More often than not, your website homepage is going to be the first thing a browser sees.
How can you make that very best first impression AND get them to keep digging through your website?
Let’s break it down.
Start with a Problem-Solving Headline
Your first headline should grab your customer’s attention with how you solve their biggest problem.
Think of this as showcasing your benefit to them, not the main feature of your business.
In my case, it’s that I build lead-generating websites. I also added in a piece about brand story-telling because I work with a lot of solopreneurs whose story is a huge part of their business.
Grabbing their attention right away and connecting it back to their main stressor is huge in getting someone to keep scrolling and clicking.
It also puts your customer in the driver’s seat, makes them the main character of the story. And that, after all, is what you want to do with your business. It helps them feel seen and understood.
Funnel Your Customers to The Next Step
After you grab their attention, you want to direct your customer to what you do and how you help.
The easiest way to do that is through what are called Funnels. A good rule of thumb is to link to the top 2-4 pages you want a customer to explore in your website, typically you main 2-4 services.
You’ll see mine show you that I help you in two main ways – building a new website or supporting you with your current website.
These funnels take you through the path(s) that are important to your customers and helps direct them into digging into your website further.
I typically include an H2 (or Heading 2) that hits a main pain point or benefit of my services again, then give them the ways that we help to solve those problems.
Pro tip: This question / answer format in your website copywriting can be a powerful way to showcase that YOU are uniquely qualified to help and drives people to dig into your website further.
Social Proof that Reinforces Your Expertise
Every single homepage should include some kind of social proof that helps people see that yes, you do know your shit.
Social proof differs depending on your main niche, but it can be a simple logo cloud of your clients, testimonials or reviews of those who have worked with you, books you’ve written or podcast you host, or even a link to your portfolio.
Either way, you need to give some third-party proof that you know what you’re doing.
Don’t have it yet? That’s OK! Just make sure to ask your first 3-5 customers for a testimonial while they’re working with you. Not only does this help you understand what you do well (and maybe don’t do so well) in your business, it also helps you create that social proof.
Introduce Yourself or Your Business
This applies for those solopreneurs and coaches who are working with their clients directly. Give your company a face and a human connection by introducing yourself on your homepage. This can be a simple few sentences that helps to reinforce who you are and your area of expertise. Then, direct them to your About page where they can learn more about you as a person, your company’s philosophy, and what makes you unique.
After all, we’re all wanting to connect with other humans. Give them a chance to do so quickly.
Give Them Some Free Value
You’ve probably heard a bunch of different online marketing experts talk about lead captures. These are freebies that your customer “buys” by giving you their email. This needs to be a freebie that they’ll care about and propel them to actually give over that email.
Not only does a lead capture give them a taste of what working with you can be like (and builds some trust), but it can also help you build your email list and continue the conversation and value-add weeks after they visited your website.
Pssst, Gravity Forms makes lead captures a breeze!
Make it Easy to Contact You
Not everyone is going to be ready to “buy” after they visit your website once. Make sure that your homepage (and every page of your website) gives a few options to connect with you off of your website.
Your social media channels should all be linked, your footer should include a phone number that they can call or text, and you should have either a form or a link to a Contact page on your homepage.
Everyone is different and likes to continue the conversation in a variety of ways. Give them a few options to do that.
Take Stock of Your Homepage
Take a look through your homepage now? Are you missing any of these things? Not sure what you should add or what your funnels should be? Let’s chat about it! Drop a comment below or book a free discovery call and I’ll be happy to go through your website with you.
