Your website home page is arguably the most important page on your website. <<< And while we can argue about where it lines up in terms of most important—if you want conversion results from your website you’re going to have to make sure your home page is set up right.
And since your home page is basically the home base of your website for your business you’ve got one chance to make a good first impression with it—so that’s why in this blog I’m going over 5 things you need on your website home.
Keep in mind that some of these things need to be above the fold on your home page specifically
What is above the fold on a home page?
The term above the fold actually originates from newspapers. Attention-grabbing headlines went above the fold in the newspaper. That way someone would see the most important news without even having to unfold the paper. On a website above the fold means the area you can see on the page, when you first land on it, without having to scroll to see it. Everything that requires a scroll to see would be below the fold.
Here are 9 things you need on your website home page
Call to actions
If you don’t tell someone what they need to do next to work with you they won’t do it. Pretty simple right? That’s why you need call to actions everywhere on your website asking your potential client to go towards the next step to working with you. This is especially important on your home page—because, unlike say a sales page which has only one call to action, you’re pointing people in multiple different directions (aka. pages). Whether it’s to book a service, view your portfolio, or read a blog post is up to you but if you don’t ask them with a CTA they won’t go to that next step. You also need to at bare minimum have a call to action to your main offer above the fold on your home page.
Newsletter Signup
Not everyone who lands on your website is going to want to book right away—in fact, only 92% of people aren’t ready to buy the first time they land on your website. Offering a freebie along with your newsletter signup is a great way to keep building a relationship with that potential client.
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Introduce Yourself
You don’t need to add your whole life story on your home page (or your about page for that matter) but you should add a brief about section so that they’ll know who the face behind the brand is. Make sure to include a headshot of your and/or your team in this section.
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Testimonials/Social Proof
Your testimonials shouldn’t be a stand-alone page separate from all other content. They should be scattered throughout the pages of your website, including your home page. You should also highlight any times you’ve been featured by well-known businesses or publications (i.e. Good Morning America, Jenna Kutcher, The Knot, your local newspaper, etc.).
Highlight Services & Products
You need to give an overview of your services and offers so someone can self-select which one solves their problem—with links leading to the pages with more info about your offerings.
Showcase Portfolios & Galleries
You should also show past work that you’ve done for clients with links to individual gallery pages.
Clear Main Navigation
The navigation at the top (aka. header) of your website needs to be simple and clear. You don’t need to link to every page of your website. Only link your 5-7 most important and crucial pages like your home, service, product, portfolio, blog, about and contact pages. Any other pages on your website can be linked in the footer of your website instead.
Logo & Business Name
Above the fold on your home page, you should have your business name and your logo if you have one. If you don’t have a logo yet just type out your business name at the top of your website until you invest in branding.
Photos of You & What You Do/Products
You need at least one photo above the fold on your home that represents your business. Depending on what type of business you have will make a difference in what kind of photo you need. If you’re a service provider it might be a photo of you or your team or an example of your work. If you’re a blogger it might be a photo of you or a photo of what you’re blogging about. If you have an e-commerce shop it should be a photo of your product(s) in use.
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