February 3, 2025 • 17 mins
Your homepage is like the trailer for your website; it needs to grab attention and set the tone for what’s inside. In this episode, I’m sharing why it’s best to design your homepage last and what elements are essential to make it clear and engaging for your visitors.
I’ll also talk about some tips for keeping things simple yet effective, like how to guide visitors toward their next step and the role your homepage plays in connecting with your audience. If you’re starting fresh or updating your website, this episode offers practical advice to guide you.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Janice Hostager (00:04):
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
Hey, hey, and welcome back toMy Weekly Marketing.
(00:36):
Today we're diving into one ofthe most important and sometimes
overlooked parts of yourbusiness: your website homepage.
Why?
Because your homepage has a bigrole to play.
It's sort of like yourbusiness's first date with
potential customers.
It's where they decide if theywant to swipe right or click
away.
So you need to jump in fast tomake sure that you sweep the
right visitor off their feet.
(00:57):
No pressure, right?
But no worries, today we'rebreaking it all down.
I'm talking about what shouldgo on your homepage to make
visitors feel seen, intriguedand ready to take action.
Stick with me, because by theend of the episode, you'll know
exactly how to turn yourhomepage into a magnetic
money-making machine.
All right, ready to dive in?
(01:19):
Okay, here we go.
Now.
.
.
As a former art director, I loveme a well-designed homepage, so
it pains me a little bit to saythat without the right
messaging, your beautiful sitewill just take up space in the
ether.
Messaging needs to drive thedesign bus, not the other way
around.
Trust me on this.
Design is important, but it'snot a hill you want your website
(01:42):
to die on.
So today we're going to talkabout what content to include on
a homepage, both above the fold, at the very top, and below it,
what to include in yournavigation, and a couple of
questions about homepages that Iget asked a lot, so let's roll.
Okay, there's a lot to considerwhen designing a homepage, but
(02:03):
the thing I want you to rememberis that the primary job of the
homepage is to introduce yourbusiness and get the right
customer to take the next step.
Basically, you want yourvisitors to fish or cut bait.
If they're in the right place.
Your homepage is a launchingpad to another part of your site
.
It's the front door that leadsto a wonderful world of your
(02:23):
business, and we need to makesure it not only has curb appeal
, but it's very high functioning.
So where do you start with ahomepage?
If you're designing your entirewebsite?
In my opinion, you actuallyshould not start with your
homepage.
I like to have it be the lastpage of your design of the
website, and here's why.
Think of your homepage like amovie trailer.
(02:44):
It's meant to give visitors asneak peek of what's inside.
By waiting, you have a clearerunderstanding of your site's
full navigation, the keymessages from your other pages
and the actions that you wantyour visitors to take.
Your homepage is not the mainact.
It's merely the doormanushering the visitors to where
they want to go.
Also, when you design yourhomepage first, it's tempting to
(03:07):
either cram in too much contentor too little.
When you design it last, it'seasier to highlight the
essentials and determine whichelements deserve prime real
estate and how to organize thatinformation to guide visitors
where you want them to go.
So before you start designingyour homepage or anything on a
website, it's important to keepin mind that your website is
(03:29):
marketing and it goes withoutsaying that before you do
anything in marketing, you needto start with your ideal
customer and their needs.
Without a thoroughunderstanding of that customer,
your marketing can drift off themark.
You know how, when an airlinepilot starts off just a few
degrees off where they want togo and they end up in a
completely different destinationcity?
Marketing without understandingyour ideal customer is like
(03:52):
that too.
Nobody likes to spend time andmoney on something that doesn't
work, right?
So take some time and do somedigging if you don't know
everything you can about yourideal customer.
To make that easier, I have afree ideal customer profile that
you can download atjanicehostagercom forward slash
customer and I'll put that linkin the show notes too.
(04:13):
So what to include in yourhomepage?
Even when you're inspired, thehomepage can be challenging to
write, but here's what I like toinclude.
Obviously, your homepagecontent has a lot to do with the
type of business you have, butthere are some basics that you
need to make sure are includedon a good homepage.
Let's start with the top of thepage, commonly known as above
the fold.
That's the area of the pagethat's visible without scrolling
(04:35):
further down.
That part of the page ispivotal because users are
inclined to scroll further downonly if they like what's
displayed above the fold and itcaptures their interest.
So the content above the foldserves as the determining factor
on whether users will engage onyour site or not.
So first, include who you are,what you do and who you do it
(04:57):
for.
Ensure that your logo andbusiness name are prominently
displayed, usually in the uppercorner or in the upper center,
but you'll need more than a logo.
Many businesses fail to putinformation about exactly what
they do.
So on the top of the page youmay have, for example, Smith and
Associates in your logo type,but a visitor won't be able to
(05:18):
tell that if you're an attorney,insurance agency or an
accounting firm or somethingelse.
So spell out exactly what youdo in your headline tagline or
in a subhead.
Smith Associates, ArizonaEstate Planning Attorneys.
For example.
If you own a cleaning company,you may specialize in commercial
buildings and clean offices, oryou may clean private
(05:39):
residences, so your headlinemight be I clean homes for busy
families in Austin.
Some businesses like to beclever with their headline, but
clever confuses customers and aconfused mind to not buy.
So it's best to be clear and tothe point.
I know it's not as much fun,but clarity always wins.
Trust me on that.
(05:59):
This can and should also beyour value proposition.
What you do, who you do it forand what makes you unique.
Next, tell your customers whatthey need to do for their next
steps.
So I like to include a call toaction button above the fold on
the home page.
It could be something simplelike find out more or schedule
an appointment, or just a linkto the next step on your site
(06:21):
that you want them to take.
People like to be told what todo next, so it's extremely
effective.
Of course, you also need toinclude your navigation menu.
For this, use a concise andintuitive menu structure that
helps users find informationefficiently and it's grouped in
a logical way.
It's easy to overload yournavigation menu.
(06:42):
Ideally, limit the main menu tofive to seven items.
I like what Donald Miller saysput the main pages in your
navigation menu and add the restof the links to the footer what
he calls the junk drawer.
By now, people know to checkfor the footer if they can't
find something, and if you havea big site, you can include a
search bar so people can searchfor the information that they're
(07:03):
looking for.
Use descriptive labels that areeasily understood by your ideal
customer and that people wouldsearch for on Google.
If you have a blog, don't callit something like words of
wisdom or advice from the owner.
Stick with common terms thatdon't allow misinterpretation
and that will show up in aGoogle search result.
(07:23):
There's a place for creativityin marketing, but that isn't it.
The last thing to include abovethe fold is a hero image.
For an image, make sure that itloads quickly, since a huge
image can slow down loading timeand that negatively affects
your search engine optimizationor your SEO.
This is especially important ona mobile device, since they
(07:44):
already are subject to thesignal strength and may already
load a little slower anyway.
There are some tricks that yourweb developer can do or help
you with, such as lazy loading,but generally it's best to find
a happy balance between photoquality and loading speed.
If you're not sure how long ittakes to load your page, Google
has a free page speed checkerthat I'll put a link to in the
(08:05):
show notes.
If you're wondering what theimage should be of, I like to
include a photo of my idealcustomer as they look when their
problem is already solved.
So a happy, relaxed person,right?
A happy person conveyspositivity, which creates an
inviting atmosphere for your webvisitors.
(08:26):
Sometimes people want to put afrustrated before image on the
page and, although they maycatch someone's attention, that
also conveys negativity ordissatisfaction.
Remember, people buy on emotion, so you don't want to welcome
somebody to your site with anegative image.
Personally, I'm not a huge stockimage fan.
If you have the means to getsome professional photos done, I
(08:47):
highly recommend it.
Or if you do need to choose astock image, pick one that looks
a little less stocky and morerealistic.
There are definitely a lotbetter options out there these
days.
Even using Canva.
I would also avoid using AIgenerated image, at least until
the quality improves a littlebit.
Also, people always ask meabout background video above the
(09:08):
fold.
Although this kind of creates acool look, it can also be
really distracting for thevisitor.
Again, if you know your visitorwell and your page loading
speed is good, you can certainlyconsider it.
But before you make that choice, go back to your industry, your
(09:29):
brand, your ideal customer anddecide if it's appropriate.
Okay so, once you have the areaabove the fold worked out, it's
time to tackle the rest of thepage.
Here are a few generalrecommendations.
First, people don't really readonline.
They skim.
So use short sentences, shortparagraphs, bullet points and
easy to read copy.
Stick to a fifth grade readinglevel and use words that
resonate with your idealcustomer.
(09:50):
So avoid like slang, jargon andin-house abbreviations if your
audience doesn't know whatyou're talking about.
Remember, a confused minddoesn't buy.
But here's where design becomesimportant.
Arrange your elements to guideyour visitor's attention
logically, with the mostimportant information
prominently displayed toward thetop of the page.
(10:11):
Give users a clear startingpoint by assigning a visual
prominence to key information,that's, bigger headlines, maybe
some graphics.
They're going to get moreattention than smaller images or
smaller headlines.
Also, many studies suggest thatyour eyes skim a webpage from
the top left to the bottom right, either in an F shape or a Z
(10:33):
shape.
That's something to keep inmind when you're placing more
important things on your page.
You also want to writebenefit-oriented copy, so
clearly state the benefits ofyour products or services,
focusing on how they solve theuser's problems.
So don't talk about thefeatures of a car, for example,
with four-wheel drive.
Talk about the benefits of howfour-wheel drive will help you
(10:57):
get through snow without gettingstuck, but first remind them of
what their problems are.
Agitate things a little bit sothey remember why they're there
and so they know that youunderstand their issue.
They don't want to hear aboutyou.
They want to hear about how youcan help them get through their
problem.
Focus on their pain, not yourproduct.
Next, also focus on three tofour easy steps to getting their
(11:21):
problem solved.
Simplify it so you make it lookeasy.
It might be as simple as one,click here to schedule an
appointment.
Two, we'll come out to yourhome and fix your dishwasher.
And three, we'll be in and outin within two hours, or
something like that.
So you want to make the wholeprocess look as easy and
painless as possible and youwant them to be able to see the
(11:44):
end solution before they evenstart doing business with you.
Also, on the homepage, it's goodto include trust indicators.
These could be clienttestimonials, awards,
certifications or maybe somenational affiliations, or
perhaps it's other businessesthat you've worked with.
They say to your visitor (12:01):
I am credible and I know my stuff.
Also, a little social proof cango a long way in persuading
someone to do business with you,especially if that feedback is
authentic or really impressive.
So including reviews and quotesfrom happy customers can
provide that.
I like to include them on thehomepage and throughout the rest
(12:22):
of the website.
Moving down the page.
I also like to add a thanks forvisiting freebie.
Often people are not ready tobuy when they first visit your
site, or they just want to do alittle more research.
But you don't want them to goaway and not come back, so I
like to include a freebiedownload that gives them
something valuable, focused ontheir pain points.
(12:42):
Have them enter their emailaddress to get it and then set
up an email automation with youremail service provider, such as
Kit or MailChimp, so you canfollow up with them with an
email nurture sequence.
You can learn more all aboutthis in episode 45 too.
But it could be a free download, it could be a discount coupon,
(13:03):
it could be free shippingwhatever is appropriate for your
business.
Then, at the bottom of the pageor even the top corner, I like
to include social media links.
It kind of encourages visitorsto connect with you on other
platforms too.
They might not be ready to buyat the time they visit your
website, but they might be readyfor a social media follow.
(13:23):
So that's my list of what Irecommend on your homepage, but
I also want to share someanswers to a couple of questions
I get asked quite a bit.
Okay, question one for optimizedSEO or search engine
optimization, how often should Iupdate the homepage of the
website?
This is always a great question.
Remember, your website is aliving thing.
(13:44):
You'll want to keep updating itand improving it as you go, and
Google really likes that too.
So for optimized SEO, it's agood idea to update the homepage
regularly, but the exactfrequency really depends on your
business and your industry andthe purpose of your website.
Regular updates tell the searchengines that your site is
(14:05):
active and relevant.
It's also a good chance for youto integrate new keywords or
improve existing ones, or justgive a little refresh for your
frequent visitors.
I like to make updatesquarterly at a minimum, but
here's a pro tip.
Use dynamic content thatupdates automatically with an
RSS feed, so you can incorporatesections like latest news,
(14:28):
recent blog posts or upcomingevents that update automatically
as you add that new content tosomewhere else on your site.
But if that's not an option,you can also easily refresh key
messages or headlines, clienttestimonials or case studies, or
just add promotions to yourhomepage.
Just remember to remove expiredpromotions also when they
(14:52):
expire, since outdatedinformation can hurt your SEO.
Okay, the next question I get alot is what keyword is best for
the homepage of the website?
The best keyword for thehomepage of your site depends on
your business, your targetaudience and what you're trying
to rank for.
So here's how to choose theright keyword.
First of all, focus on yourprimary business or service.
(15:14):
So your business might be ayoga studio, and so you might
wanna say yoga classes in Dallas, for example.
And what terms are your idealcustomers searching for when
they look for your product orservice?
Think about pain points orspecific solutions in terms of
questions they might ask, suchas who can diagnose a problem
(15:34):
with my oak tree?
Then use tools like GoogleKeyword Planner or Ubersuggest
to find those keywords and makesure they're added to your
headline subheads or H2s, oryour H2 headlines, your second
level headlines and your bodycopy, and behind the scenes, in
your page description.
As always is the case withkeywords, the ideal keyword has
(15:54):
a high search volume, whichmeans lots of people are looking
for it, and a low to mediumcompetition, so it's easier to
rank for.
If you're in an industry thathas some big players, you're not
likely to be able to competewith them on their big budgets
with highly searched for terms.
So that would be the broaderterms.
So pay more attention tocompetition when choosing a
(16:16):
keyword and maybe optimize yourpage for a more focused keyword
or include a location.
If you have a local business,for example, you're going to be
more likely to rank highly for aterm such as coffee shops in
Cedar Park, texas, which is asuburb of Austin, than to rank
for coffee shops in Austin.
So it's sometimes as simple asjust adding a little more detail
(16:39):
to your keywords.
One thing that I really want tomention is that you or your web
developer are likely designingyour site on a desktop or laptop
computer, but and this candiffer by industry but most
website visitors use a phone tovisit their sites.
So remember to check it onmobile before publishing to make
sure everything flows correctlyand looks like you want it to.
(17:03):
A lot of sites are calledresponsive because they can go
from full width to mobile width,but sometimes you get a
little-- things get a littlefunky and they overlap and
things like that happen.
So just double check it beforeyou publish it on a phone to
make sure it all looks great.
So that's it.
By incorporating these elements, you can create a homepage that
(17:25):
not only attracts visitors butalso effectively communicates
your brand's message andencourages user engagement.
To learn more about anything Italked about today, visit
myweeklymarketingcom forwardslash 93 in the show notes or
get the transcripts and if youliked what you heard, please
subscribe.
Thanks for joining me today.
(17:52):
See you next time.
Bye for now.
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
Hey, hey, and welcome back toMy Weekly Marketing.
(00:36):
Today we're diving into one ofthe most important and sometimes
overlooked parts of yourbusiness: your website homepage.
Why?
Because your homepage has a bigrole to play.
It's sort of like yourbusiness's first date with
potential customers.
It's where they decide if theywant to swipe right or click
away.
So you need to jump in fast tomake sure that you sweep the
right visitor off their feet.
(00:57):
No pressure, right?
But no worries, today we'rebreaking it all down.
I'm talking about what shouldgo on your homepage to make
visitors feel seen, intriguedand ready to take action.
Stick with me, because by theend of the episode, you'll know
exactly how to turn yourhomepage into a magnetic
money-making machine.
All right, ready to dive in?
(01:19):
Okay, here we go.
Now.
.
.
As a former art director, I loveme a well-designed homepage, so
it pains me a little bit to saythat without the right
messaging, your beautiful sitewill just take up space in the
ether.
Messaging needs to drive thedesign bus, not the other way
around.
Trust me on this.
Design is important, but it'snot a hill you want your website
(01:42):
to die on.
So today we're going to talkabout what content to include on
a homepage, both above the fold, at the very top, and below it,
what to include in yournavigation, and a couple of
questions about homepages that Iget asked a lot, so let's roll.
Okay, there's a lot to considerwhen designing a homepage, but
(02:03):
the thing I want you to rememberis that the primary job of the
homepage is to introduce yourbusiness and get the right
customer to take the next step.
Basically, you want yourvisitors to fish or cut bait.
If they're in the right place.
Your homepage is a launchingpad to another part of your site
.
It's the front door that leadsto a wonderful world of your
(02:23):
business, and we need to makesure it not only has curb appeal
, but it's very high functioning.
So where do you start with ahomepage?
If you're designing your entirewebsite?
In my opinion, you actuallyshould not start with your
homepage.
I like to have it be the lastpage of your design of the
website, and here's why.
Think of your homepage like amovie trailer.
(02:44):
It's meant to give visitors asneak peek of what's inside.
By waiting, you have a clearerunderstanding of your site's
full navigation, the keymessages from your other pages
and the actions that you wantyour visitors to take.
Your homepage is not the mainact.
It's merely the doormanushering the visitors to where
they want to go.
Also, when you design yourhomepage first, it's tempting to
(03:07):
either cram in too much contentor too little.
When you design it last, it'seasier to highlight the
essentials and determine whichelements deserve prime real
estate and how to organize thatinformation to guide visitors
where you want them to go.
So before you start designingyour homepage or anything on a
website, it's important to keepin mind that your website is
(03:29):
marketing and it goes withoutsaying that before you do
anything in marketing, you needto start with your ideal
customer and their needs.
Without a thoroughunderstanding of that customer,
your marketing can drift off themark.
You know how, when an airlinepilot starts off just a few
degrees off where they want togo and they end up in a
completely different destinationcity?
Marketing without understandingyour ideal customer is like
(03:52):
that too.
Nobody likes to spend time andmoney on something that doesn't
work, right?
So take some time and do somedigging if you don't know
everything you can about yourideal customer.
To make that easier, I have afree ideal customer profile that
you can download atjanicehostagercom forward slash
customer and I'll put that linkin the show notes too.
(04:13):
So what to include in yourhomepage?
Even when you're inspired, thehomepage can be challenging to
write, but here's what I like toinclude.
Obviously, your homepagecontent has a lot to do with the
type of business you have, butthere are some basics that you
need to make sure are includedon a good homepage.
Let's start with the top of thepage, commonly known as above
the fold.
That's the area of the pagethat's visible without scrolling
(04:35):
further down.
That part of the page ispivotal because users are
inclined to scroll further downonly if they like what's
displayed above the fold and itcaptures their interest.
So the content above the foldserves as the determining factor
on whether users will engage onyour site or not.
So first, include who you are,what you do and who you do it
(04:57):
for.
Ensure that your logo andbusiness name are prominently
displayed, usually in the uppercorner or in the upper center,
but you'll need more than a logo.
Many businesses fail to putinformation about exactly what
they do.
So on the top of the page youmay have, for example, Smith and
Associates in your logo type,but a visitor won't be able to
(05:18):
tell that if you're an attorney,insurance agency or an
accounting firm or somethingelse.
So spell out exactly what youdo in your headline tagline or
in a subhead.
Smith Associates, ArizonaEstate Planning Attorneys.
For example.
If you own a cleaning company,you may specialize in commercial
buildings and clean offices, oryou may clean private
(05:39):
residences, so your headlinemight be I clean homes for busy
families in Austin.
Some businesses like to beclever with their headline, but
clever confuses customers and aconfused mind to not buy.
So it's best to be clear and tothe point.
I know it's not as much fun,but clarity always wins.
Trust me on that.
(05:59):
This can and should also beyour value proposition.
What you do, who you do it forand what makes you unique.
Next, tell your customers whatthey need to do for their next
steps.
So I like to include a call toaction button above the fold on
the home page.
It could be something simplelike find out more or schedule
an appointment, or just a linkto the next step on your site
(06:21):
that you want them to take.
People like to be told what todo next, so it's extremely
effective.
Of course, you also need toinclude your navigation menu.
For this, use a concise andintuitive menu structure that
helps users find informationefficiently and it's grouped in
a logical way.
It's easy to overload yournavigation menu.
(06:42):
Ideally, limit the main menu tofive to seven items.
I like what Donald Miller saysput the main pages in your
navigation menu and add the restof the links to the footer what
he calls the junk drawer.
By now, people know to checkfor the footer if they can't
find something, and if you havea big site, you can include a
search bar so people can searchfor the information that they're
(07:03):
looking for.
Use descriptive labels that areeasily understood by your ideal
customer and that people wouldsearch for on Google.
If you have a blog, don't callit something like words of
wisdom or advice from the owner.
Stick with common terms thatdon't allow misinterpretation
and that will show up in aGoogle search result.
(07:23):
There's a place for creativityin marketing, but that isn't it.
The last thing to include abovethe fold is a hero image.
For an image, make sure that itloads quickly, since a huge
image can slow down loading timeand that negatively affects
your search engine optimizationor your SEO.
This is especially important ona mobile device, since they
(07:44):
already are subject to thesignal strength and may already
load a little slower anyway.
There are some tricks that yourweb developer can do or help
you with, such as lazy loading,but generally it's best to find
a happy balance between photoquality and loading speed.
If you're not sure how long ittakes to load your page, Google
has a free page speed checkerthat I'll put a link to in the
(08:05):
show notes.
If you're wondering what theimage should be of, I like to
include a photo of my idealcustomer as they look when their
problem is already solved.
So a happy, relaxed person,right?
A happy person conveyspositivity, which creates an
inviting atmosphere for your webvisitors.
(08:26):
Sometimes people want to put afrustrated before image on the
page and, although they maycatch someone's attention, that
also conveys negativity ordissatisfaction.
Remember, people buy on emotion, so you don't want to welcome
somebody to your site with anegative image.
Personally, I'm not a huge stockimage fan.
If you have the means to getsome professional photos done, I
(08:47):
highly recommend it.
Or if you do need to choose astock image, pick one that looks
a little less stocky and morerealistic.
There are definitely a lotbetter options out there these
days.
Even using Canva.
I would also avoid using AIgenerated image, at least until
the quality improves a littlebit.
Also, people always ask meabout background video above the
(09:08):
fold.
Although this kind of creates acool look, it can also be
really distracting for thevisitor.
Again, if you know your visitorwell and your page loading
speed is good, you can certainlyconsider it.
But before you make that choice, go back to your industry, your
(09:29):
brand, your ideal customer anddecide if it's appropriate.
Okay so, once you have the areaabove the fold worked out, it's
time to tackle the rest of thepage.
Here are a few generalrecommendations.
First, people don't really readonline.
They skim.
So use short sentences, shortparagraphs, bullet points and
easy to read copy.
Stick to a fifth grade readinglevel and use words that
resonate with your idealcustomer.
(09:50):
So avoid like slang, jargon andin-house abbreviations if your
audience doesn't know whatyou're talking about.
Remember, a confused minddoesn't buy.
But here's where design becomesimportant.
Arrange your elements to guideyour visitor's attention
logically, with the mostimportant information
prominently displayed toward thetop of the page.
(10:11):
Give users a clear startingpoint by assigning a visual
prominence to key information,that's, bigger headlines, maybe
some graphics.
They're going to get moreattention than smaller images or
smaller headlines.
Also, many studies suggest thatyour eyes skim a webpage from
the top left to the bottom right, either in an F shape or a Z
(10:33):
shape.
That's something to keep inmind when you're placing more
important things on your page.
You also want to writebenefit-oriented copy, so
clearly state the benefits ofyour products or services,
focusing on how they solve theuser's problems.
So don't talk about thefeatures of a car, for example,
with four-wheel drive.
Talk about the benefits of howfour-wheel drive will help you
(10:57):
get through snow without gettingstuck, but first remind them of
what their problems are.
Agitate things a little bit sothey remember why they're there
and so they know that youunderstand their issue.
They don't want to hear aboutyou.
They want to hear about how youcan help them get through their
problem.
Focus on their pain, not yourproduct.
Next, also focus on three tofour easy steps to getting their
(11:21):
problem solved.
Simplify it so you make it lookeasy.
It might be as simple as one,click here to schedule an
appointment.
Two, we'll come out to yourhome and fix your dishwasher.
And three, we'll be in and outin within two hours, or
something like that.
So you want to make the wholeprocess look as easy and
painless as possible and youwant them to be able to see the
(11:44):
end solution before they evenstart doing business with you.
Also, on the homepage, it's goodto include trust indicators.
These could be clienttestimonials, awards,
certifications or maybe somenational affiliations, or
perhaps it's other businessesthat you've worked with.
They say to your visitor (12:01):
I am credible and I know my stuff.
Also, a little social proof cango a long way in persuading
someone to do business with you,especially if that feedback is
authentic or really impressive.
So including reviews and quotesfrom happy customers can
provide that.
I like to include them on thehomepage and throughout the rest
(12:22):
of the website.
Moving down the page.
I also like to add a thanks forvisiting freebie.
Often people are not ready tobuy when they first visit your
site, or they just want to do alittle more research.
But you don't want them to goaway and not come back, so I
like to include a freebiedownload that gives them
something valuable, focused ontheir pain points.
(12:42):
Have them enter their emailaddress to get it and then set
up an email automation with youremail service provider, such as
Kit or MailChimp, so you canfollow up with them with an
email nurture sequence.
You can learn more all aboutthis in episode 45 too.
But it could be a free download, it could be a discount coupon,
(13:03):
it could be free shippingwhatever is appropriate for your
business.
Then, at the bottom of the pageor even the top corner, I like
to include social media links.
It kind of encourages visitorsto connect with you on other
platforms too.
They might not be ready to buyat the time they visit your
website, but they might be readyfor a social media follow.
(13:23):
So that's my list of what Irecommend on your homepage, but
I also want to share someanswers to a couple of questions
I get asked quite a bit.
Okay, question one for optimizedSEO or search engine
optimization, how often should Iupdate the homepage of the
website?
This is always a great question.
Remember, your website is aliving thing.
(13:44):
You'll want to keep updating itand improving it as you go, and
Google really likes that too.
So for optimized SEO, it's agood idea to update the homepage
regularly, but the exactfrequency really depends on your
business and your industry andthe purpose of your website.
Regular updates tell the searchengines that your site is
(14:05):
active and relevant.
It's also a good chance for youto integrate new keywords or
improve existing ones, or justgive a little refresh for your
frequent visitors.
I like to make updatesquarterly at a minimum, but
here's a pro tip.
Use dynamic content thatupdates automatically with an
RSS feed, so you can incorporatesections like latest news,
(14:28):
recent blog posts or upcomingevents that update automatically
as you add that new content tosomewhere else on your site.
But if that's not an option,you can also easily refresh key
messages or headlines, clienttestimonials or case studies, or
just add promotions to yourhomepage.
Just remember to remove expiredpromotions also when they
(14:52):
expire, since outdatedinformation can hurt your SEO.
Okay, the next question I get alot is what keyword is best for
the homepage of the website?
The best keyword for thehomepage of your site depends on
your business, your targetaudience and what you're trying
to rank for.
So here's how to choose theright keyword.
First of all, focus on yourprimary business or service.
(15:14):
So your business might be ayoga studio, and so you might
wanna say yoga classes in Dallas, for example.
And what terms are your idealcustomers searching for when
they look for your product orservice?
Think about pain points orspecific solutions in terms of
questions they might ask, suchas who can diagnose a problem
(15:34):
with my oak tree?
Then use tools like GoogleKeyword Planner or Ubersuggest
to find those keywords and makesure they're added to your
headline subheads or H2s, oryour H2 headlines, your second
level headlines and your bodycopy, and behind the scenes, in
your page description.
As always is the case withkeywords, the ideal keyword has
(15:54):
a high search volume, whichmeans lots of people are looking
for it, and a low to mediumcompetition, so it's easier to
rank for.
If you're in an industry thathas some big players, you're not
likely to be able to competewith them on their big budgets
with highly searched for terms.
So that would be the broaderterms.
So pay more attention tocompetition when choosing a
(16:16):
keyword and maybe optimize yourpage for a more focused keyword
or include a location.
If you have a local business,for example, you're going to be
more likely to rank highly for aterm such as coffee shops in
Cedar Park, texas, which is asuburb of Austin, than to rank
for coffee shops in Austin.
So it's sometimes as simple asjust adding a little more detail
(16:39):
to your keywords.
One thing that I really want tomention is that you or your web
developer are likely designingyour site on a desktop or laptop
computer, but and this candiffer by industry but most
website visitors use a phone tovisit their sites.
So remember to check it onmobile before publishing to make
sure everything flows correctlyand looks like you want it to.
(17:03):
A lot of sites are calledresponsive because they can go
from full width to mobile width,but sometimes you get a
little-- things get a littlefunky and they overlap and
things like that happen.
So just double check it beforeyou publish it on a phone to
make sure it all looks great.
So that's it.
By incorporating these elements, you can create a homepage that
(17:25):
not only attracts visitors butalso effectively communicates
your brand's message andencourages user engagement.
To learn more about anything Italked about today, visit
myweeklymarketingcom forwardslash 93 in the show notes or
get the transcripts and if youliked what you heard, please
subscribe.
Thanks for joining me today.
(17:52):
See you next time.
Bye for now.
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