Effective Home Pages
When customers are surfing the internet they want information now. If they can’t find what they’re looking for on your website, they move on quickly, and are likely to land on one of your competitor’s sites to get what they need.
A website needs to tell visitors what your business has to offer. Your headline is one of the most important pieces of copy on your website. It needs to be short and to the point.
Your sub-headline should supplement the headline by offering a brief description of what you do or what you offer. This can be done effectively by zeroing in on a common main point that your product or service solves.
It’s important to keep the user experience in mind when it comes to your site. This means you need to find a balance between the need to promote your business and your customer’s need to get the information they want.
Rather than treating your home page like a dedicated landing page built around one particular action, it should be designed to serve a whole host of audiences. It needs to be built with purpose. You’ll need to incorporate elements that attract traffic, educate visitors, and invite conversions.
The goal of your homepage is to compel visitors to dig deeper by moving further through your website. It is a good idea to include two to three calls-to-action that are easy to find and direct people to different stages of the buying cycle.
Most people are visual. Make sure to use an image or short video that clearly indicates what you offer. Use good quality, high resolution images that capture emotion and inspire action.
It’s not only important to describe what you do, but also why what you do matters. Prospects want to know about the benefits of buying from you because that’s what will compel them to stick around.
Social proof is a powerful indicator of trust so while your product or service may be the best in the world, people may not believe you unless they hear it from other people.
Include a few of your best quotes on the homepage, adding a name to give these testimonials more credibility.
The design and content of your homepage could mean the difference between a website conversion and a bounce. To decrease bounce rate, give your visitors a clear path into your site from the homepage. Make the navigation menu visible at the top of the page and organize the links.
To generate more leads from your homepage, feature a really great download offer. People who may not be ready to buy may want to download an offer that gives them more information about a topic they’re interested in.
In addition to benefits, list some of your key features. Keep the copy light and easy to read.
The home page is where all paths begin in the customer’s mind, and they want to be able to get back to your home page easily.
Appearances Do Matter
The most important element is simple navigation. If your site is difficult to understand or follow, your website visitors may never find all the information you made available.
This can be achieved by creating a simple, streamlined, page layout design. Large amounts of information can make a web page difficult to understand, so your page layout should be well structured and easy to scan for information.
Drop-down menus are tempting, but may make your site too complex. Use them with care, and ensure they can be used in all browsers. Microsoft Internet Explorer isn’t the only browser on the market. Several people use Netscape or Mozilla’s Firefox.
Visitors shouldn’t have to click more than three times to get their information. One or two clicks is preferable.
If you provide a search function, make sure your search results are relevant and that they provide enough information for a visitor to determine where to go next.
Please call Ancell Marketing at 778 285 2288 for any website design and content questions.