When it comes to your website’s homepage, the goal is to capture your audience’s attention, inspire them to stick around and explore your website, and ultimately to become paying clients. 

Although your homepage is just one piece of your brand’s communication infrastructure, it’s most likely the first thing your potential clients will see, therefore it’s what will determine their first opinion of you and your business – and as you probably know, you only get one first impression!

There are endless websites online today, and we’ve become quick to hit the back button if we don’t quickly find what we’re looking for. So, today, I’ll be sharing 8 things every homepage needs to include to convert more website visitors into paying clients.

Consistent and Authentic Branding

Before you invest in hiring a website designer, or even if you’re DIYing your website, it’s important to be clear on your brand. Your website homepage is ultimately an expression of you and your business, especially if you’re a service-based brand and someone that your clients will be forming a relationship with. 

While it’s important to speak to your ideal client, you’re first and foremost selling a relationship with YOU through your homepage. So, when someone lands on your website, they should be able to get a clear sense of who you are, what your brand stands for, and what their experience working with you will be like. Your brand will inform the messaging, words, phrases, look and feel, and even the overall design and layout of your website. 

The goal here is to attract people who are the right fit for your business, so knowing what you stand for and what your values are is crucial for designing your homepage.

An Effortless Navigation Menu

The navigation menu travels with your visitors throughout their experience on your website.

Here are my top navigation rules: 

• Place your navigation menu at the top of your homepage - the most obvious place your website visitor will look for it.
• Limit the number of menu items so your website visitor isn’t overwhelmed by options.
• Make menu items succinct and clear - this isn’t the place to get creative with words.

If you want to go more in-depth into the rules of website navigation menus, click here to read that blog post!

Your Name and Title

Adding these to the top of your homepage makes it easy for your clients to understand who you are and what you do. If you have a version of your logo that already includes your business name and title, then that may do well on its own! If not, be sure to introduce yourself on your homepage in a short “About Teaser” section that links to your About Page.

Headline

Your homepage headline is the first thing your website visitor sees when they land on your website. Not only should it be clear, but it needs to make your ideal clients feel seen and understood by addressing who you work with and the problem you help them solve or goal you help them achieve. 

For example, a yoga business coach could write, “Guiding yoga teachers to build six-figure online brands.”
A business coach for new entrepreneurs could write, “Calling all corporate rebels who are ready to leave their 9-5!”

Opt-In

To continue nurturing the relationship with your new lead after they leave your website, it’s important to offer them a free gift on your homepage in exchange for their name and email. 

Something that solves a problem and gives them a quick win - quizzes, resource guides, checklists, or even a short video course can be great for this. 

While you can include more in-depth, detailed opt-in forms further down your website, it’s important to keep this first one short and to-the-point – and I recommend keeping it towards the top of your homepage and/or in a pop up that appears a few seconds after someone lands on your homepage.

While this section is important to the strategy of your website, it shouldn’t hold you back from creating and publishing your site if you don’t have your freebie figured out yet! A temporary solution could be to offer a free consultation on your homepage.

Introduction

The introduction is the place to elaborate on your headline. Say a little bit more about your ideal client, the problems you help them overcome and results you help them achieve. I recommend keeping this section to around 1-3 short paragraphs.  
We have templates, formulas and examples for this (and all other parts of your homepage) inside the Impact Tribe.

Site Compass

Your site compass is an important section of your homepage because it links to the parts of your website that you most want your website visitor to explore. This is a great place to highlight your programs, different ideal client segments (if you have more than one), free content, or any other main features of your website. 

Other options to include in this section are your blog feed, social media links, podcast episodes, or other forms of “rich media” that feature your expertise and engage your ideal client.

Social Proof and Testimonials

Have you been featured on other websites or media channels? Have you worked with big-name clients? Do you have show-stopping testimonials? If so, featuring those on your homepage not only shows off your expertise, but it also builds trust among your readers and shows them that your knowledge has been put into practice, and succeeded, in the past. I always recommend keeping this section on your homepage fairly short and general, so it applies to anyone visiting your homepage. 

The secret to helping people stick around, rather than overwhelming them with lots of text and explanations about you and your work, is to think about your homepage as a directory for the rest of your site – you want to share succinct sections that then direct people to the other parts of your site that you want them to explore.

If you’re ready for more in-depth courses and trainings on how to build your website in a way that inspires and attracts your ideal clients, then join us in the Impact Tribe!

You’ll get immediate access to several courses designed help you create the best possible version of your website, including, “The Attention-Grabbing Homepage Blueprint,” complete with building blocks, formulas, and templates for building your website homepage. Learn more and join us today at the link below!