Important parts of a website

As Aristotle famously taught us, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But that does not mean, of course, that we can ignore the importance of these parts. This is especially true when it comes to websites. Great websites are made up of several amazing parts that seamlessly fit together to create a holistic representation of your brand.

To help you understand the different parts of a website, we will break them down and elaborate on their purpose. This article will cover the main components of websites as well as some important web design jargons to help you get through the design process. If you want to cut and create a website with a tool that ensures that all parts of the website are included, we suggest that you use the Wix website builder.

Basic parts of a website

There are some components of websites that are so important for web design that all websites must contain them in order to function properly. Together, these parts form the backbone of your site:

01. Heading and menu

The headline is the top part of a website. This is often the first thing visitors see when they visit a website and almost always contains the brand logo as well as the website menu. This website menu is the map of the website that helps visitors find what they are looking for, whether it is details about your product or information about your business. Typical headlines include your most important web pages, which may vary depending on the type of web page you create. For example, if you have an online store, you can divide the headline into categories based on the types of items you sell. On the other hand, if you have an ideal website, a donation page in the headline will probably be more appropriate. To put it bluntly, including the right categories in the headline is crucial to helping visitors find your most important pages, and can ultimately make the difference between a successful and a failed website.

02. Pictures

Just below the headline is a form of photo, series of photos or sometimes a video. Together, the headline and main image form the top part of your website - often referred to as above the visible part of the web page - and are crucial to creating a good first impression. In particular, the highlighted visual image makes a significant difference in whether users stay on your site or leave seconds after entering. With that in mind, this visual should convey something important about your business. Whether it contains images of your products or services, or just gives the user a sense of what your brand is about, it is important that it is related to your site as a whole. We suggest you choose your best photos or browse the photos and videos available through Wix to give your site a professional edge.

03. Content on the Website

All websites contain content. Content usually means the words written on your site that explain what your site is about, what you have to offer and how visitors to the site can benefit from your offers. The site's content covers a wide range of things. It often refers to the sections that explain the site's mission, but it can also mean the one word that is placed on your buttons.

While short content on buttons or menus may seem insignificant, it is actually the driving force behind websites. This is the content that makes it clear what visitors to the site should expect when they click, such as "Buy Now" or "Shopping Cart". Take the time to plan the content of your site carefully to ensure that all visitors to the site can understand your brand as well as you.

04. Footer

Simply put, a footer is the bottom end of any website. It usually contains a sitemap with links to the pages available on your site. This can help visitors find all your offers, including those that may not have made it to your headline.

Web site headers often also contain basic contact information so users can contact you or find your physical store. This type of information is crucial to your business' success.

Footers can also include a social bar that contains small but recognizable icons that direct users to social media sites. This can help you gain followers on social media platforms, and ultimately provide greater brand awareness and potential business growth.

Advanced parts of a website

If you were to include only the web pages mentioned above, you would already have a complete web site. But if you want to take your site to the next level, we suggest you add the following sections as well:

01. Logo

An important element of any brand, a logo is also a standard part of a website. A logo represents the company and makes it recognizable and memorable for both current and potential customers. You will usually find logos in the upper left corner of the web page title and are usually clickable to help visitors return to the site's website. To get started with your logo, and easily embed it on your website, you can use a logo maker that automatically generates a custom logo for you.

02. CTA

A CTA, or promotional phrase, is a short piece of text that helps customers take the next step with your business and move down the sales funnel. CTAs usually appear on buttons and contain action-oriented words such as "Start Now" or "Buy Yours". This type of text guides users to perform a specific action and tells them exactly what to expect when they click a button.

CTAs are important parts of websites because they allow visitors to actually use or purchase your service or product. Without these buttons, you can see fewer sales and a higher percentage of customers leaving your site without converting.

03. Sidebar

Often, websites will use a sidebar, or a horizontal line, usually on the right side of screens that contain multiple links or information. A sidebar is meant to serve as another navigation facet of your site, allowing visitors to find information that is important but less critical than the information in the headline.

Typically, pagebars contain links to other content on your site, a way to sign up for your newsletter and ads. Using this space for ads is a great way to monetize your website and help you grow your business. Alternatively, you can advertise your own products in this space so that they are easily visible to visitors to the site even before they see your product page.

04. Blog

Blogs are mainly groupings of articles or posts on a variety of topics all related to your business. These days, it is increasingly common for companies to add a blog to their site. While blogs can stand alone, they can also be added as an additional part of an existing website, and serve as a marketing tool for your business.

Adding a blog to your site is a great way to achieve a few goals. First, it provides more in-depth information to your customers about your offerings or the industry. By providing this information, you nurture your customers and help them understand your business better.

A blog can also help bring more traffic to your site. By covering a variety of topics in depth, blogs can provide answers to many questions that people search for on Google. By answering these questions, you are helping to attract people who might not have found your business otherwise.

05. Forms

Web forms are commonly used to gather information. On websites, they can be built in and used for a number of different purposes. For example, you might consider including a contact form, which allows visitors to contact you directly from your site. Another type of form, such as a registration form, can help you gather potential customers by asking visitors for their information.

Depending on the type of form you choose to use, you may want to consider placing them in different areas of your site. In general, a form can be a little too aggressive for the website, but it can take up space on a separate website or perhaps further down on your website.

Website section layout

Now that you have decided which parts of a website you need, you may be wondering how to organize them. There are many different website layouts, each with its own benefits and keeping your site in order.

The most classic website layout includes a website and several websites that allow you to find the information you are looking for. Another option, however, is a one-page website design. This type of website places all the information on one long, scrolling page. The advantage of this layout option is that everything that a visitor may be looking for can be found in one place. When using this web page layout, you must make clear distinctions between sections, and help visitors navigate to these sections by including anchor links in the headline.

Additional necessities for the site

There are a few elements that are not part of the actual web design, but which are crucial to ensure that your website is up and running. While this list is by no means exhaustive, familiarizing yourself with these concepts is a great way to start your journey of creating websites.

01. Web hosting

Web hosting is simply where your website resides online. Even if it does not seem like it, all websites take up space on servers, or computers that act as storage devices and provide information to other computers. These servers make sure that your website is alive and well and accessible when people search for it.

With Wix, free web hosting is built-in, so every time you create and publish your website, it is automatically hosted. This means you do not have to worry about finding a remote host or paying for a third party service.

02. Domain name

You may have heard the word domain thrown around in the website world. A domain is simply the URL of your website. It is often the same as the company name and gives your website a unique online access point. If your brand is called Pink, for example, your domain could be something like rosa.org or rosa.com.

We strongly recommend getting a unique domain name so people can easily find and remember your page. For example, when you want to search for something or get more information, the first site you think of is google.com. This type of domain recall and knowledge can help bring more success to websites.

03. SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of making your site searchable on search engines. It involves optimizing the content, images, design and structure of your site to ensure that the search engines understand your site well. This in turn enables Google to serve your site in response to relevant searches.

SEO is a complex world that includes many things. If you are new to the SEO world, we suggest you use Wix SEO Wiz, which helps you get indexed on Google. It also provides some practical suggestions on how to refine your site to make it rank higher.

Freddy Fix borrowed from Wix