# The ultimate guide to your company website structure 25–35 minutes read So, you decided to be consistent and start building your company website from a structure. May the Force be with you, since you’ve come to the right place. We gathered guidelines and actionable advice in one place: this ultimate guide. ## Intro [Building a site structure from scratch](https://www.framer.com/app-website-mockup-tool/) might seem straightforward. However, that’s often not the case, let me explain. Having a consistent structure means laying a solid foundation for your future online presence. And, if you invest in planning, every bit of it goes into achieving an impressive result. Many articles out there focus on specific tasks, yet the majority of them fall short with the big picture. You may know that modern search engines take great interest in how well our websites are structured. And if they give up on the engine’s expectations, human visitors will clearly bounce off. In other words, it’s largely about getting to an ideal robot-human balance. This guide provides you with extensive guidelines on structuring your website, tips on content to include and stay away from, and examples of ready projects to fuel your inspiration. Sounds good? Let’s get started! ## General advice ### Navigation and footer First of all, focus on your navbar and footer. These elements should present on every page of your website for, like, navigating your visitors. They want to know where they are and where else they can go. The top navigation bar typically includes your logo and links to key pages of the website. The footer may have a news subscription form, along with your logo, references to other site sections, and links to your social media. Consider using [sticky navigation](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/09/sticky-menus-are-quicker-to-navigate/), so that your users have the site navigation at their fingertips, no matter how far they’ve scrolled. ### Gain CTR momentum Site visitors tend to spend maximum time and make more clicks around the first 1,5 screens of a webpage. You can thus maximize your click-through rate (CTR) by moving the most valuable messages, info, and CTAs to the first screen. If your visitors can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they’ll most likely leave. We’re talking seconds here. ### Call to action (CTA) Next, make sure you get the “call to action” (CTA) elements right. Those are interactive elements solely focused on target actions. While the standard way to put a CTA is adding a button, you can implement those in various forms, such as images, videos, or links. The rule of thumb with CTAs is “make them stand out.” [The better your CTA elements](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/02/20/call-to-action-buttons), the more clicks you’ll get. ### GDPR Cookie Compliance If you’re planning to serve the EU customers around your website, you’ll have to consider the GDPR or “General Data Protection Regulation.” It means that wherever you have personal data, you handle it the GDPR way. Cookies constitute personal data since they can be used to identify site visitors. If you gather data about your users, make sure to show a popup on their first visit. Since the GDPR is about users giving their consent here and there, the popup should allow them to choose whether to accept or decline cookies. Keep in mind that your website should still be fully accessible, regardless of user choice. ## Structure These are the pages that make a well-balanced site structure: — Homepage — About — Products or Services — FAQ — Careers — Blog — Contact Us — Error — Legal pages I’m sure you’ve seen those on almost every website you visited. That’s because this structure works for the majority of businesses, no matter the niche or how big they are. Moreover, we can represent the baseline with fewer pages than above. Here’s a shortened version of the list: — Homepage — About — Products or Services — Contact us — Legal pages The shortened list again focuses on how search engines see your site structure. They are more about AI than human-readable ranking signals. Empirically, if you arrange site pages in a clear way for your users, search engines will appreciate your efforts. Now, let’s look through the list of to-make site pages and learn why they made it there and how to get the most out of it. ## Homepage ### Why create: capture attention, provide the first impression, and help visitors navigate better. Content: — Hero image and core message — Services (products) — Values (features, benefits) — About — Careers — Reviews (testimonials, case studies or other social proof) — CTA The homepage is a launchpad that helps users get where they need as quickly as possible. ### Hero section The first thing your visitors should see when visiting your homepage is the hero image. Images tend to communicate messages faster and create more engaging emotional experiences. ### Your services, products The sooner you start telling visitors about what you have to offer, the better. ### What are the values and benefits? Outline about 3 to 5 core values of your product. Keep your descriptions concise and present them with [eye-catching visuals](https://www.tictocdigital.co.uk/latest/11-the-importance-of-imagery-in-web-design) that are in tune with your brand design guidelines. ### Social proof Include reviews about your company. Focus on your target audience and include relevant testimonials. ### Links to other pages Consider linking to “About” and “Careers” sections on the homepage with brief descriptions to minimize hurdles in your user flow. ## About ### Why create: tell a story of your brand and company, mission, present your team, investors, and any other valuable info to help your conversions. Content: — History, timeline — Company goals, mission — Reviews — Team — Partners — Statistics — Fun facts The “About” page is not really about your company, it’s more about your audience and how the value you deliver. ## Products, services ### Why create: specify your products in detail and outline their values. Content: — Images — Description — Features and advantages — Pricing — Reviews, recommendations — Contact form ## FAQ ### Why create: answer typical customer questions without having them contact you directly. Content: — Questions and answers — Search The FAQ page is straightforward and brings [many benefits](https://www.shopify.com/blog/120928069-how-to-create-faq-page). ## Careers ### Why create: develop your HR brand and attract job candidates. Content: — Benefits of working for you — Vacancies — Application form ## Blog ### Why create: convey your knowledge and expertise, share research and ideas, get SEO traction. Content: — Content that creates value — Eye-catching cover images — CTA ## Contact Us ### Why create: let visitors quickly contact your company and improve your SEO. Content: — Phone numbers, emails (for different purposes) — Contact form — Map ## Error ### Why create: inform users of any errors and navigate them back to a working page. Content: — Images, video, interactivity — Error message ### Crucial things Provide links to other pages. At the very least, include a link back to the homepage. ## Legal pages ### Why create: tell about your compliances and legal requirements. Content: — Privacy policies — Terms and conditions of use ## Conclusion Building a website from scratch is no easy task. A consistent structure serves as the backbone of every great company website out there. Keep in mind that maintaining the structure well-organized is a continuous task.