Are your home page website elements pulling their weight, or are they just sucking up digital real estate?
Your homepage is usually the first thing website visitors see. It’s your first chance to make a great impression and give visitors a reason to stick around.
If you’re not sure what belongs on your homepage, start by including these four key elements:
1. An Easy to Read Site Menu
Site navigation can make or break your website. Your menu should guide your visitors to where they need to go, ideally in a short, direct path.
Your menu should be visible at the top of your homepage without users having to scroll. If possible, include a search box so they can find information quickly rather than sorting through subcategories.
Keep in mind that less is more. Limit your menu options to avoid information overload and make it clear where visitors should go.
2. Your Business Logo
What do McDonald’s, Target, and Best Buy have in common?
They each have such iconic logos that even without text most people would be able to identify them.
Logos go a long way in building brand recognition. You might not be at the point where people recognize you by your logo, but including your logo in a prominent spot on your homepage is a critical step in establishing your brand.
Your logo should be somewhere near the top of your page so that it’s one of the first things visitors see.
3. A Clear Headline
Your website visitors shouldn’t have to guess at what you do. Make it easy for them by crafting a brief, powerful headline that sums up your company.
Readers should be able to tell within three seconds what your website is about. Keep it simple and straight to the point to avoid confusion.
It’s not as easy as it sounds. Anyone can describe their business advantages in a paragraph or two, but creating pithy, punchy headlines is an art.
4. A Call to Action
What do you want your visitors to do after checking out your home page? Should they head to your blog? Sign up for a newsletter? Order something?
Whatever you want them to do after landing on your homepage, make sure you tell them. Don’t leave their next actions to chance.
You can include multiple calls to action on your homepage. For example, you might have an action button in the middle and at the bottom of your homepage. You may also have a popup or sidebar opt-in form that encourages visitors to sign up for an e-book, newsletter or other content.
You don’t want to overwhelm with options, though. Having too many choices might make them choose to do nothing.
Winning Website Elements Made Easy
Your website elements are too important to leave to gut instinct. There’s a lot you could put on your homepage, but choosing your content wisely can help you make every visit count.
If you want to make a winning first impression, contact us today to learn how we can transform your website’s homepage into a high-converting marketing tool.