How to design a good website?
Whether you are having a website re-design or are questioning why you may not be receiving the analytics results you expect from your website, the homepage should be your no.1 priority. If a building has a scary-looking exterior you will not want to enter, same with a website’s homepage. The homepage is the first thing visitors see, it must be inviting and give them a reason to stay and explore.
Your visitors will vary. All visitors will have different reasons for visiting the site, therefore you must be able to appeal to as many of those visitors as possible on one page. This does not mean you have to go CRAZY with information, videos, images and CTAs (Call-To-Action), remember less is more!
7 Homepage Must Have for a good website
Headline & Sub-headings
With headlines, you need to tell visitors who you are, what you are and what you have to offer. Keep this clear and simple, get your point across in as little words as possible. For subheadings, you need to provide a common problem/interest in the audience, as well as how YOU can solve their problem- make this as relatable to as many people as possible.
CTA’s
Include around 2 calls-to-action above your fold (the part that appears on the screen before you need to scroll down) as you want visitors to delve deeper into your website and what you can provide them.
Images/videos
It is proven that we are visual learners. Therefore, including images and/or short videos on your homepage may be a more effective way of providing information to your audience. Remember to make sure your visuals are emphatic and will mean for visitors to stay on your website for longer. Avoid images that have little to no relevance to what you can provide.
Benefits
Here is where you are able to tell visitors why you are different to your competitors and what you can provide them which makes you the ideal choice. It is important to maintain brand identity throughout your homepage content whilst keeping simple and easy to read.
Proof
Some of you may have heard of the saying ‘People buy from people’, this is probably true. A potential customer will feel more comfortable buying from a brand with 56 5* reviews than a company with 2 3* reviews. If you have a decent amount of positive reviews make sure to include some on your homepage, this will provide reassurance to visitors that you are the right choice.
Clear navigation
Simplify, simplify, simplify. No, this is not a spell from Harry Potter, this is what we advise keeping things as clear as possible for the visitor. Think of your audience as someone who has never navigated a website before in their life, allow them to travel through your website with ease and clarity. A complicated navigation will make your visitor give up and leave your site- not what you want to happen.
Resources
This may be one of the most important features on your site. Not only will it educate visitors, it will build your reputation for being a thought leader in your industry. Another plus is that content will help build/progress your SEO (search engine optimisation) efforts, therefore helping increase traffic to your website.
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.
