Your business website is an essential marketing tool and if you don't put enough thought into the design, you will struggle to grow your business. There are a lot of design elements that you need to get right but one of the things that people struggle with the most is deciding how many pages they need on the site.

It's important that you avoid creating a confusing site where people can't find the pages they need. On the other hand, you don't want to make it so small that you don't have space for all of the relevant information that people want. 

It would be great if there was a simple answer here but there isn't. It all depends on the nature of your business and the purpose of your site. If you don't have a clue where to start, here are some things you should consider. 

What Do Your Customers Need To Know?

The first thing you need to do is figure out the type of information that your customers are looking for. What do they want to know about your business? The answers to these questions will allow you to determine how many pages you should have. You can't please everyone but there are certain facts that people from your particular niche would generally agree with as being relevant.

For example, it's a good idea if you share information on what sets your product or service apart from others in the same industry and why people should buy from you instead of a competitor. You also need practical information, like contact details and a map to show your location. 

Having separate landing pages is important too because it allows customers to jump straight to the relevant information from their search results. 

How Much Can You Afford?

There are free options for creating websites and if you're really strapped for cash, they can be a good option. However, it's worth considering investing in professional help so that everything comes together smoothly and your site is professional. There are plenty of great options for affordable web design out there, so you don't have to break the bank to get an amazing site. Just remember that more pages mean higher costs, so you need to find a good balance. 

What About SEO?

One thing that's important to note is that Google doesn't like websites with too many pointless pages. There are no specific ranking criteria for the number of pages and you won't automatically be boosted for having more pages. However, if you keep adding pages that don't serve a purpose or provide any new information, you will be penalized. Pointless content is one of the biggest website mistakes people make and it seriously hurts your SEO. 

Similarly, websites won't automatically suffer if they have too few pages, but all of the relevant information must be there. So, if you are concerned about SEO and the number of pages on your website, the key is having as many pages as you need. No more, no less. 

Determining the number of pages to have on your business website can be tricky, but as long as you keep these things in mind, you should be fine.