Sometimes it can feel like there’s an endless number of steps for setting up a website that can actually draw or support business; really though, there are only 5 pages you actually need to have.
Your home page should be simple and functional. It gives people a clear understanding (in just a few words) about what you do and where they should go next. It should be the landing page for your url, and should have a menu/navigation bar to get to the other pages on your site.
This page should be doing two things: humanize you and explain how you will help them.
It should include some basic information about you: your name, a picture, simple credentials, your contact/social media info.
This should be a look at who you are, what your business does, and why you’re called to do it. This page builds your relationship with whoever is visiting your site. It should focus on what you can do for the visitor–why they should choose you for your service. The About page introduces you, but is about the visitor.
This page should display all of your relevant work experience. That could show in the form of a resume if your day job serves your niche in ghostwriting, but (more importantly) it should link people to what you’ve written already. This page serves as your portfolio. See more on how to build a portfolio here.
Here, you should lay out the services you offer. You may also include testimonials if you have any. You could put your most popular service or your cheapest service first.
List and explain your different options. Are you articles only? Do you write articles, books, and newsletters? How long will each option take to complete, on average? How do you charge (by the page, by the word, by the hour)?
Your Services page shouldn’t leave people with questions, and shouldn’t confuse them either. Lay out your services clearly.
This page should link to your contact page, but you should also give visitors a call to contact you here (a “Book Now” or “Get More Information” section).
Give visitors a Contact Form to fill out (this would most likely be a plugin on your site, and would forward their message to your email), or just list your contact information. Either way, there should be multiple ways for them to contact you, and it should be very clear how they can do that.
If you hadn’t noticed, your pages should link back and forth to each other, and will sometimes overlap in information. It makes sense that your about and services page should also have your contact information. Your about page may link to your resume and services page, your resume should send people to services. On and on it goes.
Creating a web of links is super important when you’re setting up your website. It means that, no matter what page people got to your site through, it’ll be easy for them to move around it even if they don’t use the navigation bar on your website (where all of these pages should live as well).
Now, you should edit the pages you already have and/or create the ones you don’t. Having this information can make or break how well your website does, and how well it serves your business. So get going!
Social:
Knowing what pages to include on your website can make a big difference in how successful your business ends up being. Check out this post to see what 5 pages you should include on your site. (LINK)
Make sure you include you contact on wherever you are on your website. You want to make this the easiest thing to find.
The most important information on a website should be “above the fold.” People shouldn’t have to scroll to read the most important part (because they usually won’t).
Your “About” page on your website should do two things: humanize you and explain how you will help them.