If your home page does not excite your viewers, does it at least engage their interest? The home page of your website plays as extremely important role as it is often the first page viewers see when visiting your business online. If this crucial page does not do everything it should be doing, it is entirely possible that the rest of your website will not even be seen.
Not only should your home page guide visitors and direct them to what they need, it should assure people they’ve come to the right place and they’ll find what they need. Whether you intend it to or not, your home page will also give viewers an impression of what type of business you run. If the page looks dated and neglected, people might think they will not get the best service or most up-to-date products from you. This is just one of the unintended messages your home page may convey. These negative messages can actually drive people from your business.
Here are 5 questions to ask in evaluating the effectiveness of your home page.
- Does it communicate who you are and what you do? Your home page should clearly identify your business and what you do. Using mysterious messaging and teaser-type lines may seem like an enticing way to get the viewer to read more. It is more likely, though, that the visitor will not want to put much time or effort into figuring out the mystery.
- Is it visually appealing and inviting? Attractive images on your home page are like signage on a building. If visitors see what they want or something interesting, they are more likely to go inside, or in the case of a website, explore more pages. Conversely, poor quality images or a lack of images are not likely to inspire interest.
- Is your copy reader-centric? That it, does it focus on you, or the needs of your customer? Take a fresh and objective read of your home page copy. Do you see a lot of “we” and “our” in the content? If so, it could be highly beneficial to re-write the copy to focus on the buyer’s needs and interests. Consider the example below, which leads buyers into product categories by relating their needs.
- Will your viewers know how to find their way around your site and locate what they need? Your home page should provide easy-to-find menus with clear and concise titles. If you have a lot of products of services, don’t be tempted to cram them all into one overwhelming menu. Put them into categories and create sub-menus for an easy path.
- Does your home page offer viewers next steps to take if they aren’t sure what they want? Use call-to-action (CTA) links to suggest where the reader might like to go next. For example, in the first image, the reader sees an image linking to a product section. In the second image, the reader hovers over the image and sees a question that suggests this section will relate to his needs and encourages him to click.
Do you need assistance with evaluating and improving your home page? We’re here to help! Contact us today!