There's a lot of things that go into a website and it's really hard to figure out what exactly goes on each page.
In this blog and episode, I am going to talk about the homepage exclusively. Hopefully, this will get your website more conversions through your homepage design or help you feel confident enough to finally start your website.
Here are 10 must have content to include for your website's homepage layout.
Let's dive in.
1.Include your Logo And Branding So People Know They Are In The Right Place
If you're trying to get more people coming to your website from Instagram, you want them to look cohesive so people know they are interacting with the same business.
Both your Instagram and website should share the same vibe; this will form a sense of trust with your target audience.
2. An Eye-Catching Above The Fold That Shows Who You Are And What You Do
Think about how you go to the supermarket and see the newspaper headline which is above the fold of the paper; it’s the same idea with your Websites landing page. Your above the fold is the first thing people see when they visit.
It's going to let them know if your website is what they are looking for or not.
Some tips I have are to use a photo of yourself in your field of work, that way people can trust that you're a real person.
If you go to my website, the first image you see is me working on my computer. This way people will say, “Oh yeah, she's a graphic designer. This is her working on her computer I can trust her.”
If you’re a dental office, use a photo of yourself working on clients. Make sure that the crop is ideal; you don't want to zoom in too tight, back up so people can see the vibe of your office and get a sense of what it's like to work with you and what it's going to look like when they visit you.
Another thing you need to put above the fold is copy about who you are and what you do.
For example, my website says Brand Identity and Website Design for Small Businesses, Ready to Stand Out,” and my subhead underneath says, “No Matter What Stage of Business You're in or What Type of Customers you Serve Together, We'll Find and Nail your Signature Style to Create a Band You and Your Customers Love.”
This tells you who this is for, what I do, and how to decide if you want to work with me.
If you’re a small business ready to stand out, then you might consider working with me.
I also included “No matter What Stage of Business You're In I can Help” because I have different entry points for my packages.
I have some for people who are in the DIY stage, people who can't afford anything just yet, and are looking for free resources. Or my done-for-you services, where people are ready to invest and want to work with a designer one-on-one.
3. Awards And Accolades
The reason for this is that you want to gain people's trust from the beginning.
If you don't have any awards or accolades, include the three values that make you different from everyone else. That way you're creating a connection with the viewer, and they're getting a deeper sense of who you are as a business owner.
4. Small About Me Section So They Can Instantly Connect With You
Add a high-quality photo of yourself and three to five sentences with a button that leads to your about me page.
It’s nice for people to get a sense of who you are before they continue scrolling down your homepage.
5. Sections That Show Off The Most Important Pages Of Your Website
Let's say I want a lot of people to go to my logos and branding page or my web design page because those are my two services.
I have a section about my logos and branding services page, with a three to five-sentence blurb, a photo, and then a button that leads to the full page.
Once people land on that page that's where I sell them on logo and brand design and that funnels them to the contact page where they can book a discovery call with me.
The same thing applies to my web design section; there's a two to five-sentence blurb about web design and then a button that leads to my website page.
You want to do this for the pages on your website that you want people to go to the most because if people were to only land on your homepage, you need to entice them to keep browsing, and the longer someone stays on your website, the better it is for SEO.
Putting inbound links from your homepage to different pages of your website is going to help your customers' journey and help them to keep browsing through your website.
6. Resources So Your Website Is Valuable Even If They Don't Buy Anything
I have a section where you can grab My free brand style guide Canva template, a section for my podcast, and a section for my DIY brand yourself in five days mini-course.
Instead of having a normal subscription box, they have to enter their email to get the resource.
Of course, I put a little blurb before they sign up for my template or download the resource; they're going to get that way it’s clear that they will be added to my email list.
7. Reviews - Social Proof Is Key
People want to feel confident when buying from you and you want to make people feel like they're going to miss out if they don't book with you or purchase your products.
When you're on Amazon, what's the first thing you do when you're trying to buy a new product? You always go down and read the reviews, which is why it's so important to have that for your website as well.
8. FAQs So People Can Have Their Questions Answered Quickly
Since this is the homepage, add generic questions that people normally ask you this way you can add inbound links to your website. Instead of using a button you can use a hyperlink to link to another page. For example, people are always wondering how much a website costs.
I'll have a sentence that says website design really depends on your project, blah, blah, blah click here to see more information about my packages and that links back to my website page.
9. High-Quality Images So You Stand Out And Look Professional
There is something about people having custom branded images on their website that makes people say, wow, especially because not a lot of businesses take this step, they just want to create their website and get it over with.
So they end up using stock images, but if you take the time to invest in quality images and hire a brand photographer. Then you're instantly going to stand out from the competitors and get noticed.
People always forget the first part of the customer journey is to get noticed and to stand out and high-quality images are a great way to do that. Especially if you have them on your website it’s going to be a game-changer for the whole vibe of your website.
10. Copy That Speaks To The Visitor
I'm not a copywriter, but I'll give you a couple of tips. Write copy to one person.
You really want to give visitors the feeling like you understand them, their struggles and make them feel like what you have to offer is there to help.
Conclusion
Remember that you're not just selling services or products. You're selling a transformation. Make sure to use words that they would use. Don't be super cutesy and try to use words that you think are attention-grabbing. For example, I'm not going to put I'm a brand guru on my website because people aren't really looking for that, they're going to be looking for a brand designer or a website designer and by using words that potential customer will actually search for will be good for your SEO. Which is going to do wonders for your organic traffic.
Brand Need a facelift? Check Out These Resources
Z Squared Studio is a Brand and Web Design Studio based in Juneau, Alaska. Check out www.zsquaredstudio.com for custom brand design, Alaska logo design, or web design.
Or sign up for our DIY Brand yourself Mini-Course if you're ready for a stand out, scroll stopping brand without hiring a designer.