When you get people onto your website, you need to grab their attention right from the off. With so many different alternatives out there, it is more than likely that they are going to look elsewhere if your homepage does not fit the bill. There are several different elements that make a great homepage, and we are going to be looking at some of them right here and now. While you still want to stamp your own individuality onto the site as well, there are some crucial elements that are certainly worth bearing in mind.
Start with a Simple Design
The problem that many people have with a website design is that they typically tend to overthink it. This means that they have too much going on all at once, which can be overwhelming to the visitor. As much as possible, you should reduce this temptation as keep the homepage as simple as possible. Make sure that you have plenty of clean, white space. This way, people will be able to work out what is going on and will not be too dazzled by clever graphics etc.
Make Sure That You Have a Mobile Version
With so many people accessing the internet on their phones, it makes sense that you create a version of your site that is specifically for mobiles. Otherwise, people are going find themselves having to use a substandard version of your site, which is obviously not going to give them the best first impression. In fact, they may not even stick around to see what you have to offer! In the modern world, it is easier and easier to create a separate part of your site which is just for mobile use, so you have no excuse not to do it! Make sure that you test everything before it goes live to ensure that there are no issues.
Quick Loading
Another one of the main reasons why people may not even get to your site in the first place is the fact that the loading time is not quick enough. In fact, it is estimated that around 40% of website visitors are not even going to make it past the homepage unless it loads within a period of 30 seconds or less. Again, this is where an overly complicated design can cause a major issue. So, if your site is currently all singing and all dancing, it may be the case that you need to simplify it somewhat. There are tools out there that you can use to measure the loading speed of your website, so it makes sense that you take advantage of these.
Write a Great Opening Message
The opening message of your website needs to grab attention right from the start. Make sure that the tone of voice matches what you have already crafted for your brand. It should also include some sort of call to action of what you want people to do when they are actually on the site. When you greet website visitors, you want to make each and every person feel special. It is worth tinkering about with it until it is right. Also, you may want to rotate the welcome message from time to time to ensure that people who visit your website on more than one occasion can be kept engaged.
Make the Navigation Straightforward
Your next area of responsibility is to ensure that you have a site that is easy to navigate. Any kind of confusion needs to be kept to a minimum. Therefore, you need to think about your subheadings and what you place under each of them. Again, the navigation system needs to be just as easy to use on a phone as it is on a laptop or a desktop computer. Some testing here can also help out, which is largely based on the fact that you can iron out any problems before they actually occur in the first place, which is obviously going to be a major plus point.
Think About Adding a Proactive Live Chat Function
Live chat has quickly become the method that many people prefer to use when they are trying to get in touch with companies. However, you will have no doubt noticed that many websites have a chat box that appears from the moment you log onto the site. This way, any issues or questions can be addressed without people actually having to get in touch themselves. If they do not wish to use this function, they can simply ignore it and look elsewhere on your site. Studies have been conducted that show that conversion rates are higher for the sites that have this function rather than those that do not.
Choose a Great Call to Action
When you get people onto your website, your next step is to choose a call to action that is going to get them to do something. It could be that you would like them to sign up to an email list. Perhaps you would like them to visit the blog page or get in contact with you. Many modern businesses utilize a subscription model, so you may be trying to get them into an introductory first month trial or something similar.
Launch a Welcome Video
While some people are not very willing to read through reams of content all at once, they may be willing to watch a short video that explains everything that you are all about. Obviously, it should not be a feature length documentary and should instead be just a few minutes of well-prepared and interesting content. Make sure that the video is accessible with subtitles, and you can ensure that as many people as possible can understand all about it.
Ultimately, using a combination of these different techniques is the best way that you are going to grab the attention of your audience right from the start. Whatever you do, your site needs to look clean, attractive, and enticing.