6 Things Every Home Page Must Have
There’s no place like home on your website—the home page, that is.
When you build your website, remember that a first impression is your only chance to grab your visitor’s attention and keep them on your site. The home page is the most important page on your website. It should showcase your business and answer the most important questions your customers have.
Getting visitors to your website is only part of the challenge. To truly be effective, you have to encourage your visitors to stay on your site and take the action you want them to take.
Here are a few ways to make your home page really work for you:
- Get a Professional Logo Design
To look professional, you need to have a brand that represents your business. It may seem like a little detail, but you want customers to recognize you and trust you. Paying attention to details and having a good design will go a long way in helping you look like a reputable expert they want to work with.
Ask your web designer to help you create a logo or recommend someone who can. Logos don’t need to be expensive, and you can often get one for under $100 that will work wonders for your branding. Make sure you get your logo done in several formats for both the web and print, so you can use it on all of your marketing materials from your website to your business cards and packaging.
- Introduce Yourself and Your Business
Be upfront about what you do. Your visitors shouldn’t have to hunt for what your website is about. If your business name doesn’t immediately explain what you do, make sure you have a clear (not clever) tagline that does.
If your home page doesn’t show them what they want to know right away, they will go somewhere else. It’s always a good idea to add an About page to your site to give more background. This is one of the most popular pages on a website, and 65% of visitors will look at the About page before doing business with you.
- Reduce Clutter
Don’t try to jam every detail about your business on your home page. And like a newspaper, put the most important information you want your visitor to know “above the fold” or near the top of the page. Don’t make customers hunt for what they want. Keep it simple and uncluttered. A good guideline is to have 4 tasks or less on the first screen of your website. These tasks might include: brand recognition (your logo and tagline), your navigation menu (keep it to 5 links at the top right), the latest news or specials, and a call to action (such as emailing you or buying something).
- Make It Mobile Friendly
Your website should look good on all devices, whether it’s a desktop computer screen, a laptop, a tablet, or a cell phone. Test your site to see how it looks on various screens and web browsers. Make sure your contact form and links work and that text and photos aren’t cut off on smaller screens. Google now penalizes websites that aren’t mobile friendly, since mobile devices now account for more than 50% of web traffic.
- Update Your Website Regularly
Keep your customers coming back by having fresh content on your website. At the very least, make sure your basic information is up to date. Search engines love new content and will give you a boost in their listings when they find updates. Higher rankings on Google will help more people find you online.
- Offer Reviews and Testimonials
The home page is a great place to have an outstanding quote from a happy customer. Even better, get reviews from clients on an authority site such as Google or Yelp. Testimonials will help customers trust you and feel good about working with you.
Remember that your home page is like your shop window for your business. It should showcase what you do and entice your visitors to stick around and become loyal customers.
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