The homepage is generally considered to be the most critical part of a website because it’s usually the first page that visitors see. A good homepage, therefore, is necessary for a successful website. A poor homepage, on the other hand, could ruin your chances of achieving your website’s goals.
(Pixabay / rawpixel)
Whether you are just launching your website, or you are redesigning it, your efforts must be focused on your homepage. Similar to a storefront, your homepage draws in the majority of your traffic. Unfortunately, despite the importance and prominence of the homepage, many website owners neglect to optimize it properly. A good homepage needs to have several elements in order to be successful.
- Value Proposition: People who visit your website should have an understanding of what your company offers and how it can improve their lives. They should also be able to see at a glance how you are different and better than your competitors.
- Call-to-Action: When visitors drop by your homepage, they should be clear about what action you want them to take next. This could include featured products, a free download, signing up for a newsletter, a webinar or visiting your shopping pages to make a purchase.
- Easy-to-Follow Navigation: First-time visitors should immediately get the feel of how to navigate your website. Users expect to find the information they need without getting confused. It is important that you bring frequently visited pages to the forefront.
- Client Testimonials: A majority of online buyers make their decisions based on reviews and testimonials. Even if the customers don’t know the reviewer, a review can carry the same weight as a personal recommendation from a trusted friend. If your business has been receiving positive reviews from your customers, both previous and current, you should capitalize on them and add one or two to your homepage. Positive testimonials help build trust, which is very important to online businesses.
- Awards, Certifications, or Associations: To further build credibility, your company needs to show its credentials to your customers, and it may be appropriate to do this on your homepage. It will also help if you mention any reputable associations of which your business is a member (and include a corresponding logo where appropriate).
- Original Photos: Many website owners use stock images to save time and money, but those generic pictures don’t help build credibility for your business. Original photos can improve your SEO, and they make your website seem like more of an authority within your niche.
- Introductory Videos: You can’t go wrong when you use a quick introductory video on the homepage. The video could explain what your business does, who works at your company, and what your workplace looks like. These behind-the-scenes tours of your company can be highly engaging to users.
- Contact Information: Since your online business may not actually have a physical location that accompanies it, your customers need to know how to get ahold of you if they have a question. Make sure that your contact info is easy to find on your homepage and throughout your website. It should include the company’s mailing address, email address, and a phone number so that users have options to reach you when they deem it necessary.
When you include crucial content on your homepage and arrange it in a visually appealing way, you’ll give that page the power and punch that it needs to increase traffic and conversions.