The homepage of a website is the most important page within your site.
It needs to be easy to navigate, informative, able to successfully engage visitors while directing them to a landing page to complete the sale. Look at your homepage as a large marketing business card to be filled with products or service information with enticing offers and turning visitors into potential future clients!
Suggestions as to what may be included on the home page are: Contact information, email sign-up, search function, call-to-action offers, clear navigation bar, blog, social media links and high-quality images. Again, there may be other considerations involved depending on your particular business or service.
Homepage Considerations:
Value Proposition Content… Be Specific. A value proposition informs clients what they can expect from your products or service. It should also state what differentiates your brand from competitors and why they should buy from you as opposed to your rivals. To ensure the visitor’s curiosity is maintained, create a statement that engages clients to participate in sign-ups or to purchase products or services.
It’s important to keep the visitor engaged and curious. Once you have their attention you want to keep it by directing them to a landing page where visitors can sign-up for a free service or complete the purchase of your product or service.
Contact information
Your website needs to include a clear contact us link preferably leading to a contact form. The contact form should have an email, address, phone number and directions (map). If you’re worried about needing to be accessible or on the phone all day, set-up and post specific hours when you are available or perhaps offer a live chat.
An email sign-up box
Okay .. we don’t have one on our homepage but if you have the time and inspiration to write a weekly newsletter, do it: it is an effective way to encourage your visitors to take action. Put a sign-up box on the home page of your website, generally on the upper left or right.
Search Function
Some visiting your website may not know exactly what they want but if you include a search function on your site, they can look for it very easily. Like search engines, this feature will allow your visitors to type in a word or phrase and then search for it on your site.
Call-to-Action | or Two
Give thought as to what action you want your visitors to take. Whether it’s an e-book download, subscribe to a newsletter, sign-up for free gift, participate in a survey or to join a community, your homepage should provide an immediate way for visitors to begin a relationship with your online business or service.
Clear navigation with working links
Your navigation needs to be easy to use and visitors need to know exactly where they can find what they need with minimal effort. The front page of your site should have a clear navigation bar either across the top or on one side of the page. Your homepage’s navigation is possibly the most essential feature of your website. Determining what to include in your homepage’s navigation can either engage a potential client or prompt them to leave your website without further browsing.
Offer A Blog
Putting your blog or your main posts on your homepage can be an easy way to improve search engine rankings. Blogs are a great tool that provides a means for you to communicate directly with your visitors. You can allow visitors to comment on your blog content helping to develop ongoing relations while building trust. In addition, blogs increase your websites presence in major search engines like Bing, Yahoo and Google.
High-Quality Images
It is important to include high-quality images that clearly communicate and relate to your visitors what your business or service offers.
Social media links
Help clients stay in touch by including links to your social media accounts on your homepage.Use standard icons linked to Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, etc. You can also encourage visitors to follow and engage with your business or service on your social media pages. Include the social media buttons on your homepage in an easy-to-find location.
The Wrap Up
It is important you include information describing your products or service that your business offers. To be successful, keep visitors captivated while providing brief details that are to the point on the homepage. Engage visitors through the use of call-to-action buttons directing them to a landing page encouraging conversion of sales. And most importantly, make sure the navigation bar is easy to use and directing your customers to their areas of interest.
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