1. Solid
Branding
Branding is a visual
way to communicate who you are and what your business is all about.
Even something as simple as the colors or fonts you choose for your
website can send a message about whether you’re a traditionalist or an
out-of-the-box thinker. Small businesses and solo entrepreneurs often
make the mistake of choosing design elements they like or feel drawn
to, rather than choosing colors, fonts, and graphics that communicate
the message they want to send potential customers or clients.
Another key aspect of
your branding is your logo. This, too, should be chosen with careful
deliberation and should have meaning beyond, “this looks nice.” If you have
the budget for a professional designer, a logo and related branding is
a worthwhile investment for any small business. A good logo
communicates that you run a professional business, while a sloppy DIY
effort or inconsistent branding has a haphazard look that doesn’t
reflect positively on your company.
2. Thoughtful
Headline and Introduction
This small amount of
text does a lot of work when it comes to selling your business. The
headline and introduction both go above-the-fold on your homepage, if
possible. (If your layout doesn’t allow for this, the headline should
be above-the-fold.) The headline can be a few words or a short
sentence, while the introduction is one to three brief sentences that
expand upon the headline.
When crafting your
headline, think about what sets your business apart from your
competition or what problem you solve for your customers; it’s even
better if you can work some keywords in there. Here are some ideas to
get you started:
- A
New Way to [What Your Business Does]
- [Location
Name]’s Premier [Your Business Niche]
- [What
Your Business Does], Reinvented
- Your
Neighborhood [Your Business Niche]
The introduction should
be short and sweet—you’ll share more information about your services
elsewhere on your homepage. If you’ve won any awards or have any other
bragging rights, the introduction is a great place for that; otherwise,
take the main idea of your headline and explain it further. Consider
this the perfect place to share your unique value proposition.
3. An
Eye-Catching Image
Choose an image for
your homepage that is eye-catching without being distracting. It should
flow nicely with your overall design, fitting with your color scheme,
font choices, and logo. If your WordPress theme superimposes the
headline over the main image on the homepage, you’ll need to ensure
that both the image and the text can be understood.
If you can afford
professional photos, this is ideal; otherwise, there are many stock
photo websites where you can find low-cost images to use in your
homepage design, or you can choose a photo from a free stock photo
website like Unsplash. Whatever you do, don’t grab an image from
Google—just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s not
protected by copyright laws!
4. Service or
Product Overview
Below the hero image,
most website themes will have space to name and describe a few of your
most popular services. Often, this section of the homepage will be
divided into three columns, so you’ll be able to list either your three
top services, or services in multiples of three. Include the service
name, a sentence or two about the service, and a link for more information
that directs to a service page (if you have one).
Some homepages may have
room for images representing each service, too. Simple graphics work
well here; if you’re using photos, make sure they have a uniform
appearance for a professional look. If you’re highlighting three
services and you use a black and white photo for one, an illustration
for the second, and a color photo for the third, it will look sloppy
and thrown together.
5. Social Proof
Social proof shows
people that your services or products are used and well-loved. Don’t
overdo it here, though—although it depends on your website layout,
usually one to three testimonials is a good number, as people are less
likely to spend time reading more than that. Set up a testimonial page
on your website and direct visitors there for more.
You may also choose to
use a video testimonial here, or perhaps list awards or relevant
statistics like the number of users/customers/sales.
6. Navigation
and Footer
The top of your
homepage should feature clear, easy-to-use navigation, while the bottom
of the page should have a footer with your contact information, social
media links, customer service information, etc. The links you include
in each of these sections will depend on the type of business you run
and the amount of content you have on your website, but it should be
possible to click through to any important page on your website from
the homepage.
It’s also important to
make sure your navigation is usable. Test your menus in every possible
browser, on computers, tablets, and smartphones. Make sure sub-menus
don’t vanish when you’re trying to click on them and watch out for
other glitches and bugs.
7. A Call to
Action
You should have at
least one call to action on your homepage, or if you have room, more
than one. These don’t have to be complicated, and they could be
formatted as text or buttons. Some examples are “Sign Up Now,” “Visit
Us Today,” “Get Your Free Trial,” “Make an Appointment,” and “Create an
Account.” A call to action tells potential clients or customers what
their next step should be.
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