The home page is typically where most site visitors will enter your website. It can determine whether a prospective customer is intrigued and eager to learn more, or is instead confused, frustrated and turned-off. Let’s face it – your home page is one of the “Money” pages on your website, so it better be effective.
Therefore, it would behoove you to spend time revisiting your home page and making sure that it answers these fifteen fundamental questions to drive your business results.
15 Questions to Measure the Strength of Your Home Page
1. Who are you?
Does the home page make it explicitly clear who you are, including your company name, your logo and your tagline? Is it clear if you are a services firm, retailer, wholesaler, manufacturer, B2B firm, or B2C firm, etc.?
2. What are your products or services?
You would be shocked at how many websites do not make this clear on their home page, but instead assume that of course the site visitor knows exactly who they are and what they sell. Big mistake. Don’t assume anything.
3. What can I do here?
Assuming you make it clear what you sell, is it just as clear what the site visitor can do on your site, whether it be a purchase, a download of a free trial, or engagement in a community?
4. What’s your identity?
Are you professional and reliable? Are you cool and cutting-edge? Are you fun and silly? Make it clear on the home page, and then be consistent with your identity throughout the site.
5. Is your design helping you?
Too many small business owners think that just having a website is good enough regardless of what it looks like, and they sacrifice design. Remember, though, that site visitors are real people, and they get it when a site is amateurish.
6. What’s your differentiation?
Clarify how you are different, and the unique value you offer the site visitor. Do you offer the highest quality? Are your prices the cheapest? Do you have the broadest selection? Is your customer service absolutely amazing?
7. What does the website include?
The home page needs to ground the new site visitor. Does your home page provide a clear view as to what’s included in the site from a high level? Does it answer the visitor’s question of “What can I find here?”
8. Are you being a “tease”?
Like the cover of a magazine, your home page should entice new site visitors to want to check out additional pages. This can be anything from special promotions to free eBooks to announcements of upcoming events.
9. You don’t force me to scroll, do you?
Is your home page succinct and to the point? Or are you expecting your site visitors to scroll and scroll and scroll to read everything you have to tell them? Remember, many people do not scroll.
10. Is your home page scan-able?
Most website visitors do not read through an entire page, but instead scan the page. To that end, it’s important that you are providing them with visual cues, such as headers, subheads, images, movies, links, etc. And remember to leave sufficient white space on the page – clutter can be a major obstacle to website usability.
11. Do you provide timely content?
If you are a publisher, do you make the latest and freshest content clear and easy to find? If you are offering a special promotion, is it prominently displayed?
12. Do you weight your home page elements according to importance?
Is every element on your home page the same size and treatment? If so, are you sure you are not paralyzing your site visitors? Are you sure that your home page is scan-able (see above)? Allocate different weights to the different elements on your home page to ensure the page is guiding visitors in line with your business priorities.
13. Why should I trust you?
Many site visitors have no clue who you are, yet they always have options for going elsewhere on the web. Therefore, it’s critical to convey a sense of trust. This can include trustmarks such as from the Better Business Bureau, association membership logos, associated charity logos, a link to your privacy policy, etc.
14. Do you include clear Calls to Action?
Does your home page clarify what the site visitor is supposed to do next, whether learn more, download, view a comparison table, purchase or otherwise?
15. Where’s the pizazz?
Your site visitors are real people. Don’t bore them to tears. Add pizazz to your home page, but realize that this does not mean bells and whistles. Focus on delivering a deeply satisfying experience. This could mean an insightful solution to their biggest problem, an amazing client testimonial, a free widget, a free book, a community or a resource center.
These are just a few tips to help you create a great website that drives your business success. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
