Creating a website for your business is like baking a gourmet meal; you need to plan each piece in advance in order for it to turn out perfect. People ask us all the time, “How many pages should my website have?”. The simple answer to the above question is that, quite frankly, there is no simple answer. It all depends on a number of factors, and the amount of pages for your website can change according to your requirements. Each type of business will require their focuses to be placed in differing areas. A good way to get an idea of what you should be focusing on is to look at the websites owned by your competitors—keeping in mind the size of each business compared with your own. This will allow you to see where you should be paying special attention to the quality and quantity of the pages in each area. When you are ready to begin building your website, the first factor to keep in mind is your budget. While each additional page increases the chances of a search engine pulling your site up, it’s also important to remember that each page will cost more—either in time or money. A good rule of thumb is to start with the average number of pages that your competition has, and as your business and income grow, you can add more pages as you deem necessary. The next obstacle to tackle, then, is to figure out how many pages fit the minimum requirement. Again, there is no “one size fits all” answer. One business may require only one page for the description of their products, while another may need 5 to get their point across. There are, however, certain pages that every business should have on their site (in no particular order): Home: The home page, in most cases, is what your potential client will view first. The amount of content on this page is entirely up to you, but make sure that you pay attention to the quality. First impressions can make or break the client’s decision to stick with you, so try to make it informative, but concise and interesting.
About
This page allows for a good range of flexibility in terms of how much information you want to include—and therefore how many pages could branch from it. At the very least, you should include a description and brief history of your company and what you offer, as well as a persuasive explanation as to why the prospective client should choose you over a competitor (i.e. what do you offer that others don’t?). If you are looking to expand your website, you might consider creating a separate page for each of the heads within your company. This would typically be appropriate for offices in which clients interact with the employees in your company in a one-on-one setting. For example, a law firm’s site might contain a page for each of their lawyers with a description of their experience in law and the sort of cases they typically handle, so that a prospective client can request a certain lawyer from that firm. This not only raises the number of pages your website contains, but also allows the potential client to gain more trust with your company—they feel that you are giving attention to their personal circumstances.
Products/Services
This is where you provide a list of the products or services your company offers. The number of pages in this section can vary, depending on the amount of products or services you offer and the descriptions needed for each. If each item requires a lengthy description, a good idea is to create a link for a new page with each product. This is also something to consider if you want to include pictures. You will want to limit it to one or only a few pages if your list of products is short, if each has a brief description, or if you’re simply looking to save money.
Contact
This is arguably the most important page on your website. You will want to list your mailing address, phone number, fax number, and email. If you have multiple locations, it is an option to create separate pages for each location. When creating these necessary pages, along with any others you decide to add, always remember to keep things concise and easy to navigate for anyone visiting the site. While each page does increase the number of hits on your site, you don’t want to overwhelm your patrons with hundreds of pages that could have been condensed into 50. Basically, there is no clear-cut answer when it comes to deciding the number of pages for your website. The important things to remember are to match it with your own unique style in a manner appropriate for your business, always keep your budget in mind, and make your website efficient and attractive to a prospective client. Happy website creating!