When it comes to Tri-Cities website design, this is a common question we hear from clients who wonder if it’s better to have more pages on their websites, especially for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Other typical questions are: Is less more with Web pages? What should be my primary Web Pages? How many pages are too many?
There are several ways to answer this question, but it does, in large part, depend on your type of Tri-Cities business and the industry you serve. But if you think more pages will automatically benefit your company with greater SEO, consider this: websites are rewarded for unique, quality content that is frequently updated. Creating pages just for the sake of SEO could diminish the user experience.
Chances are that if you are a small, local business targeting the local area, you likely will need just five to 10 pages for your Tri-Cities website design. If you are operating an online store, or if your target markets are regional or national in scope, you will probably need more Web pages.
A helpful and practical question to ask yourself when it comes to determining the appropriate number of pages for your Tri-Cities website design is, “How many pages should my website have to provide the information my target audience needs?”
Also know that your website is never complete. It should constantly be evolving as your target audience is always evolving when it comes to the type of information it is wanting.
Viewing Habits of Consumers on Websites
In order to have an idea how your website should be designed and presented, including how many pages it should have, it is helpful to be acquainted with the viewing habits of people exploring your website.
- On a desktop or laptop, the majority of visitors to a website view two to three pages on average, within three minutes.
- On a smartphone or tablet, the vast majority of visitors read just one to two pages, on average, within one minute.
- The typical website has only 5 percent of its visitors that view more than three pages.
Can You Have Too Many Web Pages?
When it comes to Tri-Cities website design, the answer is a qualified no, as long as the content is original and provides what visitors are searching for. Search engines don’t tend to penalize your website for too many pages as long as you have purpose-driven and rich content.
If you ultimately want a high placement on Google and other search engines – and who doesn’t – then you should know that Google’s algorithm prefers usability over keywords.
View your website through the lens of a visitor and consider how many pages you would want to have in front of you to become informed about what you are selling as quickly and easily as possible.
10 Standard Pages that Business Websites Should Contain
While allowing for many types of Tri-Cities businesses representing distinct and varied industries, best practices for Tri-Cities website design often call for websites to consist of 10 standard Web pages. They include:
- Home
- About
- Products/Services
- Reviews/Testimonials
- FAQ
- Contact
- Blog/News
- Portfolio or Gallery
- Sitemap
- Terms & Conditions
Cater to Search Engines Wanting as much of the Right Content as Possible
We all want our websites to rank high on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). So, it’s helpful to know that search engines crave content. This means you probably will want more than four or five pages of content on your website.
In addition to your primary pages listed above, consider sub-category pages. Examples are:
- Make sub-categories for your Services page. If you are a day spa business, instead of just having Spa Services, add pages dedicated to Massage Therapy, Facials, Body Polishes and Wraps, Steam Room, etc.
- Another idea for creating unique, rich content for your website is adding a ‘Blog’ Page.
A blog page affords you the opportunity to include more keywords and other SEO tools – such as meta tags and meta descriptions – that will help boost your ranking on search engines.
Create Specific Pages for Locations & Services
You ideally want a page on your website for each service that your business offers. For example, if you offer the service installation of solar panels, your keyword research might generate related keyword phrases such as ‘reduced energy usage,’ “solar panels,’ ‘solar panel installation cost,’ ‘best solar panels,’ and ‘how solar panels work.’
Knowing how search engines operate, it is a good practice to create a single, content-rich page that encompasses everything a potential customer could want to know about installing solar panels – covering important facets of this specialty area. This way Google will identify your domain as an authority on this topic.
You also should have a page dedicated to each location you serve. Proximity for website visitors is a big deal – as your content tends to be more relevant when it caters to a local town’s or community’s needs – and this will help you convert visitors into customers.
Avoid Duplicating Content When You Create More Pages
Don’t get in the habit of creating new pages for every service and location just to change a few words of content. You could actually be penalized for doing so – which could lead to a drop in rankings or even complete removal from search results if Google decides the purpose of the additional pages of content is to manipulate its rankings and deceive its users.
Instead, think about what visitors to your website will want to know from these additional location pages and service pages. Showcase the distinctions and unique qualities of each service on the page dedicated to that particular service. Focus on benefits and features that each service or product provides. You want as much original content as possible to satisfy the search engines, while also ensuring the content is compelling and eye-catching for visitors.
Other ways to prevent duplicate content on your pages is to conduct an audit and consolidate pages that are similar or expand them so each page contains unique content.
Visitors Appreciate Simplicity
Consumers on your website are time-starved and want to evaluate your website in as short amount of time as possible. So, a clean, simple design that is uncluttered and intuitive is appreciated. This means that less tends to often be more when it comes to website pages. Be conservative with your content, as visitors scan websites more often than they read website copy.
Spotted Fox Digital Marketing — Building Brands with Purpose and Passion
At Spotted Fox Digital Marketing, we partner with businesses like yours to provide a full range of in-house digital marketing services. Spotted Fox Digital is a top-rated Tri-Cities Marketing Agency that believes in relationships, transparency, and trust! We are a results-driven top-ranked marketing company that uses responsive websites, targeted advertising, social media management, video, SEO, and more!
Our work is backed by data, providing your brand with the marketing insights needed to scale! Spotted Fox Digital marketing experts help businesses understand, reach & engage with their audiences through our digital marketing services.
If you are interested in scheduling a marketing consultation with us, we invite you to call Spotted Fox Digital at 509.792.3283 or complete our Online Contact Form.
