How to Create the Best Home Page for Your Business Website

Attracting targeted traffic to your website is only half the problem.  The other half is engaging those visitors once they arrive and converting them into customers.  Since most visitors will find their way to your home page, it had better be a conversion powerhouse.  How do you create the best home page for your business website?

Create your best home page by thinking like a visitor

If a visitor already knows you and was referred to your website, then the home page design is much less critical.  They are already “warm prospects” and will go to extra effort to engage with you via your site, even if it’s painful to do so.  So ignore this group.

Focus instead on first-time visitors.  They could have arrived from anywhere.  They don’t know you.  They don’t know what you offer.  They don’t know if your offer is for them.  They don’t know if  they should trust you.  And they’re not prepared to spend more than 5 seconds on your site unless you immediately answer these questions for them.  Yikes!

The best home page is one that effectively engages these first-time visitors.

Every new visitor proceeds through these steps in sequence.

It doesn’t matter how good your proposition is if your first impression is awful.  It doesn’t matter how trustworthy you are if your proposition is unclear.  It doesn’t matter how clear your next steps are if you haven’t provided reasons to trust you.

If your home page fails at steps 1, 2, or 3, then your visitor will never take the action (step 4) that you want them to.

1. First Impression

First impressions matter.  Studies show that visitors to a web site will form an initial emotional reaction within 1/20th of a second!

They don’t read anything during this short time (they can’t!).  The reaction is entirely visual and visceral.

With effort you can create a fantastic first impression, but it’s not necessary.  The most important thing at this stage is to not repel your ideal customers by creating an unpleasant or unexpected experience.  The best home page provides a coherent experience free of negative surprises.

Bottom line:  Don’t give your visitors an emotional reason to leave before they read even one word on your page.

2. Proposition

Congratulations.  Your first impression was OK, so now the visitor will give you 5 more seconds of their attention.  What will you do with that precious time?

You need to do one thing in those 5 seconds — convey your proposition.

You can answer these questions with a combination of images and brief text.  Well-selected images convey ideas more quickly.  Text must be kept very brief and scannable because the visitor hasn’t yet committed to spending the time required to actually read anything.

If you fail to immediately and clearly answer these 3 critical questions, your visitors will likely leave. The internet provides unlimited choices.  Every visitor knows that if your website doesn’t meet their needs, they can probably find another one that does.

The best home page convinces a visitor to stop looking.  It gets them to say “Wow, I get it! This is just what I was looking for!”

For more on how to create an effective and succinct proposition, I highly recommend “The Irresistible Offer” by Mark Joyner.

Bottom line:  Immediately convey your most compelling proposition.

3. Trust

If your proposition connects with a visitor’s needs, they will next look for reasons to trust you.  This can be conscious or subconscious on their part.

And if they really like your proposition, they will want to find reasons to trust you.  Make it easy for them.

Trust can be conveyed in many ways.  You’ve already earned some trust by effectively navigating steps 1 and 2 above.  Additional trust building generally comprises professional endorsements and social proof, with the latter being more important for many businesses.

Which of these is most important for you will depend on your business type.

But in nearly all cases, testimonials and case studies are immensely valuable and should be proudly featured on your home page.  When your visitor can see himself or herself reflected in another customer’s raving testimonial or results-oriented case study, that confers immense trust.  Include pictures and names to make them more believable.

The best home page gives the visitor clear reasons to trust what you promise in your proposition.

Bottom line: Substantiate your proposition claims with compelling trust-building page elements.

4. Action

Now that we’ve effectively fulfilled your visitor’s needs, it’s his turn to fulfill your needs.  Now he’s ready and willing to engage further with your site.  What do you want him to do?

You need to decide what actions you want your ideal customers to take after landing on your home page.  Best is a single action.  Next best is a single emphasized action with additional de-emphasized actions.

Why is singular action focus important?  Because choices often lead to hesitation and confusion, which lead to clicking the dreaded “Back” button.

Your visitors don’t want to be offered a buffet.  And they certainly don’t want to be invited to rummage through your site like a filing cabinet.  They want to be led to their ideal experience.

The best home page provides a single, clear, compelling call-to-action button.

For the best book on the subject, read “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug.

Bottom line: Know the action that you want your new visitors to take, and lead them clearly to it.

Conclusion

If you’re driving targeted customer traffic to your web site, and especially if you’re paying to do so, you need your home page to convert those new visitors into customers.

To do this, you need to understand the sequential needs of your visitors and then design your best home page with them in mind.

Web design is part art and part science, but it’s not magical.  Follow these steps, and watch more of your visitors become great customers for your business.