5 must-haves for your homepage
Creating a new website? Time to redesign your current one? Start with the homepage. Your homepage is the gateway to your website and the page that is most often visited. Optimise it for attracting customers and it can be a great first step in the online marketing journey to attracting leads to your business.
Many business owners don’t spend enough time thinking about the purpose of their homepage – they just want it to look good (which it should!) and work as a holding page for dropdown tabs of information. But your homepage needs to do more than that – it needs to speak to a number of different audiences and include elements that attract traffic, interest and educate any visitors, and ultimately convert visitors into leads.
Must-have elements on your homepage
1. Crystal-clear headlines and short descriptions
Within seconds, your homepage needs to tell visitors what your business is all about and what the website has to offer. Skip this and your potential customer might just click right on past.
2. Short, simple copy
Reams of writing on a homepage can scare visitors away, especially if they don’t know where to start or what to do. Keep your copy short, focused, and easy to understand. And be sure to stay customer-centric by highlighting the benefits of your business for the customer – a few, well-placed testimonials can help here.
3. Clear call-to-actions
The point of the homepage is to get your visitors to click further, go deeper into the website’s content, take action, and leave their details. Each call-to-action should speak to visitors on their stage in the buying cycle. It’s also a good idea to offer some quality content in exchange for information or engagement for example, a free eBook or white paper or a resource for those that aren’t yet ready to buy, for example, a handbook of your offerings.
4. Pictures that speak volumes
Most people are visual and images can speak louder than words, especially online. Make sure the images you use reflect your business and services. Avoid anything too posed or ‘stock’.
5. Simple navigation
Make sure that it is easy to move from your homepage to other pages on your website. This will decrease the bounce rate and make it easier for your visitors to find the information they are looking for. Navigation toolbars and action buttons should be easy to locate. This includes links to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter which will allow visitors to share your website with their social network.
First impressions count! Make sure your homepage does everything it can to attract and interest potential customers. Want to redesign your website for optimal traffic? Talk to us! We believe in website design that works – for your customer, for your marketing strategy, for your business.