You’ve launched your website. You’re feeling super exited about it…you share it with everyone you know…and then….crickets. There are various reasons this could be happening, but the very first thing you need to make sure is looking, working, and reading just right? Your homepage. Let’s dive into how to improve your website’s homepage.

Your Homepage’s Purpose

Think of your website’s homepage as the curb appeal of a house that’s for sale that’s having an open house. If you drive up and the yard is a wreck, the paint is peeling, the windows are broken, and the place is dark AF…are you really going inside? (Unless you really love a fixer-upper, my guess is no. You’re getting out of dodge and asking your realtor what the hell they were thinking).

Before we dive into tips on how to make your homepage a hit, let’s first take a step back and understand what your website is (or should be) doing for you.

Many biz owners make the mistake of thinking about their website just as a place online where someone can look up your business, find out its location, and see what it does and maybe buy or book a service.

To that I say….No, no, no, no, no.

It’s SO. MUCH. MORE.

Your website is essential for your marketing, for attracting new clients (and deterring not-so-dreamy ones), for boosting sales, for building community, for establishing you as an expert in your field, for establishing your brand, and for getting you discovered in the first place.

And the homepage? Well more often then not it’s the very first thing people see. It’s there to give people a taste of who you are, what you’re about, and what you have to offer. But the biggest thing it should do is tell people if you are FOR THEM.

You want to make it inviting, and welcoming, and crystal clear on brand. You want to make it easy for people to navigate to every other page of your website, both from an easy to find and use menu, but also your inviting and clear CTAs (calls to action).

Speaking of CTAs – switch up your verbiage. Don’t just use the same old “learn more.” (Learn more is fine, but use others) throw in some fun invites such as:

• Count Me In
• I Need This
• Show Me More
• Let’s be Besties

Need some more examples? Check out this helpful post by Semrush. But also – make sure that whatever verbiage you use contextually MAKES SENSE. Sure it can sound fun to say “Let’s get after it” — but if people have no clue what “after it” means…they’re not going to click that button.

So. What SHOULD your homepage have?

Homepage Non – Negotiables

• Header/Hero section – the first thing people see – often a nice image with large words. Many people just put the business’ name here – which is fine. But I recommend putting a tag line or some sort of heading that gives visitors a taste of what makes you/your biz special.
• Menu – non-negotiable. You have a variety of styles to pick from -whatever you go with – make sure it’s easy to see and use.
• Who you serve – Who is your dream client? Who are your services for? Speak to them here
• What you do – Be specific here. Paint a picture of what problems you solve with what you do.
• Who you are – This is an introduction to who you are and will link to your “about page.” But again – this should also relate back to your ideal client.
• Offerings – do you sell something? Awesome put it here. Link to your shop or your digital products or downloads or photography packages here.
• Social proof- Have some sort of social proof (ideally a strong testimony) to back up how awesome you are at what you do
• Footer – Typically has another mini menu for easy navigation, logo, contact info, and links to socials

Depending on the client and the site – there is a lot more that can and should be included – but the list above will establish a strong first impression and messaging to help users know whether they want to see more of your website, keep it in mind for later, or if it’s time to say “next.

A few last little details to think about:

• Loading speed – make SURE your website loads within seconds (ideally 2)
• Scannability – if someone lands on your site and they just see a big “wall” of text – they’re not going to read it. Even if it’s not a huge wall of text – 80% of it will get skipped the first time around. Break text into sections. User headers. Use lists. Break paragraphs up.
• What is your number one goal for your homepage? Is it to get someone to subscribe? Get them to book a service? Whatever it is – MAKE THIS SUPER EASY.
• What can you offer for free? If there is a freebie you can give away (often as a trade for someone signing up for your newsletter) – DO IT. But make sure it’s worth their while.

Written by Carrie Bondioli, CEO of Bloem Creations, Web Designer & CopyWriter

Bloem Creations is a web design studio and copywriting service based in Eugene, OR and specializes in serving creative small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.