OPTIMIZING YOUR HOMEPAGE

The Million Dollar Question

Your Website’s Homepage is the first thing people see when they search your brand. In that instant, the people who are on your homepage, are ultimately making a decision- the decision to stay and buy (retention), or to leave (Churn). This means that it’s crucial to have a Homepage that will attract attention, and keep it. The million dollar question, of course, is how do we achieve that? Well, there are many components to having a website that is worth staying on: Mobile Friendliness, Colour Scheme, Layout, Functionality, and More (we’ll discuss in the future), but functionality is the most important- well behind mobile friendliness. When you first buy your website, you have to not only purchase the domain, but hosting as well- and we all know that these prices can vary all the time, so it’s best to get the most bang for your buck; follow these tips on optimizing your homepage for success.

OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR SUCESS

Understand Your Audience

All you need to do is understand your audience, put yourself in the shoes of someone that has stumbled upon your website for the first time. What do you think they want to see? What would make them more inclined to buy/book now? These are few of the many questions that we have to ask ourselves as business owners, especially when there isn’t money in the budget for a marketing team that will do it for you. Moreover, we hope as you continue to read this article, by the end, you are equipped with a better understanding of what your audience wants (at least – when visiting your site). Don’t waste your time, or your consumers time by filling your homepage with useless information that does not benefit your customer or your brand. When it comes to creating copy for your brand’s website, each and every thing that is put on that site must be strategic. This means that every button, call to action, menu, text, etc, must serve a purpose in order to entertain your audience and keep them on your site longer- viewing more and more pages. This can obviously lead to more leads as well, that is why it’s best to catch their attention right from the start (your homepage).

By following this checklist, it will allow you to create a more efficient homepage layout for your audience, leads, and customers to enjoy and of course, buy. Follow these steps and you will grow your brands in no time – start attracting more clients right away!

1.Who You Are

Whatever your brand may be, it is important to let your audience know what you do the second they land on your homepage even before they scroll down. Remember, your homepage is your number one digital doorway, so let’s not use up precious space with things like: on sale items, oversized images, etc. Tell your audience what you do, who you are, and what your mission is. Add a little personability to your brand by letting the typical visitor in, and helping them understand your brand’s purpose and why you love what you do.

2. Call To Actions

It is always a great idea to get the people that visit your site involved in the activites, promotions, contests, etc., that your brand has to offer. Do this on the homepage of your website. Encourage your audience to participate in the fun things that are occuring within your brand. Maybe even create a call to action that promotes visitors to sign up for a monthly newsletter, the possibilities are limitless with an open and inventive imagination. Usually a call to action would be placed at the top and at the bottom of your website, to reel your audience in.

3.Testimonials

Your audience wants to know that you are trusted. Trust is everything and testimonials solidify that. Let people know that you have happy customers out there, customers that are willing to literally testify for you. Social proof is a powerful thing, so showing some testimonials on your homepage is ideal, it lets your customers know that you are the real deal.

Typically, testimonials are placed close to the bottom of your page. Depending on the layout, and personal strategy that you have for your brand, this can/will vary. One rule of thumb that we like to follow is related to what you are selling. If you’re a construction company bidding for 5 digit contracts, testimonials should be a little higher on the homepage than if you are a salon or spa.

4. A Photo Of You

To gain trust among your audience and your potential audience, you must be transparent. One way of being transparent is to show a picture of you, the OWNER. Transparency is everything these days, and it goes hand in hand with trust, so make sure you are vulnerable with your customers- everyone likes a little vulnerability, and studies have shown that brands that show more of a vulnerable side are more likely to gain more leads. Give visitors of your site a better sense of who you are, and who is helping them. This can be of great importance to brands that deal with customers one-on-one: beauty salons, plastic surgeons, cosmetic artist, health spas etc.

Try placing a photo of you in the middle of your homepage, usually after the fold.

5.The Benefits Of Your Brand

Describe the services you offer, maybe even add a few product tables. Show your visitors what you do and why they should choose your brand as their next go to. Offer more detail about the services/products you offer. This is the section of your homepage that you use to highlight your most popular services/products-be specific as possible.

6.Contact Form

This part of your homepage goes right above your footer. Usually, the prospective customer will have question after they reach the end of your homepage- so make sure you have an area where they can easily get in touch with you. This may be a message form or simple social links, just make sure that it is something. It is the worst thing possible to have a site, and there is absolutely no way to get in touch with the owner.

7.Who You Serve

Make it clear right away to your visitors who you help. Not only should the overall aesthetic of your site showcase what you do, but also, actual content informing your audience what you specialize in. Is your brand for the middle-aged woman or man? Does your product/service help a specific kind of person? In today’s society, people want to get straight to the point, so make it clear as to what you are selling, or no one will buy it. Showcasing who you serve can be done many ways, so get creative, think of new and innovating ways to make your brand stand out from the rest, while still informing the visitors on your homepage what you do.

Generally, this part of your home page would be near the beginning of your site, close to your main menu. Keep in mind the buying process your customers go through and what they typically would like to see, ever audience is differen

8.Opt-In Box

An opt-in box is a great way to gain leads, and keep the ones that you currently have. Add an opt-in box to your homepage that will encourage visitors to join your email list, newsletter, or promotion service. This will give your audience the chance to stay informed with all the latest news and more going on with your brand. Emails are everything, and are truly the gateway to your client(besides cell phone), so it is best to try and get an email as soon as they visit your website.

Keep Opt-in Boxes at the end of your copy, or make it a pop-up that visitors can exit out off it need be. Remember to set your cookies up so if anyone doesn’t want to see the pop up again-don’t!

9.Location

Unless you currently don’t have a physical brick & mortar store, always show your location somewhere on your homepage. There’s nothing worse visiting a website, and have no clue where the business is located. Either list your full address or add a map to your homepage that shows exactly where you are. Even if you list the City, State, and Zip Code that you work out of, that is better than nothing. No one wants to feel like they are walking into the abyss, so guide them.

YOUR #1 DOORWAY

As someone who makes websites for a living, we know how difficult it can be to create a site that is not only pleasing to your eye, but the customer’s as well. It’s important to capture the attention of your audience the second they visit your site. That site must be functional, mobile friendly, and ultimately, generate revenue. So, it’s important to understand what is needed to create a fully functional homepage, which will give you the most out of your brand. That includes all the elements listed above; your visitors want to know everything in one page, so give it to them. Highlight your brand by implementing these tips when developing your homepage. We know that sometimes, web development isn’t in the budget, so as a business owner, the task falls upon you. However, by reading this blog, we hope that the task of creating your Homepage:your #1 digital doorway- gets a little bit easier!

NEED MORE HELP?

Need more help at creating your homepage, and getting the most out of your #1 digital doorway? Contact us at here for a 1-hour complimentary 1-on-1 session with your information & your needs, and we’ll get back to you asap!