5 Things You NEED on Your Homepage

Your website homepage gives you an opportunity to make a great first impression on prospective clients and customers. A homepage that's easy to navigate, well-organized and visually appealing can help your business stand out from the competition and attract new leads. If you're building a website, there are some things you just need to get right. There are five elements are the foundation of any site that wants to succeed and keep users coming back for more. We’ve designed homepages for quite a few clients, and know how to build an amazing site that converts well. Ready to improve your site? Here are 5 elements you should have on your homepage.

1. A Compelling Headline

A compelling headline is the most important part of your homepage. It's a clear, concise statement that must communicate what you do and why someone should care. This is not something to pull out of thin air. Headlines need to be tested and retested until they begin to perform well in conversion tests (where you test variations of headlines against each other).

The best headlines are clear and descriptive while also being attention grabbing. They answer the question "why should I care?" The following tactics will help make your headline more interesting:

• Add some intrigue by using numbers, like "5 Things You Need on Your Homepage" or "3 Simple Steps."

• Use words that excite people, like "delightful," "instant," or "easy." This headline about our company uses the words remarkable and delightful!

• Include an action verb, such as create, discover, increase, improve or reduce. This can help make the reader excited about trying something new.

2. A Concise Sub Header

Your sub header should explain your headline. If you've got a headline that says "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies," make sure your sub header isn't something like, "Our chocolate chip cookies are the best!"

You've just repeated the same thing twice—not a good move. Instead, tell your reader WHY they should believe the headline: "Made with the highest quality ingredients and our award-winning recipe." Or "So delicious, they'll be gone before you can finish a cup of coffee."

Whatever you do, be sure to include a call to action in your subheader. Use words like "try" or "buy" or other strong verbs that tell someone what to do with that information. For example, if I wanted people to subscribe immediately instead of clicking off my site (which is what most first-time visitors would do), I might use something like this:

"Subscribe today and get fresh marketing tips delivered straight to your inbox every single week."

3. A Clear Value Proposition

Every good website has a clear value proposition. In other words, your homepage should explain what your company does in one sentence, and then back it up with a benefit statement that explains how you can help customers.

The ideal way to do this is by highlighting three reasons why someone should buy from you. For example, at Think Traffic we say we “Provide the education and inspiration to build a business around your lifestyle.” It says who we are, what we do and how it benefits our customers.

Also make sure to use plain language – don’t use jargon or buzzwords that aren’t familiar to an average person (unless you sell specifically to businesses). Feel free to share some of the problems you solve for people if that helps explain who you are and what you do. You can also include key statistics about your company like number of employees or your year founded, for example.

This is not the same as a tagline or slogan (which answers “Why?”) or mission statement (which answers “How?”). A clear value proposition answers the question “What?”

4. Social Proof

Ensure your credibility by posting social proof on your homepage.

Social proof is a powerful way to build trust, which is essential if you want people to buy from you. It can be testimonials, reviews and media coverage.

In fact, social proof can make or break the success of your site. For example, a prospect will be more likely to buy from you if you have positive reviews posted on your website than not having any at all.

5. A Clear Call-to-Action

Have you ever visited a website and left confused about what you were supposed to do? Well, you are in great company. A study about visitors leaving websites found that one out of five people will leave your website if you don’t convert them. It is an ugly fact. And it happens even to the best websites and experts! However, thanks to having a clear call to action on your website , you can reduce those hitting the back button.

The first thing you need to do is convert browsing traffic into leads/sales. A clear call to action is the best way to do this. If you want someone to subscribe to your newsletter - use a signup form, if you want them to purchase something use a product link. If you don't have a 'call to action' on your site then you're losing money.

Your website homepage gives you an opportunity to make a great first impression on prospective clients and customers.

As you can see, the homepage is a place to make a great first impression on prospective clients and customers. By creating a user-friendly homepage that clearly conveys your company's mission and values, you can ensure that those who visit your site will understand what makes you unique and why they should work with you. Your homepage is the first thing that most people will see when they find your site, so it's important to make that impression a good one. It's the page that prospective clients and customers see when they come to your website. It's the page they'll use to decide whether or not they want to learn more about you and what you have to offer. It's the page that can make or break your business, so it's important to get right!