1.
ANATOMY OF A WEBSITE
Jamie Smith
WordCamp Fayetteville
2016

2.
YOUR PRESENTER:
JAMIE SMITH
Owner of Jamie’s Notebook
Lives in Northwest Arkansas
Jamiesnotebook.com
@JamiesNotebook

3.
AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE MUST:
Be search engine friendly (links, plugins, keywords, mobile)
Be intuitive to navigate (function)
Be clear with its call to action (what do you want readers to do?)
Be clear in how the company/organization can solve the visitor’s
specific problem(s) (Content…words and/or pictures)

4.
SEARCH ENGINE FRIENDLY
Plugins-for websites I like All In One SEO
Links and keywords
Pages (more pages are better for SEO but use menus)
Blog

5.
DON’T MAKE THEM THINK
Guidelines
Navigation should be intuitive
Navigation should be uncluttered
Consider what order/location
most sites place functions
Content should be in the logical
place
Tips/Common issues
Use menus function with subpages
(usually no more than 5-7 parent
pages)
Search usually top right
Home-About-Services-(Other)-Blog-
Contact
Social media icons usually near top
right or directly under header image
Widgets usually right column

6.
CALL TO ACTION
All the information on your website is great … what do you want
them to do about it? Think beyond “hire us.”
Every page and each blog should have a distinct call to action with a
link (usually the contact page)
Call to action should also be in the side columns (could include call
us, connect to us, etc.)

7.
POTENTIAL CALLS TO ACTION
Sign up for a newsletter
Take a quiz
Download an audio or video file
Download an ebook or white
paper
Fill out a poll or survey
Make a comment
Pose a question
Sign up for a webinar or teleclass
Make an appointment for a
complimentary consultation
Refer a friend

8.
CLEAR SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
You are a solution to their problem. Tell and show them how you help
them and therefore are the best choice
Capture their attention with creative words, but don’t sacrifice clarity.
“Edginess” often leads to ambiguity
Avoid tired buzzwords
Be careful with industry lingo-help them understand what you are
talking about (pictures are great for this)

9.
GENERAL BEST PRACTICES
At least one (the more the better)
applicable photo on each page.
Write in third person throughout
the site (even bios). An exception
might be the contact page. Even
then, it’s best to use plural first
person.
Reduce your photo file sizes to
help page load time
Consider the F-reading pattern
when writing
Website is a major part of your
brand. It should fit your company
culture and overall brand
Only use content that you have
permission to use!

10.
ESSENTIAL PAGES What should they include
(or not include?)

11.
HOME
This isn’t just a welcome mat-it’s a hub
You have mere seconds to capture—and keep their attention
Home page should tell very clearly what you do and what hurt point
you solve, as well as invite them to engage (CTA)
TOO much information causes clutter and will turn them off

12.
HOME
Headline-tell what your site has
to offer
Subheadline-zero in on a
common pain point
Primary CTA (2-3 above the fold
with at least one below the fold.
Meet different needs of the buy
cycle)
Supporting images or video
Describe what you do matters-
keep the copy lightweight
Easy navigation
Resources
Some form of success indicator

13.
ABOUT
Should tell who your company is and why it exists
Brief but thorough history
Include dates not “X Years”
If someone were to write a blog about your company from your about
page, how accurate and complete would it be?
Pictures help tell the story (don’t use stock photos here)
You do business with people. Show your humanity!

14.
SERVICES/PRODUCTS
This is where you can go into more detail about what you offer and
how you help.
You need pictures and words that tell your story
Use different keywords throughout the text to fit various searches
(keep in mind some may not know exactly what they are looking for)
This is one of the first places I recommend moving into subpages
List all services at top then go into more detail at bottom

15.
BLOG
Blogging more frequently will improve your SEO
Key components of a blog post:
 350 – 700 words
 Attention-getting, key-worded title
 Open paragraph has to go immediately to the point
 Relevant image(s)
 Main body – make it easy to skim using subheadings, bullet points, etc.
 Close with a discussion question/call to action

16.
CONTACT
Phone number
Hours (as applicable)
Mailing address (if different or if you don’t want visitors)
Physical address with Google map and written directions
Social media
Contact form
If specific requests should go to a specific person, consider listing
that email.

17.
OTHER POSSIBLE PARENT PAGES
Portfolio/Testimonials/Gallery (having pictures of your work, if
applicable, is also great for individual service pages)
News/Media (links to articles featuring your company, press releases
you’ve written, etc.)
Purchase/Hire (Do you sell products online? Do you offer services and
want to share rates?)

18.
OTHER SUGGESTED
PAGES
Their parent pages and
best practices

19.
UNDER “ABOUT”
Mission/Vision
Meet the team
Message from our
Founder/CEO/LeaderThese pages expound on
who you are as a company
and to some degree,
individuals

20.
UNDER
“SERVICES/PRODU
CTS”
Could also be categories of
products/services
Link to each page from the main
services page and also link back to
the main service page from the
individual pages
Each page should detail what the
service/product is but more
importantly, how it solves the
reader’s problem.
These pages are a great
place to go into more detail
about individual services or
product categories,
complete with pictures
where applicable

21.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
#WCFAY 2015 Why and How Businesses Should Blog on SlideShare
#WCKC The Beginner's Guide to Writing in WordPress on SlideShare
Check the blog for the company who created your theme
Canva and Picmonkey are great for altering pictures

22.
EXAMPLES