According to an adage, the first impression lasts. The same thing goes for your business.
That said, you must have a welcoming home page for your business website.
For one, the bulk of your online traffic lands on your home page. Second, your home page is likely the first thing your site visitors will see when they land on your website. Thus, there is no better place to establish your online presence than your home page.
That said, here are seven clever ways you can build a welcoming home page:
1. Spark interest through your value proposition
Most of us tend to focus on graphics over text when discussing design. Nonetheless, both should go hand in hand in your homepage’s header.
Ideally, using cohesive visuals and texts can be helpful. That way, visitors can tell right away what you’re about and what you have to offer.
Moreover, visitors should know right off the bat what sets your business apart from the rest of the competition. This includes your products and services, as well as your known clients.
2. Streamline your website navigation
The goal of your homepage is to answer the user’s questions primarily and create a positive impression of your company and brand as a whole.
After they’ve read the homepage, highly intuitive navigation makes it a lot easier for them to look for the answers they need. At Sytian Web Designer in the Philippines, we tell our clients that by making this minor design consideration on your home page can make a difference with your bounce rate. Furthermore, your site navigation shouldn’t be that complex. More so if you own an e-commerce website with extensive product inventories.
Make sure that you avoid any unnecessary difficulties by using flat architecture. Doing so will place your content within reach in just one or two clicks.
3. Focus on the visual hierarchy
Your site’s homepage layout should make visual hierarchy a priority.
Here are some basic rules lets you arrange elements based on importance:
- Color and contrast. Typically, brighter colors garner much attention and dramatic contrast.
- Typographic hierarchy. Often, people tend to read the most prominent text first.
- Scale and size. Site visitors notice the more significant design elements first.
- Rule of thirds. This gives you a better balance on how to frame images.
- Rule of odds. This refers to the white space that surrounds a design element for emphasis.
4. Capture attention through beautiful imagery
Is your homepage text heavy? What images usually do is break huge blocks of texts, and they’re more inviting to the eye of visitors. Ensure that you include at least a photograph that showcases your business, your products, and the team behind it.
If you don’t have an in-house photographer, you might consider investing in professional photography. Similarly, videos are great as well. Make sure you develop a how-to video that demonstrates how your products are best used and maintained.
Then, upload it on YouTube or another video platform. Afterward, embed code and then publish it on your site.
5. Set your primary Call-to-Action
What are the top actions you wanted visitors to take on your site? Here are three compelling CTA ideas:
- Sign up in your email list: When people sign up on your email list, it’s easier to create that ongoing connection, making it easier to market to them. You can use MailChimp and other popular email marketing software.
- Shop in your e-commerce store: Do you sell products online? Either you embed a couple of products on your homepages that entices prospects to click or put up a prominent “Shop Now” button.
- Fill out lead forms: If you’re selling services rather than products, you should encourage visitors to fill out lead forms. Lead forms usually get the contact information to follow up with them easily.
6. Write a compelling web copy
Answering users’ questions is essential, but you also need the style to back it up. Ideally, you should develop an informative copy that has a friendly tone. This will make positioning your business as a valuable resource in your industry straightforward.
Moreover, you can also connect better with prospects if you adopt a similar tone of voice. Think of ways how your customers often voice their problems. Usually, how do they describe these problems?
By writing familiarly with your audience, naturally, your page will feel a lot more welcoming to them.
7. Perform the 7-second test
You should develop a good draft for your homepage with copy and design at hand. After you do that, you need to do the 7-second test.
The process of doing this test is pretty simple.
Find a neutral observer, someone who isn’t quite familiar with your business, and let them check at your homepage. They should be able to tell the following things within seven seconds for your homepage to pass the test:
- What products you are selling and the pain points it resolves.
- Why should they care in the first place.
- What action they should take next.
Keep in mind that you only have a limited time catching your customers’ attention and telling them all about your business. Since the internet is a big place, if you fail to make a good impression on your visitors, they’ll move to your competitors.
Over to You
Your website’s home page will usually set the tone for how visitors interact with your brand. Thus, we encourage you to follow the tips listed above to build a welcoming home page.
You can catch and retain your site visitors’ attention when you do that.