In today’s world of eCommerce, having a strong online presence is absolutely necessary for the success of any business, especially small and startup brands.
When it comes to eCommerce, your website serves as your storefront in the virtual world.
Just as a physical store needs to be well-designed and organized to attract and retain customers, your online store requires careful planning and attention to detail to create a smooth and trustworthy experience for your visitors.
In this article, we’ll explore 15 essential pages that every small and startup brand should include on their online store to build trust, and credibility, and ultimately, drive sales. (We covered some of these pages in our article on the 6 pages you need to have on your website).
Your Home Page
Your home page is the virtual front door to your online store.
It should immediately capture visitors’ attention, convey your brand’s identity, and guide them toward exploring your products.
Keep it clean, visually appealing, and easy to navigate.
Product Pages
Each product should have its own dedicated page showing your visitors high-quality images, detailed descriptions, pricing information, and any relevant variations or options that they can choose from.
Also, you’ll need to make it easy for customers to add items to their cart and proceed to checkout.
Product Category Pages
You should be sure to organize your products into logical categories to help visitors find what they’re looking for quickly.
Use clear labels and intuitive navigation to guide them through your inventory on your website.
A Shopping Cart Page
Your shopping cart page is where customers can review and adjust the items they selected to buy before proceeding to checkout and pay for the things they want from your store.
Make sure it’s easy to view, edit, and update the quantities they want.
Also be sure to prominently display the total cost, including any taxes and shipping fees they’ll need to cover.
Checkout Pages
You’ll need to streamline the checkout process on your online store with a series of clear and user-friendly pages.
Be sure to collect only essential information (and let your shoppers know exactly how you handle that information with a privacy policy), offer multiple payment options, and provide progress indicators to keep customers informed about their order status.
An Account Settings Page
Allow your customers to create accounts where they can manage their personal information, view their order history, track shipments, and update their preferences on their own.
Doing this creates a sense of loyalty and makes their future purchases more convenient.
A Login Page
Make it easy for returning customers to access their accounts with a simple and secure login page.
You may even want to consider integrating social login options, like the Google and Facebook login systems, to streamline the process.
A Sign Up Page
Keep the sign-up process brief and straightforward to minimize friction. You don’t want potential buyers to get frustrated with your online shopping experience before they even get on to your site!
To take it a step further, you can encourage your visitors to create accounts on your online store by offering incentives. Things such as exclusive discounts or early access to any promotions you have.
Your About Page
Use this page as an opportunity to introduce your brand story, mission, values, and team members on this page.
This page can help you build rapport with your audience and establish trust by showing the human side of your business.
Your Contact Page
Give your users multiple channels to get in touch with you, including email, phone, and a contact form.
Also, be sure to respond promptly to any inquiries and feedback to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. We care very much about customer satisfaction when it comes to our web presence.
Include a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Page
It’s a good idea to anticipate common queries and address them proactively on an FAQ page, or even a FAQ section on your home or pricing pages.
This helps to reduce your customer support overhead by empowering your visitors to find answers on their own.
Have a Shipping and Returns Policy Page
If you provide physical products, it’s a good idea to clearly outline your shipping options, estimated delivery times, and return/exchange policies to set clear expectations for your customers.
Remember, transparency breeds trust and reduces the likelihood of disputes.
Privacy Policy Page
Assure your visitors that their personal information is safe and will be handled responsibly by including a detailed privacy policy. If you’re not sure what to include in your privacy policy, then this article will get you started.
This is especially important in light of increasing concerns about data privacy and security.
Terms of Service Page
Clearly define the terms and conditions governing the use of your website and the purchase of your products.
Be sure to cover key aspects of using your online store such as payment, shipping, returns, and dispute resolution to protect both your business and your customers.
Give Your Online Store A Blog
You should maintain a blog to share valuable content related to your industry, your products, and your brand ethos.
This not only helps to drive traffic to your website but it also positions you as an authority in your space and fosters a sense of community with your audience.
In the competitive world of eCommerce, having a well-designed and user-friendly website can make all the difference for small and startup brands that want to build an online store.
By incorporating these 15 essential pages into your online store, you can establish trust, credibility, and loyalty with your customers. This will ultimately drive sales and foster long-term success for your brand.
Remember to regularly review and update your website to adapt to any changing trends and customer needs. And don’t hesitate to get feedback from your audience to continuously improve their shopping experience.
