The Three Pages Every Website Needs to Have

Are you about to launch a new website? If so, you’ll need to give your site a thorough review before it goes live because there are a few types of pages that every website needs to have before opening itself up for business. If you don’t have those pages, your website or company could be ruined before it even starts because no one will feel comfortable buying from you or viewing your content. To make matters worse, you may even find that your website isn’t in compliance with certain legal requirements – and you certainly don’t want that to happen.

If you’re about to launch a website for the first time, don’t click the “Publish” button until you’ve read this article. These are the three pages that every website needs to have.

About Us Page

Whether you’re running an online business or a content site, you need to have a page that introduces yourself to the world. This page is usually titled “About Us” or just “About.” The page should tell visitors who you are and explain your site’s purpose. 

• If you’re running a content site, you might want your About Us page to describe the types of stories that you intend to publish and list a few things that will set your site apart from other websites in the same niche. 
• If you’re running an online business, your About Us page should state your unique selling proposition. You founded your company with a specific mission – what is that mission? What sets you apart from the other websites that sell similar products?

Are you having trouble coming up with things to include on your page? Our free About Us page generator can help you get started.

Contact Us Page

Unless you plan to be an anonymous blogger, your website should provide a way for people to get in touch with you. If you’re running a content site, your readers will want to send news tips and provide feedback on your coverage. If you’re running a business, giving people an easy way to contact you is even more important because people won’t feel comfortable buying from you if they think you’re trying to make yourself difficult to reach. 

• If you’re running a content site, you don’t necessarily have to put your email address on your Contact Us page if you’re trying to avoid automated spam. You can use a contact form instead. When people complete the form, your website will automatically forward the information to your email address. Contact form plugins are available for WordPress and all other popular content management systems.
• If you’re running a business, hiding your email address behind a contact form is usually a bad idea because, once again, you’d never want to give the impression that you’re trying to make it difficult for people to get in touch with you. It’s also wise to have a phone number on your Contact Us page. If you’re running a brick-and-mortar business, your address should be there as well.

Having trouble figuring out what to put on your page? Use our free Contact Us page generator as a starting point.

Privacy Policy Page

Just about every website that exists collects data from users in one form or another. If your website displays advertisements or uses affiliate links for monetization, it probably uses cookies. If you allow customers to log in to your site, you’re definitely using cookies and are also storing customers’ personal information. Even something as seemingly simple as a website analytics package involves the collection of data. To comply with legal requirements, your website needs a Privacy Policy page explaining what information you collect, what you do with that information and what you do to protect your users’ privacy. 

Although there is no federal law in the United States specifically mandating the use of a Privacy Policy page, many other nations do have such laws. In the US, there are also other federal and state laws relating to privacy that might apply to your situation. Some of those laws include:

• Computer Security Act of 1987
• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986
• California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• New York Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (SHIELD)

Not sure what your Privacy Policy page needs to include? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered there too. View our free Privacy Policy page generator now.

Other Important Pages for E-Commerce Sites

Although every website needs to have an About Us page, a Contact Us page and a Privacy Policy page, there are additional pages that you’ll need to add to this list if you’re running an e-commerce site. These pages should clearly outline your company’s policies and explain what your customers’ experiences will be like when they buy from you. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling pet supplies, clothes or vaping products; setting customers’ expectations is a critical part of building trust. If people don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. 

These are the additional pages that every e-commerce website needs.

• Shipping Policy: This page will describe your order fulfillment process. Some of the things that you might want to put on the page include where you ship products, what shipping carrier(s) you use, how much you charge for shipping and what your typical processing and delivery times are.
• Return Policy: This page will describe your process for product returns. Under what conditions does your company accept returns? Do returned products need to be unopened, or can they be opened as long as they’re still like new? For what reasons do you accept returns? Do returned products need to be faulty, or can customers return products simply because they don’t like them? Who pays the return shipping charges, and what happens after you receive the returned products?

Warranty Policy: Does your company offer a product warranty or guarantee? What’s covered, and how long does the coverage last? What happens if a product fails while it’s under warranty? Does the customer need to pay to ship a faulty product back to you, or will your company bear that cost?