Today’s business landscape is a hybrid of in-person and digital experiences. Building a navigable website lends a major boost to your business’s credibility because it gives customers a reliable, ever-present source of information in an easily accessible format.
While modern website-building tools make it easier than ever before, it is still important to know the basic anatomy of a website. Each component serves an important purpose on your site and taken together should offer visitors and customers alike a seamless experience with your business.
Here are the key website components you need to know in 2023.
Basic Parts of a Website
These are the key website components. Most of us don’t think about them as we navigate through the internet but would notice them if they were missing or somehow off, because they are essential elements.
Website Header
The header is the top portion of your website that contains the logo, menus, usually a search bar, and often a simple call-to-action buttons like an email opt-in or “call now” button.
The current trend is for simple headers that load quickly rather than heavy, image-laden ones that take up half the page.
It’s important to keep the header consistent across each of the pages on your site so visitors can easily navigate around.
Website Footer
The footer is the bottom portion of your website and acts as a secondary menu. It contains links to information like:
- Legal info
- Careers
- Privacy/Terms
- Contact Us
- About Us
At minimum, your footer should have your copyright info and privacy policy and terms.
Sidebar
Sidebars are one of the most customisable parts of a webpage.
They can be on the left or right side of the page, or both. They contain any combination of the following:
- CTAs
- Social Feeds
- Recent Blog Posts
- Email Opt-Ins
- About Us
- Bios of the authors
- Shopping widgets
- Customer testimonials
- Contact info
- Videos
Choose the most important few for your sidebar to avoid a cluttered feel.
Menu & Navigation
Visitors need a way to visit different website sections. Your menu is a map of your site and should be accessible from the header.
Menu links should be divided by category in a way that makes sense for your business. Clicking on a link directs visitors to different pages on the website.
On mobile, the menu is usually represented as three lines stacked on top of each other – i.e., a “hamburger menu.” Browsers tap the menu to view expanded options. Make sure each web page is linked to your menu, or visitors won’t find it. Expandable menus can help reduce clutter on the header of your site.
Body Content
All the design features ultimately exist to complement the body content of each page.
This usually refers to the written content of a page, though if you have an image-heavy page (like a photo gallery, for example), then the photos are the main body content.
The term “body” refers to the HTML code for this section, which tells your content platform to place this in the large open space in the middle of your page.
Images/Feature Image
Webpages need visuals to grab the viewer’s attention and quickly communicate what type of content they will find on that site.
Most pages contain a feature image or hero image. This is the representative image for each page. Other images should be included as well, but the feature image should be first.
On WordPress, a Featured Image is also known as a post thumbnail. This image is indexed with the webpage and appears in searches as the visual connection for any given page.
Core Website Pages
Every website has a collection of core pages that are crucial to the anatomy of a website. These are:
- Home
- Landing
- About Us
- Contact
- Blog
Home Page
This is the home base and one of the core components of a website. It links to all your other pages and serves as a welcome and introduction for visitors. It usually includes a feature image, links to the key content on your site, and a key introduction to or benefit of your business.
The logo that you include in your header (which should be on every page, remember) should link back to your home page just in case visitors get lost in the different sections of a website.
Your home page should stay consistent but always up to date. Outdated websites erode customer confidence.
Landing Page
A landing page is different than a home page. Landing pages are typically connected to a promotional campaign and give leads a place to land when they click on an ad or social post.
Landing pages are simple and promote one direct call to action, like “buy now”, “call for a free quote”, or “download the guide”.
You can create multiple landing pages for specific promotions or campaigns and should retire outdated ones to avoid directing leads to useless content.
About Us Page
Your “About Us” Page is one the most important on your site.
It’s often a first stop for new visitors to your site and should include a bit about your history, mission, and distinctive.
Contact Page
Your contact page is essential and should be accessible from any part of your site via a sidebar or header menu, you can also add this to footer and we also advise you to have a LiveChat option.
Keep this page simple and navigable. An email us form, address, and phone number are essential components.
Website Blog
Blogs are a great tool for driving traffic to your site with authoritative content. Your blogs should be accessible from a blog page that lists each post sequentially, with the most recent at the top.
You can also have a section for featured blog posts that you want to highlight or a place to showcase your most popular posts.
You may need to divide the blog posts into multiple pages to speed up load times. Make sure you keep the posts in chronological order, though you may allow viewers to sort articles by topic or category, especially if you have a lot of posts.
But we all know that Blog content takes a lot of our time, that is why we developed Content Automation service.
Important Website Concepts in 2023
There is a lot of jargon thrown around when it comes to website design. Here are a few of the most important terms to know.
Above the Fold
Newspapers are folded, and the most important story is customarily placed on the front page towards the top so it can be quickly scanned even when the newspaper is folded.
Regarding web page sections, “above-the-fold” means content that visitors can view without scrolling down the page.
Research indicates that people spend up to 80% of their scanning time on above-the-fold web content, mostly deciding whether they want to bother scrolling down to keep reading.
This should be attention-catching content, like a strong headline, interesting feature image, or a one-line summary stating what the page is all about and why it is valuable.
Call to Action (CTA)
Websites can have more than one CTA, and they can be located in several different parts of a web page: the sidebar and header are the most common.
Call-to-actions invite viewers to do something to further interact with your brand and appear on your webpage as a popup or form. Common phrases include:
- Subscribe
- Learn more
- Try it free
- Order now
- See How
- Act now
- Book your next adventure
- Call us
- Schedule your consultation
- Get matched
- Treat yourself
- Get 10% off
CTAs should be urgent but not pushy and should match the tone of your brand. These usually require the viewer to submit an email address.
All of your most important web pages – home page, contact us, about us, and blog page — should include a call to action, even if it’s as simple as an email opt-in form.
Forms
A web form is a page where users voluntarily enter personal information. Surveys, email opt-ins, shipping updates, and loyalty programs are all processed via web forms.
Keep forms short and clear, and always include a statement about how the information will be used. According to HubSpot, improving user experience with web forms increased businesses’ lead conversion rates by up to 75%.
Mobile Responsive Web Pages
Worldwide, half of all internet browsing occurs on a mobile device. Additionally, more users make purchases via mobile devices. This means your website needs to be optimized for easy viewing and interaction via smartphones and tablets.
Conclusion
To build a great website it takes a lot of time and knowledge and we have all that. We developed services to help brands build their online identity and grow their business.
We offer services like:
We also have an option for 1:1 FREE call with us. In this way we can customize a pack of services that are the most suitable for your business.
