I often get asked by clients why their website's home page isn't attracting prospective clients for them. Their bounce rate is high, and their opt-in rate is low.
Here's a structure you can use to format the copy on your home page. If you already have your home page published, I suggest that you go back and evaluate your current website's home page by seeing if you have answered these five questions, too.
- Who is your best, ideal client? Who are you calling to to work with you?
- What are the specific problems your prospects have?
- What solutions can you offer for these problems?
- What is the proof you offer about your expertise? Why should a prospect work with you instead of someone else?
- What invitation for a first “getting to know you” step do you offer your website visitors?
The biggest issue I see when I evaluate the copy and design for a client's home page is that it is often written to tell all about you…what you love to do, what your life experiences have been, and what your training or qualifications are. Remember that your home page copy should focus on the specific benefits you offer to prospective clients or customers, not be a vehicle for telling about yourself. Frankly, people want to know from your website's home page copy what's in it for them. They don't care at that moment about your lifelong journey or about your personal views. They are reading your copy and asking, “What can you do for me to help me out of my present situation?“
Your website's home page can work to bring you prospective clients just like bees to honey. Just focus on BENEFITS rather than on features. Features explain what you offer, but benefits explain what someone gets in the end result of working with you. Prospects look for the benefit (what's in it for them).
Want to know more? Here's my blog post all about website planning.
Need help evaluating your current home page? You can get my eyes on your copy by clicking here.
Great tips Sue – I agree that your website needs to be focused on your client not yourself. A great way I’ve found when auditing a clients site is to have two coloured highlighters and highlight all the times the company is talking about themselves and all the times they are talking about the clients – it really helps to see visually if you have the balance right.
Heidi,
GREAT tip! Thanks for sharing.
Sue
Sue,
You know you are speaking my language. GREAT tips. I am amazed at how many people don’t think this through before launching.
Write on!~
Lisa Manyon
These are great tips Sue! I believe I cover them in my video. My newest website follows some other big marketers examples of having your blogs be on the home page. What do you think of that method?
My blog is on my home page, too, Jessica. 😉
With five seconds or less to get someone interested in reading more on
your web site everyone should do exactly as you say – follow these points
and if you have a web site already – review it and see if these points are clear.
I love the way you boil this down. Great points… great page. Love, Katherine.
Such great advice on making sure the visitor knows how you can help them. Keeping the focus of your copy on them helps them see why they should engage with you by opting in, contacting you or buying a product.
Sue these are excellent tips and ones I will take to heart as I look to refresh my web site in 2014.
Thanks Sue! This is the kind of information I can really use as I am currently revamping my website!