The home page of your website will likely be the most visited page by far. You link to it more than any other page, it’s listed on your business cards, and Google probably puts it way up at the top when people search for you online. So it is of utmost importance that it is excellent in terms of both form and function.
Here are five key elements of a powerful homepage:
#1 It’s Upfront
Your website needs to tell visitors exactly and explicitly who you are, what you do, and what they can do while they’re here on your website. Don’t make anyone guess about anything. Any confusion, any doubts, any slight hiccup or misalignment of what they thought they’d find and what see before them and they’ll be gone faster than you can say “bounce rate”.
#2 It Resonates
Who is your target audience and what do they care about? What do they think about when they first get up in the morning? What are the final thoughts running through their minds as they fall asleep? Whoever they are, you need to speak to them. You need to speak their language and you need to speak to what they care about. Use less of your website to talk about yourself and your beliefs and more of it connecting with them on a deeper level. Tell them how what you and only you have to offer will help them and only them.
#3 It’s Compelling
Communicate immediately why you’re the best at what you do by putting forth your unique value proposition. Get their attention with bold claims about why you’re amazing and why they should pay attention to you. Then back them up with stats and testimonials. Don’t be afraid to brag about what you have to offer. You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t love it and care about it. Tell your website visitors why they should too.
#4 It’s Usable
Your website needs to be easy to navigate and easy to use. Visitors need to know immediately how to get around (use links, buttons, and your navigation menu to achieve this), and they need to be directed down a smooth, frictionless path. Any friction on a website and once again, people will leave. And your website better look great on a smartphone and tablet because it won’t be long now before the majority of your visitors will come to you on one.
#5 It Inspires Action
Finally, your website needs to ask your visitors to do something and guide them towards taking the action to do it. That could be anything from giving you their email address, to sending you a message on a contact form, to picking up the phone and calling you, to actually buying something. Whatever it is you want them to do, you need to make it extremely easy for them to do it.