind that blogging requires quite a lot of time and effort, but with a solid blogging strategy, you will soon see increased website traffic, engagement, and revenue.
5. Knowledge Base
A knowledgebase is a great way to provide your website visitors with a number of benefits. When your website is enriched with tutorials, manuals, how-to articles, and FAQs, people will consider it a great source of information. If the content in your knowledge base is helpful and useful, your site will become a valuable resource people will visit every time they’re looking for specific solutions. As a result, you’ll establish yourself as an industry expert, build credibility, strengthen your brand, expand your customer base, and boost your business.
Don’t know how to create a knowledge base for your site? One of the best ways is by using an open-source knowledge base software.
6. Product Page
It doesn’t matter whether you sell your products online or not – having a dedicated page where people can see your offering is a must.
If you’re selling physical products, list them and add their prices. In addition, add a shopping cart with various payment options and secure checkout, shipping, and inventory management.
If you’re providing services, you don’t have to include the prices but you do need to add a CTA link or button to help visitors get in touch with you; otherwise, they won’t convert into buying customers.
7. Customer Reviews and Testimonies
Showcasing positive customer reviews and testimonials is a great way to stand apart from the competition and build trust. Ask satisfied customers to post reviews on your site and, in return, you can post a link to their site so that your visitors can learn more about their businesses.
Final Thoughts
Your website is more than just a place where you make sales. It also provides you with a means to show your expertise and connect with your target audience. If you want to attract traffic to your site, be sure to keep it updated: add new content, videos, photos, as well as products to keep customers coming back for more.