This key selling and marketing tool for inventors should have these basics—and perhaps more
Your Shop, Product or Service page may be the most important page on your website, because it’s where you make your money.
BY ELIZABETH BREEDLOVE
Do you have a website for your company or invention? If not, why not? If so, when was the last time you updated it?
A good website is an incredibly important part of launching and growing a successful business. High-performing websites have several things in common, ranging from specific types of pages to the content they include.
Whether you need to create a website or revamp your current one, include these elements.
Homepage: As I’m sure you know, every website has a homepage: the screen view you reach when you type in a domain (for example, inventorsdigest.com).
This is the page most people see first, the page that will likely show up first in search engines such as Google.
This page should be interesting and engaging so that it captures viewers’ attention in a second or two. It needs to load fast, look professional, and clearly explain your business, product or invention in a way that is easy to understand quickly.
It should also include some information about how your business can benefit the site visitor. Additionally, it must include some sort of call to action such as purchasing a product or contacting you about a service.
Shop page, Product page or Service page: This page (or pages) may be the most important page on your website, because it’s where you make your money.
Think of your Shop page as your storefront. It’s where you’ll show off all the products you are selling, where site visitors can purchase your products. Typically, this page is set up with a grid that includes the product name, price and a photo. These link to the individual product pages.
Product pages usually include a summary of the product with a photo, followed by more detailed information below it. This is where you should include descriptions, specs, tech info, sizing or dimensions, ingredients if applicable, information about the benefits the product offers, and any other information that is pertinent for someone purchasing your product.
Make sure the pages thoroughly explain what your product is and why the customer should purchase it. If your site is an ecommerce site and will function as an actual store, you should also include an Add to Cart button for any site visitors who want to make a purchase.
Service pages are similar to Product pages, though service-based websites often don’t function as a storefront. Instead, they invite interested viewers to contact the company to learn more.
Your Service pages should start with a summary of the service offered, followed by a more detailed explanation of it, as well as benefits to the customer and anything else that sets you apart from the competition. If you offer multiple services, you may want a page with a short overview of all your services and additional pages dedicated to each service that provide more detailed information.
About: Now that you’ve covered all the information about the product or service you are offering, you’ll need a page that explains more about you or your company.
Your goal with this page should be to give your customers a look into who you are and who your business is. Use it to explain who your company is, the company’s history, and a bit about you, the founder. Explain what makes you an expert and the best choice for whatever you’re offering.
You can also use this page to show off your team, so site visitors and customers can get to know the people behind the company.
Contact: The contact page helps any potential or current customers get in touch with you. Include multiple ways for them to reach you—phone numbers; an email address or a contact form; links to your social media profiles; your office address, and anything else that seems relevant.
You may want to include some of this info in your site footer as well.
Privacy policy, and terms and conditions: Every website needs a privacy policy, which explicitly outlines how personal data are collected and used. You’ll also need a Terms and Conditions page, which details any rules or guidelines your site follows such as the country’s laws that govern it, an intellectual property disclosure, and any other related clauses or disclosures.
Upping your game
Once you have nailed down the most important pages of a website, you can begin to consider other pages to add to your site map. Depending on the nature of your business, there are many different pages and types of content you can add. All should work together to provide a better, more thorough picture of your business; to improve the website’s functionality; and/or to increase your website’s presence in searches performed via search engines such as Google.
Testimonials, case studies, success stories, or media mentions:
Providing social proof to encourage customers to make a purchase is an important part of any successful marketing tactic, and your website is no different.
What this actually looks like varies depending on the nature of your business, but look for opportunities to show how others are using and loving your product or service. This may mean you have a page dedicated to testimonials, another to case studies and success stories, and a third to media mentions—or you may have one page for all of this. Or perhaps it doesn’t make sense to have an entire page dedicated to this, so instead you include reviews on your product pages or testimonials on your service pages.
Regardless of how you go about it, showing how others are benefiting from using your product or service will go a long way toward helping you find success.
FAQs and how-to content: If you find yourself asked the same questions over and over, you can probably benefit from an FAQs page or some how-to content. As you create the page, be sure it doesn’t just answer questions but also eases any concerns customers may have—while encouraging them to purchase your invention or contact you about your service.
Blog: This Is not a necessity, but blogs are certainly helpful! They are especially important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is how you ensure your site shows up in search engines such as Google.
Blogs provide more information for site visitors, but they also provide context and content for search engines to use to categorize your site. Keep your blog posts relevant to the product or services you offer, and use them to provide valuable and interesting information to your customers.
Careers: If you’re actively hiring or looking to grow your team, your website is a great place to market open positions. Include information about what job you are looking to fill, what requirements the right candidate has, and what duties the position entails. Include information about how to apply.
