First impressions matter in the online word where visitors can judge a site and decide whether they’re going to leave or stay on it in a matter of seconds.
That’s why the homepage is the most important page on your website. Most of your visitors will land on the homepage therefore it needs to convert as many of those visitors as possible.
1) Headline
You’ve got 3 seconds to tell visitors what your company is, what it has to offer and why you’re better than your competitors. The headline is one of the first elements your visitors will see.
Tip: Keep the headline clear, simple and under 70 characters.
Example: Electric Security Gates Installations in Southend
Some company’s might choose a Welcome to Company Name as their title but this isn’t going to benefit the website in the search engines and visitors don’t warm towards the Welcome message
2) Sub-headline
The sub-headline is like a caption for a picture, it describes the picture, i.e your website, in more detail.
The sub-headline can also zero in on a common pain point for your target audience.
Tip: Avoid jargon and don’t talk about yourself.
Example: Automated Security Gates
Example: Commercial Security Gates
Example: Electric Shutters
Example: Bollards & Barriers to Prevent Break-ins
Example: Automated Gates to Increase Perimeter Security
3) Big Call-to-Action
A Call-to-Action (CTA) is a button that, when clicked, links visitors to your contact us page, enquiries page or any other form of a landing page that’s designed to convert visitors.
Make the CTA the focal point by having it stand out to encourage visitors to click.
The CTA button needs to be immediately visible when they’re looking at your homepage and not placed somewhere where visitors have to scroll.Tip: Use a colour for the CTA button that stands out. Avoid black, white and gray. Tip: Make the CTA button look clickable. Clickable = Irresistible.
- Use images that help indicate what you’re offering whether it’s a service, an assessment, a consultation or indicating that your products are environmentally friendly.
- Focus on benefits, not features. Visitors are actually more attracted to the benefits of buying a product or service rather than its features.
Benefits hit their emotions whereas features are purely logical.
Tip: Instead of stating that your automated security gates have state-of-the-art locks and a 20-metre keypad range, you can state this later when they take more interest. They’re more interested in the benefits such as decreasing the chances of being burgled with a visibly strong gate and increasing the security of the perimeter.
When Apple brings out their new iPhone, they don’t talk about the iPhones features, they talk about the benefits of having this new iPhone.
CTA Tip: Give something away for free such as a whitepaper, e-book or guide that helps educate visitors. This free content can be things like 10 Ways Commercial Buildings can Increase Perimeter Security.
They have to fill in a form that asks for their name and email address to get access to this free content. You now have a lead.
4) Social Proof
Social proof in the form of testimonials is one of the most influencing factors. While most don’t trust reviews that are found on websites, most do trust reviews found on independent sites such as Google+ and Trust-a-Trader.
Therefore you can take snapshots of these reviews from those independent sites and local directory’s and paste those images onto the website. Also you’ll find reviews in your emails and social media profiles.
Add a link to where the review is found for extra legitimacy.
5) Navigation
Clear navigation helps decrease the chances of visitors leaving your website. Lay out a clear path to every page on your website from your homepage.
Navigation needs to be visible at the top of the page in the form of a bar, simple and easy to find the page they’re looking for. Lots of pages on the navigation bar is off-putting.
Tip: If you have lots of pages and lots of sub-areas to cover within the parent areas then instead of clogging up your navigation bar, use the sidebar within pages to display your sub-areas.
6) Success Indicators
Include lots of success indicators to show your company is doing very well such as:
Accreditations
- Licenses
- Awards
- Recognitions
- Case studies
- Recognisable
- Clients
- Qualifications
For further insights and guidance, we invite you to explore our blog at 07hm.co.uk/blog. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information tailored to the needs and challenges of SMEs navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, if you have specific questions or need personalised advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email at info@07hm.co.uk or telephone on 01702 410663.
