Michael Epps Utley {kind=image/jpg}
Renowned usability expert Steve Krug put it best when he titled his seminal web design book: "Don't Make Me Think." Krug argues a website should be self-explanatory, intuitive, and easy to navigate. And yet, when business owners sit down to build or redesign their sites, often the instinct is to do the opposite and pack everything in.
For a website to perform and achieve its goals, it needs the right elements: website content and a website content strategy that aligns with what your visitors came to find. And that’s it. Otherwise, visitors lose interest and also lose trust. When designing a business website for the 21st century, clarity and hierarchy are key to good UX and effective website optimization.
The 12 Types of Websites: Which One Aligns With Your Business?
There are 12 common types of websites, each with its own goals, audiences, and content priorities. Before we get into content strategy, take 30 seconds to find yourself in this list.
Lead Generation / Service-Based Websites: Designed to capture inquiries and drive contact for professional or local services such as contractors, law firms, healthcare providers, and financial advisors.
E-commerce / Direct Sales Websites: Built to sell physical or digital products online, whether for a single brand or across multiple product lines.
SaaS / Software Product Websites: Focused on promoting software or applications, typically supporting trials, demos, subscriptions, and onboarding flows.
Brand / Corporate Websites: Established to communicate company identity, mission, and credibility, often without an immediate transactional goal.
Portfolio / Creative Showcase Websites: Structured to highlight work and attract clients, collaborators, or career opportunities—commonly used by designers, photographers, and agencies.
Marketplace / Aggregator Platforms: Built to connect buyers and sellers, or consumers with service providers, across multi-vendor or multi-service environments.
Membership / Subscription Websites: Offer gated or exclusive access to content, services, or communities in exchange for recurring fees.
Education / Training / E-Learning Platforms: Designed to deliver courses, certifications, or structured learning resources, either paid or free.
Events / Experiences / Ticketing Websites: Focused on promoting and facilitating registration or ticket sales for live or virtual events.
Multi-Location / Franchise Websites: Support multiple physical locations with localized content, location-specific information, and tailored calls-to-action.
Nonprofit / Advocacy Websites: Built to promote causes, drive donations, recruit volunteers, and engage supporters.
Media / Content / Publication Websites: Deliver ongoing content such as news, blogs, or digital publications, often monetized through ads, sponsorships, or subscriptions.
The 20 Website Elements Available to You (Not All of Them Are Winners)
When people visit any U.S. business website, they generally have one of a few core goals. Here’s a prioritized list of the top 20 things people seek, in order of typical importance and frequency:
Contact/Inquiry Options: Phone, email, contact form, chat.
Product / Service Information: Details on what’s offered and how it works.
Pricing / Costs: Clear info on product/service pricing, subscriptions, or estimates.
Location / Hours: Physical addresses, directions, store hours, or service areas.
Trust / Credibility Signals: Reviews, testimonials, case studies, certifications.
How to Buy / Get Started: Clear calls-to-action (CTA) for purchase, signup, or consultation.
Company / Brand Info: Who they are, mission, story, and reputation.
Availability / Stock / Open Slots: Whether a product, service, or appointment is currently accessible.
Support / Help / FAQs: Guidance, troubleshooting, or answers to common questions.
Portfolio / Work Examples: Past work, case studies, or project showcases.
Offers / Promotions / Discounts: Coupons, deals, or incentives to buy.
Blog / Educational Content: Advice, tips, news, or industry info.
Events / Schedules: Upcoming events, webinars, or workshops.
Subscription/Membership Options: Ways to join or maintain ongoing access.
Community / Social Proof: User forums, social links, or client stories.
Delivery/Shipping Info: Timelines, methods, and geographic coverage.
Legal / Compliance Info: Terms, privacy, return policies, or disclaimers.
Career / Job Opportunities: Employment openings and company culture.
Customization / Personalization Options: Tailoring products, services, or experiences.
News / Updates / Announcements: Company news, product launches, or service changes.
The Seven Elements Visitors Actually Want to See on Most Websites
Across all 12 website types, patterns in what visitors prioritize are surprisingly similar. Here’s that rundown:
Service-Based and Lead Generation websites should prioritize as follows:
Contact and Inquiry Options
Clear Product / Service Information
Pricing / Costs
Trust / Credibility Signals
How to Buy / Get Started
Location / Hours
Portfolio / Work Examples
Service-based and lead-gen websites are built to convert interest into action through a call, form submission, or consultation request. Delays in surfacing information, failing to provide a clear next step, or forcing users to search for it significantly reduce inquiry rates, particularly on mobile, where intent is often highest.
For E-commerce and Direct Sales sites, priorities are:
Detailed Product / Service Information
Pricing / Costs
How to Buy / Get Started
Availability / Stock / Open slots
Delivery / Shipping Info
Trust / Credibility Signals
Offers / Promotions / Discounts
E-commerce websites are designed to move visitors from browsing to purchase as efficiently as possible. Even small points of friction can disrupt conversions. Research shows that lengthy or complicated checkout processes are the reason behind 18% of cart abandonments.
SaaS and Software Companies have their own site hierarchy:
Product / Service Information
How to Buy / Get Started
Pricing / Costs
Trust / Credibility Signals
Support / Help / FAQs
Blog / Educational Content
Company / Brand Info
SaaS websites should reduce uncertainty and accelerate time-to-value (TTV), guiding visitors from interest to action as quickly as possible. Friction at the onboarding stage remains a key drop-off point, which is why streamlined signup flows, product previews, and strong social proof are critical to improving trial-to-paid conversion rates.
Brand / Corporate Presence Sites should prioritize:
Company / Brand Info
Trust / Credibility Signals
Contact / Inquiry Options
Blog / Educational Content
News / Updates / Announcements
Portfolio / Work Examples
Offers / Promotions / Discounts
These websites are designed to build credibility and influence perception over time. Visitors aren’t always ready to act immediately, but they are evaluating trust, authority, and fit, making consistency and clarity across messaging critical.
For Portfolio / Creative Showcase Sites, include:
Portfolio / Work Examples
Contact / Inquiry Options
Company / Brand Info
Trust / Credibility Signals
How to Buy / Get Started
Pricing / Costs
Blog / Educational Content
Portfolio sites rely on visual proof to drive decisions. Visitors want to quickly assess quality, style, and relevance, so the experience should minimize friction between viewing work and taking the next step.
Education / Training / E-Learning sites should have:
Product / Service Information
How to Buy / Get Started
Pricing / Costs
Blog / Educational Content
Trust / Credibility Signals
Contact / Inquiry Options
Portfolio / Work Examples
These websites must clearly communicate outcomes and value. Visitors are evaluating not just content, but credibility—so structured information, trust signals, and a clear path to enrollment are essential.
Multi-Location / Franchise Presence sites should include:
Location / Hours
Product / Service Information
Contact / Inquiry Options
Trust / Credibility Signals
How to Buy / Get Started
Pricing / Costs
Offers / Promotions / Discounts
These sites serve users with immediate, location-specific intent. Clear access to local details, combined with consistent brand messaging, ensures users can quickly find and act on the information most relevant to them.
Nonprofit / Advocacy / Cause sites must feature:
Trust / Credibility Signals
Contact / Inquiry Options
Company / Brand Info
Blog / Educational Content
Offers / Promotions / Discounts / Donation Appeals
Events / Schedules
Subscription / Membership Options
Nonprofit websites depend on trust and emotional connection to drive engagement. Visitors need to quickly understand the mission, see proof of impact, and find clear ways to contribute or get involved.
The content your visitors want most should be the content they see first. This is what separates website conversion optimization from website crickets. For a full breakdown of your website, we invite you to schedule a free strategy call with our team at GoEpps.
Is Your Homepage a Trust Signal or Noise?
The website homepage is where valuable first impressions are made (or not made). Research consistently shows that visitors decide within moments whether to stay or leave, and in today's AI-assisted search environment, where Google's algorithms increasingly reward relevance, clarity, and genuine expertise, getting your homepage hierarchy right matters more than ever.
Your homepage should immediately tell visitors who you are, what you do, and what they should do next. What it should not do is make them scroll through your company's founding story to find your phone number.
Here is where website homepage design and conversion strategy intersect. The layout should reflect a well-thought-out content hierarchy that matches visitor intent. For most business websites, that means leading with your value proposition, following immediately with the most critical content for your site type, and making your primary call-to-action impossible to miss. Every element should earn its place by serving the visitor.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Website Mistakes That Can Cost You
Even the most attractive website is destined to underperform when critical content is misaligned or difficult to access. For today’s low-attention visitor, these issues do more than create friction; they create bounce. Here’s what to look out for and avoid:
1. Burying or Hiding Contact Options
When phone numbers, forms, email, or chat aren’t immediately visible, visitors are forced to search for ways to engage. Most won’t.
2. Unclear or Vague Product and Service Information
Website content that focuses on company language rather than customer needs creates confusion. Visitors should be able to quickly understand what you offer, who it’s for, and how it solves their problem.
3. Avoiding Pricing or Cost Transparency
When pricing is completely hidden, users often assume the worst or move on to competitors who are more transparent.
4. Weak or Missing Trust Signals
In the absence of reviews, testimonials, certifications, or case studies, visitors have little reason to believe your claims. Credibility must be demonstrated early and reinforced throughout the experience.
5. Confusing or Absent Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
If visitors don’t know what to do next, they won’t take action. Effective CTAs are clear, prominent, and aligned with user intent at each stage of the journey.
6. Ignoring Mobile and Local Context
Websites that fail to prioritize mobile usability, location details, hours, or service areas create unnecessary barriers, especially for local and multi-location businesses.
7. Overloading or Misordering Content
When essential information like services, pricing, or next steps is buried beneath secondary content, users lose momentum. Content hierarchy should guide the journey, not interrupt it. Vague or self-congratulatory web content that describes a company’s history rather than meeting a customer's need is equivalent to Obi-Wan Kenobi telling the stormtroopers: “These aren't the droids you're looking for.” He told them to move on. Which they did.
Put Your Customer, Not Your Company Story, First
Building a great website is about meeting your visitors where they are and giving them exactly what they came for. Businesses seeing real results from their websites are the ones that eschew "here's our story" for "here's what you need." After all, no one should have to think too hard to find that information.
