First impressions matter, especially when it comes to the homepage of your website. It’s normally the first page someone clicks on or it’s at least one of the top pages they will check out when they first stumble upon your company. You need to capture your audience’s attention right away, tell them exactly what your business does or sells, and give them a reason to click to another page within your site for more information. Maybe it’s because of your products. Maybe it’s because of your blog articles and expert advice. Maybe it’s because they came across your brand and wanted to learn more about your mission before deciding on whether or not they want to buy from you. Regardless of the reason, you want to make sure your homepage leaves a good, lasting impression. It could be the difference between gaining a new customer or not. But, when creating a new website or overhauling your current one to increase your conversion rates, what should you include on your homepage, where, and why? Grab a pen and piece of paper and let’s dive in!
1. Your company’s logo – a no-brainer!
Brand recognition is an important factor in building an audience or collection of customers. You want your customers to remember who you are. If your logo isn’t easily seen on your website, they might not see it at all. But, you don’t want your logo to take over completely either — Size matters.
Also, keep in mind, the logo featured on a website not only serves as a visual representation but also functions as a convenient link to the homepage. Therefore, it is essential to place it prominently within the header to ensure easy accessibility.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a prominent, specific, consistent logo for your business, contact our talented team at 3SIXTY Marketing Solutions today! You should have one.
2. Easy navigation and elements
There is nothing worse than trying to click on a button on a website and it not working. Or trying to click on a drop-down menu and having it disappear as soon as you move your mouse. If customers find your website frustrating to use even if they DO REALLY WANT TO BUY something, they very likely won’t.
Ensuring a user-friendly website experience involves several key elements being integrated into the header and other key areas of your website for navigation. If your website contains a substantial amount of content, incorporating a search box in the header can prove invaluable. The navigation menu should be prominently positioned and feature logically organized items, catering to the needs of new visitors.
Think of the navigation area as a roadmap, providing visitors with an overview of your content and assisting them in efficiently finding the desired information. Offer clear pathways to important pages directly from the homepage and create a hierarchical structure with dropdown menus to break the content paths down into areas that could be overwhelming to the viewer.
Pro Tip: Having a navigation bar that makes it easy to find specific information decreases the bounce rate on your website which can help increase your search engine rankings over time.
3. Eye-catching, attention-grabbing headline
Within a brief three-second timeframe, your website needs to instantly communicate the value proposition of your business. Not the features of what you sell but, why they should care about what you sell. This is where the significance of your headlines comes into play. While it may consist of just a few words, it holds immense importance because we as humans are lazy and will skim before we read. If you scroll down your website content and there aren’t any headlines but, a lot of text you need to add headlines to break it up. And, those headlines need to be written not only to tell people what the next section is about but, they need to be engaging enough to interest the reader too.
Pro tip: Be honest with yourself. Would your headline make you stop and read the content if you were one of your customers? Have a friend, colleague, or even a good customer take a look at the content for you and give you their opinion.
4. Use subheadings to accompany your headlines
A compelling headline accompanied by a sub-headline or a concise paragraph should deliver a clear description of your business, its services, or what you do. These 2-3 sentences should be powerful, memorable, and succinct, precisely addressing the needs of your target audience.
To enhance the mobile experience for your visitors, it is crucial to optimize your headlines so that they are short and sweet. You don’t want to see a headline on your mobile phone that is massive in font and broken into 5 lines. Small fonts may require users to pinch and zoom to engage with the content on your website so be sure to think about both the desktop experience and the mobile experience when creating a new website.
Pro Tip: For page titles, H1 headings are ideal, and there should only be one H1 on each page. Subheadings should follow a hierarchical order, such as H2, H3, H4, and so on. You can include multiple subheadings, as long as they maintain the proper sequence. It is also important to avoid skipping heading levels, such as jumping from H1 to H3. Instead, opt for an H2 to maintain consistency and logical structure. What can we say…the geeks over at Google are meticulous.
5. Include call-to-actions where they make sense
The primary objective of your website’s homepage is to capture the interest of visitors and encourage them to explore further into your website. One way to do this is to include call-to-actions (CTAs) that can help direct visitors to certain prompts. For example, a call-to-action could be, “Book Now”, “Sign Up For Free”, “Read More” or “Visit Our Interactive Tool.”
Make sure the buttons stand out visually and consider using a colour that contrasts with the overall colour scheme of your homepage while still maintaining visual harmony. Keep the copy concise, limiting it to no more than five words put button. The wording should be action-oriented, compelling visitors to click and take advantage of the offering.
6. Visuals that attract your audience in different ways.
Some people like video, some people like photos, and others like graphs. Include interactive visuals alongside the written content of your website that will help keep your target audience interested as they cruise down your homepage. Our brains are hardwired in such a way that our eyes are drawn to human faces and we empathize with the perceived emotion. Photos add a sense of credibility and integrity to a website but, if you are going to use stock images take the time to dig deeper to find them. The more commonly a stock image is used by others in your industry the less your brand will stand out against your competitors.
7. Talk about the benefits
Prospective customers are interested in understanding the benefits they can gain from buying from you or working with you. Be sure to outline what your customers want, what their pain points are, and what solution they are hunting for before writing your content. If you can write to your reader so that they think YES, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED, as they read through it, you’ll convert more of your website visitors into customers.
To effectively communicate these messages, keep the copy concise and easy to read. Avoid using complex language or jargon that may confuse or alienate your audience. Instead, use language that resonates with your customers that speaks directly to their needs and desires. By doing so, you can establish a strong connection and effectively convey the value your business offers.
8. Humanize your brand and include social proof AKA testimonials
Including testimonials and reviews within your website content is a highly effective strategy for building trust and showcasing your expertise. You can demonstrate to new visitors that you have a proven track record and offer valuable insights into your products or services at the same time. Sharing success stories through testimonials or even case studies can leave a positive and lasting impression on potential customers.
Pro Tip: In addition to customer success stories, awards and recognition can also help inspire a good first impression.
9. Footer
The informational footer of your website holds significant importance you shouldn’t overlook, just like the header navigation at the top of the page. It serves as a crucial area of information once visitors reach the end of your homepage. We recommend including three essential features: contact information, important links, and social media integration. If you want to take it a step further you could add a condensed contact us form too.
Your homepage shouldn’t be a dumping ground for all the information you want to share with the world. It should make a brilliant first impression, be styled to visually communicate your brand, and be logically laid out like you’re walking a customer down a decision-making path. With a full team of website designers, copywriters, graphic designers, and digital marketing experts, we have all the resources you need to ensure your website and your company stands out from the crowd! If you’d like a free consultation to discuss ideas or you want to get started on your new website sign up for a free no-obligation consultation now or give us a call at 705-242-8964! You don’t have to do everything yourself. Let our team help make this year, your best yet.
