Website Anatomy – Learn the Parts of a Website Part 2
Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read my first post on the anatomy of a web page. If you missed it, don’t worry! Here’s a link so you can check it out later. For this post, we’re going to move past the bits and pieces of your home page to focus on the essential content that every website needs to be successful… the subpages.
What is a subpage?
The wiki definition of a subpage is “a lower level web page in a website or wiki with the same main name as the starting level page plus a slash and text identifying the location of the subpage”, but that’s a little wordy for my tastes. I like to think of subpages as the common content found on most websites that can be accessed from the home page (often via a drop down menu). They exist to give the user a better idea of who the company is, how the company can help them, and how to get in contact with your company.
The most common subpages are
About Us, Contact Us, Blog, and Portfolio / Products. Let’s dig into these pages a little deeper.
- About Us – So, who are you? What are you offering? And what makes you different from all the other sites out there? That is the type of information users want to find in your About Us The internet can be a scary place, and it’s sometimes hard to know which sites you can trust, so this subpage is your opportunity to win that trust.
- Contact Us – This subpage seems like one that should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many websites force users to search high and low to find a way to talk to you. Give them that information on this page, and make sure to keep it up to date. Nothing loses trust faster than an email bounce-back or a disconnected phone number.
- Blog – Not every site has to have a blog. After all, they take time to write, post, proof, and update. But a blog can also give potential customers a window into your industry from your perspective, and that can be very valuable in building trust in your brand. But if you do include a blog in your subpages, make sure to keep that content fresh.
- Portfolio / Products – If you’re selling something on your site, this is the subpage to show it off. It may not be your entire inventory (we can’t all be Amazon), but it needs to be enough to give users a good picture of what you’re selling. If you’re a photographer or an artist, show off some of your best work. If you’re a selling a specific product or service, include photos and maybe even a video. The sky’s the limit, but keep in mind, if they’re on this page, that means they’re already considering doing business with you, and that’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss.
And remember, every subpage should include a logo
(typically in the header) that takes the user back to your home page. The last thing you want is a user getting lost on your site!
Hopefully this gives you a good idea of what subpages and what content every successful site needs. Of course, no two sites are the same, so be sure to stick to what best highlights your brand and don’t force content or subpages that comes across as redundant or out of place. In other words, just because you see it on another site doesn’t automatically make it the right fit for yours.
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If you have questions or would like to get started, please give us a call at (312) 834-7787 or visit our website to request a free quote and consultation.