The Home page is arguably the MOST important page on your site!
It may be the only chance you get to make a good impression. Let’s make it the best it can be!
The Home page is where you will introduce your readers to your services and your personality.
You will want to get them excited about working with you (“know/like and trust”)
Our goal on the Home page is encourage our visitors to continue exploring our site or to take an action such as signing up for our newsletter.
Your website visitors want to know that you can help them.
Add a statement that makes it extremely clear how you can help your potential clients:
ie. “I work with ________ to help them ___________”
What makes you unique? How can you fix their problem better than anyone else?
Talk about a problem that your ideal client has and address how your product or service helps.
This is just a concise one liner for now. We will tell them more on the Services or product pages.
“A good one-liner has three parts. It starts with the problem or pain point someone experiences. Then, it describes a product. And it ends with a resolution that someone would experience because they’re using that product.”
— from Storybrand
DIRECT YOUR READER
What is the primary action you would like your reader to take on your site?
⟶ Feature a Call to Action to encourage them to take this action.
This could be joining your email list, viewing your portfolio, reading the blog, joining a facebook group etc.
SHOW SOCIAL PROOF
How do your visitors know that they can trust you and that you know what you are talking about?
A few ideas for displaying our expertise are:
including testimonials that address how you have solved problems for past clients
publications you have appeared in or on
as seen in logos
Possible elements for the Home page:
A banner area including a statement about who you help and how you can help them. A beautiful on brand banner image helps to make this section eye catching as well.
a section that introduces yourself (or your team) along with a good quality photo of yourself looking at the camera. Don’t forget to include your name!
a call to action - what action do you most want your visitors to take from the Home page? View your services? Contact you? Sign up for your newsletter?
social proof (testimonials, as seen in logos, where you have been featured)
information on the services you offer - provide a short introduction that will entice them to click through to read more
if you have a portfolio, show featured projects from it with a link to view more
featured blog posts
a way to contact you
your location if you are a locally based business
social account links for social sites you are active on
Further Reading:
I have an entire blog post about Home page content that you can view here.