Nine Things Your Website Home Page Needs to Convert
When is the last time you did a deep dive into your website?
Maybe you’re in the process of building a website, and you’re not sure where to start!
Well, today’s post is just for you! I’ll be sharing everything you need on your homepage to ensure your website is converting leads to paying customers.
Making a first impression with your website is as critical as making a first impression in person. When it comes to your site, you have even less time to make an impression and win them over.
According to Google’s research, it takes about 50 milliseconds (ms) (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they’ll stay or leave.
Within a fraction of a time, your audience will make a snap decision whether they will stay on your website or look elsewhere for what they need, so it’s CRUCIAL that your “before the scroll” has them drawn in and wanting more.
Donald Miller of Building a Story Brand asks the question, “Does your marketing pass the grunt test?”
Within FIVE seconds of looking at your website, your audience should be able to answer these three questions…
What do you offer?
How will it make my life better?
What do I need to do to buy it?
In addition to answering these questions, you should know your ideal client so you can write specifically for them. What do they look like, where do they work, and what are their hobbies, pains, fears, and aspirations? The more you know about your ideal client, the easier it will be to write to them.
You want your copy to speak directly to them — so direct that it has them thinking, “how did she know this is exactly what I needed?”
If you need some help narrowing down your ideal client, download my free guide, Five Secrets to a High-Coverting Sales Page, where I’ll give you a few questions that will get you thinking and help you hone in on your target market.
You may be wondering why this is so important. Well…
One of the most important rules to remember in your messaging is, “If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to NO ONE!”
With that, let’s dive in and discuss what needs to be on your home page! Here are nine key elements you should include on your home page so that it keeps your audience scrolling and wanting more.
#1. Results-Oriented Headline
Your homepage should have a clear, attention-grabbing headline that communicates what your business does and how you can help your customers.
Your headline and subheadline will be the first thing your audience sees when they land on your page, so you want to ensure it is strong, clear, and grabs their attention.
The headline must be clear over catchy—every time.
It also must be results oriented.
What result will you help your ideal client achieve with your offer?
What is your promise to them?
What is the true transformation of the offer?
#2. Credibility Booster
People buy from people they know, like, and trust. It is so much easier for your ideal client to keep scrolling and eventually buy from you when others they know or trust have also purchased or done business with you.
I suggest having this towards the top of the page so you can build credibility immediately!
Here are a few examples of credibility boosters…
Featured in or As Seen On banner (Podcasts, Books, News Interviews, Articles, Etc.)
Client Testimonials (I’ll get to this one later)
Social Proof
#3. Your Unique Value Proposition
A strong value proposition tells your customers why they should choose your business over your competitors. It should be brief and communicate the unique benefits of your products or services. This goes back to your target audience and figuring out exactly who your ideal client is. This will help you decide how what you offer is better or different from your competitors above just your price point. Is it the client experience, your unique process….what is your superpower?
#4. Clear Call-to-Action
Your homepage should include a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) that encourages visitors to take a specific action.
Clear OVER catchy — every time!
When writing your website copy, think of it as taking your audience on a journey. You want to lead them on a journey that ultimately ends in working with you. All roads should lead to working with you. Pending your specific business, your call-to-action could be…
Schedule a discovery call
Lead to your services page to learn more which will then lead to them purchasing OR scheduling a call with you
Signing up for your newsletter so you can continue to nurture them to an eventual sale (THIS one is especially important!)
Read your blog, listen to your podcast, etc.
#5. Easy-to-Use Navigation Bar
Your homepage should have a clear and easy-to-use navigation menu that helps visitors find the information they need. Use clear and descriptive labels for your menu items so they don’t have to think about what they need and where to find it.
If your website is confusing, you’ll lose visitors.
#6. Captivating Visuals
It’s important to use high-quality images or videos that showcase your products or services and help to communicate your brand's personality and values. If it’s within your budget, I always suggest investing in professional brand photography. Not only can this be helpful for your website, but it will also be helpful in all of your marketing – social media, marketing cards, etc.
When using images of people on your website, ensure that the people are either looking at the text or the audience. This helps with conversion!
If you don’t have the budget yet to invest in professional photography, smartphones are a great alternative! Just make sure the lighting and background display your brand vibe, tone, and personality. I also recommend using https://unsplash.com/ for free high-quality images as well!
#7. Testimonials
Including customer testimonials or reviews on your homepage can help to build trust and position you as the expert in your industry.
Always utilize your current and past clients to help boost your credibility. Nine times out of ten, if you have a good relationship with your clients, they are willing to write a testimonial for you to be featured on your site. Bonus points if you can include a picture or a video with the testimonial!
With permission, you can also insert screenshots of social media posts singing your praises and talking about the results you helped them achieve. This way, your prospective audience knows it is a real person getting real results.
#8. About You
A brief section introducing you and your business can help build a personal connection with your audience and communicate your brand's values.
This is also a great place to talk about your credentials and what makes you the best fit for them! You can list your past achievement, awards, people and companies you’ve worked with, your values, and the list goes on.
#9. Contact Information
Along with a clear call to action, your homepage should include contact information, such as an email address or phone number, so visitors can easily get in touch with you. You never want your customers to have to search too long or hard to find a way to connect with you — whether it’s your actual contact information or a contact form — you must include something!
Remember that your homepage is often the first impression that visitors have of your business, so it's essential to make it engaging, clear, and informative. The perfect copy for your website homepage depends on your business, audience, and goals.
Focus on communicating the unique value of your business and making it easy for visitors to take the next step in working with you.
If you’re looking for someone to help with your message or take over your website copy, I’d love to connect with you! Head over to my homepage and fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page, and I’ll be in touch!
PS. Don’t forget to join my newsletter so you’re the first to know when a new blog post drops!
