Are there any secrets to increasing the number of conversions from a website? (Answer: Yes.) What is an ideal home page layout? (I’ll show you.)
What Do Most Home Pages Look Like?
Skim most businesses’ home pages, and you’ll have trouble figuring out who they are, what value they provide, the benefits of working with them, and what they want you to do. Most home pages have vague brand statements and confusing calls to action (CTAs). Most include a whole lot of talk about how awesome the company is and not a whole lot of “what’s in it for me” (unfortunately known as WIIFM — “whif-em” — in the marketing world).
Singing one’s own praises on a home page before building trust and credibility is extremely common. It’s rarely a successful tactic. In fact, lots of site visitors find it fairly annoying.
What Is an Ideal Home Page Layout?
What should a home page look like? If you want your website to convert visitors into customers, then you’re going to need to design your home page with great intention. More than that, you’ll need to understand what site visitors expect when they arrive at your site.
Here are a few common home page questions — and answers:
- What goes in the navigation bar? Answer: Links to 4-6 site pages. Begin with them (site visitors) and end with you. In other words, it’s more important to highlight your services and high-value resources than it is to promote your About page.
- Where does a tagline or brand summary go? Answer: Above the fold (the area on the page that’s visible without scrolling). Don’t make site visitors hunt and peck for information. Don’t give them a new job. Enable them to understand who you are, what you do, and what value you offer right out of the gate.
- Should you list benefits? Answer: Absolutely. List 3-4 benefits. Make them short and clear. Help your site visitors see why they should spend more time on your page — and why they might ultimately buy from you.
- Should I include free resources? Answer: Sure — why not? People like free things, especially when those free things actually address real pain points and help them solve real problems.
- Where should CTAs be located? Answer: Above the fold and at the bottom of the page.
- Should you include client logos and testimonials? Answer: Oh, yeah. Proof of who you’ve worked with can help greatly, particularly when your site visitors don’t know you from Adam (or Eve). Until you’ve built trust and credibility with your site visitors, you’re just another face in the crowd. Give them some of the reassurance they’re seeking that you’re the real deal.
Ideal Home Page Layout Components
A high-converting home page should include the following:
- Clear, above-the-fold tagline or summary of services/value
- Two above-the-fold CTAs, one direct and one transactional
- Three-four clear benefits
- Client logos or testimonials
- Summary of your process
- High-value resources
- Social page links
- Concluding CTA
Use This Free High-Converting Home Page Template
You can create your home page design, though you’ll probably spend lots of time trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. Or you can hire a designer to do it. He or she probably has a strong design sensibility and little understanding of how to design a page that actually converts.
Or you can save the time and frustration and use this free home page template. Game changer.
Fast Wins + Zero Fluff = Game Changer
I have a lot more to say on this and many other important subjects. I’m pulling back the marketing veil to empower small businesses to survive and thrive — no marketing agencies required.
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