Making a good first impression can be the difference between getting a sale or losing a potential sale. Your homepage is usually the first page users land on when visiting your website, so it is extremely important to ensure that it is well-presented and offers a great user experience. If you are getting a high bounce rate on your homepage then you need to assess why this is before thinking about how you are going to tackle it. Whether you're just starting out, or are an established business, there is always going to be a solution for you (and you can click to see what those solutions could entail).
Having designed and worked on over 300 website projects, our Google-trained web developer has put together 10 tips to optimise your homepage for success. Of course, to implement these tips, you must have a steady internet connection. A disruptive connection can be frustrating and elements could take a long time to implement. Look into the xfinity internet packages if you need a speedier connection.
So how can you improve your homepage:
- Make sure all of the important content is above the fold
Content layout and placement are becoming more and more important. You need to ensure that all of the important information is above the fold. As soon as users land on your website, they need to know who you are, where you are based and how to contact you (all without scrolling down). - Have a clear call to action (CTA) in the header
The average time to convert a potential lead is 3 seconds! If you have a clear CTA such as 'Get a FREE quote' or 'Request a FREE demo' you are more likely to increase your engagement. Not only will this help users navigate through important parts of your website, but will also help to get your message across better. - USPs!
A visitor has landed on your website, they have seen what you offer and where you are based all without scrolling down, why not also tell them why they should choose your business over a competitor. If you offer free shipping, have a number of great reviews or have over a decade of experience then you should shout about it and tell your user. - Social icons don't belong in the header!
You have manged to get a visitor to land on your website, congratulations! The last thing you want them to do is leave right? So why put social icons in your header? A user landing on your website could see your social icons and leave your website straight away, not only could this result in a missed sale but it will also increase your website bounce rate as they have left straightaway. This could result in you dropping down the search results. - Optimise your headings
In your main heading (H1 tag) you should include your location and your Google my Business (gmb) category as this will push you further up the rankings and help you get found. This is assuming you have a gmb account, which you really should. If you don't you might want to learn more about Google my Business and how it can help you to strengthen your online presence. - Phone number in the header
It is incredibly important that you have a phone number at the top of your website, you want to make it as easy for your visitor to contact you. Nobody wants to waste time looking around a website for a phone number. - Customer journey
One of the main tips we can give you is to think about the journey you want your visitor to go on. Do you want them to go from the homepage to contacting you straightaway or would you prefer for them to see your services before they contact you? - Your homepage is a shopfront
Your homepage is the first thing a visitor will see just like a shop front. Show your users what services you offer and have links through to the service pages. - REVIEWS, REVIEWS, REVIEWS!
Your user has now seen what you do, where you are based and why they should choose you over a competitor. Why not enforce that message with reviews from some of your existing clients but remember not to have a link to a different website as you want to keep visitors on your website. - Sign-up forms
Your user has gone through your homepage and have liked what they have seen. Why not include a newsletter sign up form so you can keep them updated with your latest news for the times when they are not on your website.
If you are looking for a new website or looking to redesign your current one then why not get in touch with us to see how we may help? In addition, we also offer free domain and email hosting on all new website orders for a whole year.
