Six page templates that make business websites easier to use
A good business website does not need many unique page layouts. Six well-considered page templates can provide better structure, clearer navigation and more relevant enquiries.
Category: Web design and UX
Many business websites are designed one page at a time. The homepage gets one solution, the service pages another, and the contact page is set up last. The result may look varied and polished, but users have to learn the site anew at every turn.
A better starting point is to define a small set of page templates before detailed design begins. Each template should support a specific user task, have a clear content hierarchy and lead users onwards in a predictable way. This not only creates a better user experience. It also makes the website easier to publish, maintain and develop further.
For many Norwegian business websites, six page templates are enough to cover the most important needs.
1. The homepage: Distribute traffic, do not tell everything
The homepage should quickly help different visitors move forward. It does not need to contain a condensed version of the entire business. Its task is to clarify who the company helps, what it delivers and which paths the user can choose.
A good homepage template can consist of:
- A specific headline describing the company’s offering or value
- A brief explanation that defines the target audience or deliverable
- Two to four clear entry points to key services or needs
- Selected proof points, such as customer stories, professional expertise or relevant certifications
- A prioritised action, such as booking a conversation or finding the right service
Avoid several equally prominent buttons in the top section. When “Read more”, “View services”, “Contact us” and “About us” all appear equally important, the choice is shifted to the user. Decide which action naturally follows from the message and make it the most prominent.
2. The overview page: Help users choose the right option
An overview page brings together services, products, industries or areas of expertise. It functions as a crossroads between the main menu and the more detailed pages.
The most common mistake is to display a collection of cards with internal product names and short descriptions that resemble one another. Instead, users need help understanding the difference between the options.
Therefore, describe each choice using words customers recognise. “For businesses that need to…” or “Suitable when you need…” is often more useful than internal categories. If the services require a lot of explanation, they can be grouped by customer need, industry or situation.
The overview page should also reflect the main menu. If the menu uses one structure and the page itself another, it becomes harder to understand where you are.
3. The service page: Connect needs, delivery and the next step
The service page should help a potential customer assess whether the offering is suitable. It should not open with a lengthy presentation of the company. Start with the situation the customer is facing, and then explain what you deliver.
A practical order is:
- Who the service is relevant for
- Which problem or need it addresses
- What the delivery includes
- How the collaboration works
- What the customer can expect as a result
- What a natural next step is
This order creates a clear decision path. Users first confirm the relevance, then receive the information they need to assess the provider.
The call-to-action button must match the decision stage. A complex business service should rarely end with “Buy now”. “Discuss your needs with us” or “Request an initial assessment” may be more precise, as long as the company actually follows up in the way the text promises.
4. The customer story: Show how you work in practice
Customer stories should reduce uncertainty, not merely display logos. A good template makes it easy to understand the customer’s situation, what the company contributed and what change the work led to.
Use a consistent structure with challenge, approach, delivery and result. Clearly distinguish between documented results and the assessments of the customer or provider. If specific results figures cannot be shared, the text can still explain what was improved in workflow, quality or customer experience.
Also show which services the customer story relates to. A user reading a relevant example should be able to move easily to the relevant service page. The service page can, in turn, show one or two related customer examples.
5. The expert article: Make knowledge easy to scan
Expert articles serve a different purpose from service pages. Readers often arrive to solve a specific problem and are not necessarily ready to contact the company. The article template must therefore prioritise readability and practical value.
Use a clear introduction, describe what the reader will find answers to and divide the content with informative subheadings. Limit the text width so that long paragraphs do not become difficult to read. Bullet points should be used when the content is actually a list, not as decoration.
The next step could be a related article, a checklist or a relevant service. The call to action should be proportionate to the topic. An aggressive sales button in the middle of a practical guide can undermine both the reading flow and trust.
6. The contact and conversion page: Remove practical uncertainty
The contact page is not just a form. It should explain what happens when someone gets in touch. Tell users what types of enquiries you handle, what they should provide and how follow-up usually works.
Only ask for information that is necessary at the first stage. A comprehensive form may be appropriate for a detailed enquiry, but then it should be explained why the information is needed. For many businesses, a name, contact details and a brief description of the need are sufficient.
Make the confirmation after submission as well considered as the form itself. Users should be told that their enquiry has been received, what happens next and what they can do if the matter is urgent.
Shared design rules make page templates recognisable
Page templates should serve different purposes, but they must feel like parts of the same website. This requires some consistent rules for typography, colours, spacing and components.
Typography that shows what is important
Define a limited hierarchy for headings, body text, standfirsts, captions and buttons. The differences between levels should be clear without making every heading very large. Readable line spacing, sufficient font size and good contrast are more important than decorative type effects.
Avoid using all caps or very thin type in longer texts. These styles may work for certain graphic details, but are poorly suited to core information design.
Visual identity with a practical function
Colours, illustrations and photography should support the brand while also helping the user. An accent colour, for example, can be reserved for primary actions. It should not also be used for arbitrary headings and decorative surfaces.
The visual style should be defined as concretely as the colour palette. Clarify which subjects are suitable, how people and working environments should be portrayed, and which crops work in the templates. This creates a more credible expression than a mix of random stock images.
Accessibility must be built into the system
Good page templates make accessible publishing easier. Heading levels must follow a logical order. Links and buttons must have clear labels. Keyboard focus should be visible, and information must not be conveyed through colour alone.
The components should also accommodate larger text, long Norwegian words and varying amounts of content. A template that only works with short sample texts is not fully designed.
How to develop templates without starting with decoration
- Map the most important page tasks. Find out what visitors should understand, choose or do on each page type.
- Gather real content. Use actual service names, headings, form details and customer examples before the design is finalised.
- Create the content hierarchy. Decide the order of the information without discussing colours and images first.
- Design the shared components. Establish rules for buttons, cards, forms, quotes, navigation and related links.
- Test with realistic scenarios. Ask people to find a service, compare options, read a customer story and submit an enquiry.
- Check throughout the process. A good service page is of little use if the menu, form or confirmation creates friction.
Measure templates by the task they are meant to solve
Do not assess every page against the same conversion goal. The homepage can be measured by whether visitors find a relevant entry point. An overview page should help them continue to the right detail page. A subject-matter article may lead to further reading, while the contact page should help generate completed and relevant enquiries.
Also look for qualitative signals. Ask customer service and sales which misunderstandings keep recurring. If potential customers repeatedly ask about something that is already stated on the website, the problem may be its placement, language or visual hierarchy rather than a lack of content.
A small library of clear page templates creates a more cohesive website. Users recognise the patterns, editors get clearer guidelines, and the company can improve the solution without redesigning every page from scratch.
