Your brand’s website – a digital extension of your product is your greatest weapon that needs to be sharpened time and again. You have often come across website problems. But, do you pay equal heed to the homepage of the site?
The homepage is the face of your site. It essentially decides whether the viewer will proceed to explore your site or hit return.
We have certain tips and principles that might prove helpful when you redo your homepage or are starting from scratch itself. To lend the magical knack of attracting numerous conversions to your homepage, keep reading.
Sketch it out
Before delving into the rigorous process, do some rough work. Chart out a plan or kind of a gist of what things should go on your homepage. It is very convenient to pour out everything about your company, but that is not always the smartest choice to make!
A blueprint will give you a direction for the rest of the journey for curating an excellent homepage. The best way to go about is to do your research as to what are the most important elements on the homepage. For instance, people do find a need to work on menus and CTAs. You could enlist your focus area and start off by covering those.
Focus above the fold
A rough sketch can also help you in positioning the ingredients of a converting homepage. Many people miss out on one aspect, What is that? The area before the scroll.
It is not the oblivion but the lack of utilization of the center of attention of the homepage that costs your numbers. When a viewer stops by your page, you only have the first look to arrest his attention; or else he might just hit back.
How can you force him to scroll? Catch him up at the very first glance. It is the portion of the homepage below the narrow menu and before the screen ends. This band will evoke some fervent emotion in the audience. So put up something that is the essence of your brand and has the potential to withhold a person.
This particular band while sketching the framework is specifically allotted for the purpose of emotional stimulation. Write something that your buyer can relate to. Use an image that strikes a nerve. It can be tricky at times to select your options, but once you get it right – it will surely pay off.
So, this particular area is the crux as well as the garnish of the homepage of your website.
Also Read: Building Blocks For An Effective B2B Website
Catch with the Headline
Remember one-liners? How easily they get stuck in your head?
Advertisements are popularly known to create jingles to cast an indelible impression on viewers. And they are 100% effective!
Did you know that you can use the same strategy for your homepage? Yes, that’s right. Your headline is the most strategic instrument to instantly communicate value to your visitors.
As per a study, it often takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor or customer to form a firsthand opinion of your brand once they have checked out the website of your company. When a newbie comes to your site first, what does he see first? Your homepage.
Needless to say that the eyes first notice the left corner of the page. Place your catchy phrase or headline exactly there.
Your headline/phrase delivers to the point just at once – what your buyers need to know. Will your product or commodity solve the problem of the reader? If it is aptly conveyed then the user will scroll further; if not – there is still a lot to do.
Do not commit the mistake of using big or heavy words just for the sake of impressions. It will backfire. You have to be simple, clear, compact and to the point.
Also Read: The Ideal Process Of Designing A Website Page
Prioritize call to action buttons
What induces interaction on a website? – CTAs (call to action)
For websites, it is manageable to distribute CTAs at all necessary places on the page. However, when considering only the homepage – the same task becomes tricky.
The importance of CTAs cannot be stressed enough. These distinctly convey the goal of your homepage. What do you want your user to do? It shows up via the CTA.
On your homepage, you definitely do not want a cluster of CTA buttons. Do you? This will only puzzle your visitors and not help enter the sales funnel.
Is it easy for consumers to locate your CTA on the page? If it is difficult, maybe it is time to eliminate the unnecessary ones and focus on only one powerful CTA.
Why are CTAs so critically important? As Unbounce states, CTAs are the tipping point between a bounce and a conversion. Of course, you can fathom the power of a click. You are just one click away from getting to the result of your homepage. Why would you not do it correctly?
Work essentially on CTAs. Keep the frequency very low. For the homepage, one CTA can also show you results. More the number of CTS, greater confusion will persist. Avoid that.
Navigation flow for the Homepage
When you head out to craft a fruitful user experience, ensure that you have his or her journey in mind. This will make your task of creating a superb homepage a tad easier.
Moreover, viewers take approximately 20 seconds to assess everything on the homepage. With your menu, you would not want to give them too many options. Your homepage menu should be standard. Anything new on that part can be delivered alternatively.
Keep the layout of the menu simple so that you can give a gist of the things on the homepage for more clarity. The navigation of the homepage should be clearly defined so that your visitor knows where is what, and what has to be done next.
In short, a homepage that can converse? Yes, try that.
Video Explainer
A great video on your homepage – does it sound too over the top? Today, people expect more dynamic and innovative content from brands. It will be smart on your part to put up an interesting explaining video – to engage more customers and connect on a deeper level with them.
Your company’s homepage is the focal point for your count of customers. They come to your homepage to get maximum information about your product or service. This is where a video explaining your company can hit numbers.
All your viewers have a high chance of staying for a longer duration on your page when they would counter a video. Also, Google’s algorithm uses on-page session time and bounce rate as a ranking factor for sites. So, that is another plus point for your brand’s marketing.
Using a video on your homepage can help you come across as an entertaining brand for your audience. Don’t you want to showcase that? Go on then.
Truth from Testimonials
When you convey your brand value, it is only you that does most of the talking. So how do you change the course of conversation? How about introducing a third angle?
A third-party statement adds credibility to your brand. This will help you earn deep trust from your viewers and leads.
Just before the fold, add logos of brands that are currently enjoying your services. After the scroll, you can reserve space for elucidation of their experience and key takeaways.
A great portion of the masses tends to believe in consumers, more than the brand. These reviews and testimonials act as referrals and can convince your audience to take a step forward and rely on you.
Another key factor is that, with testimonials, your solution or product can be better explained. Your viewers can also figure out the journey of another buyer, right from the inception of his problem, to his encounter with you and the final elimination after using your product/service.
Emotion is power. And testimonials can prove to be powerful tools on your homepage. So why refrain from vesting such an immense amount of strength in your website? It will work on your customers and your homepage will be converting more than ever.
If not faith, then fear
Yes, you read it absolutely right. Many times fear can also work out to be an effective bait. It can inspire your audience to take some prompt action. The induced action will give you some of the customer details that can eventually help you to get him in the sales funnel.
For instance, if you are a SaaS brand then through your homepage you have already tried your best. But most of the customers have not yet made up a mind. What more can you do?
Talk about an existing problem at large. Ask poignant queries in bold like – “How likely is this problem going to hurt me?” Now, this statement will swing in fear regarding the proper functioning of the customer’s own business or circumstances. You can suggest an e-book for him to go through the consequences of his problems.
When he downloads that book, you can get minimum information from him as well. Get his email address and you can use further strategies for the major part. This way any viewer who scrolls to the bottom has still chances of getting converted into potential leads.
Do not hesitate to use some unconventional ways and make your homepage more powerful than ever.
Loading Speed is a priority
Patience in the 21st century is a long-lost virtue. With the growing popularity of Instagram Reels, the priority is quite evident. How is this important for your homepage?
When your viewers tune into your page if they are welcomed by a constant buffer motion what are they most likely to do?
More than 70% of the audience will take their steps back to another URL. To avoid such unpleasant situations work on the loading speed of the site. A slow-loading site infuriates customers and might even embitter them forever.
Optimize your site for better performance. A faster loading site will fetch you better leads and get multiplied conversions. There are many options available as to how you can enhance your page’s loading speed. Ensure using one for your company.
This is also one of the crucial factors in the Google Ranking of a site. A site with a greater loading speed will rank higher on the SEO ladder. And to get larger traffic you would always want a better ranking.
So do not hurt your conversions by omitting this quintessential prerequisite. Rather it will boost your engagement, interactions, and conversions inevitably.
Time to Kick-start
Now that you are totally aware of all the do’s and don’ts for your homepage – get set going. Start when you are ready and just be mindful of all the details pointed out to you.