7 Must Haves on Your Business Website Homepage

There’s nothing more frustrating than visiting a new website and not being able to find the information you need. Today I’m sharing 7 must haves for your business website homepage.

1. Consistency

   Whether designing your own website or working with a designer, consistency is key. To make your site easier to navigate, establish a set of rules for your website that will keep the look and feel of your website consistent. Keep your fonts, colors, imagery, navigation and page layout consistent.

   For example, even though you might like a bunch of different fonts, in order to be consistent, I recommend only using two or three fonts for your entire website. Select one font for headlines and another for body copy. This will establish a consistent visual pattern your clients will easily understand.

2. Navigation

   When it comes to fancy tricks, website navigation is not the place to try them out. Instead, you want your navigation to be as clear and easy to read as possible. When clients visit your website homepage, they will expect to find a horizontal navigation along the top or a vertical navigation on the right. No need to differentiate from what is expected.

   Did you know our short term memory can only hold seven items? Therefore, if you have more than seven main navigation items, it makes it harder for clients to navigate your site. Plus, with less navigation choices, the more each link will stand out.

3. Site Purpose

   When clients arrive on your website, do they get a good understanding of what you do and how you can help them? You want to clearly communicate the purpose of your business so visitors stay engaged with your website. Visitors will leave your site if they are unsure of your purpose. You can communicate your purpose via a clear tagline or a welcome paragraph.

4. Branding

   Incorporating your branding into your website is a must. It helps establish your personality, character and tone. Place your logo at the top of your website. Your logo does not need to be huge. If it is too large it will take away from your site content. Incorporate your brand colors into your site too, starting with your homepage and keeping it consistent throughout. Plus, displaying a consistent brand throughout your site will make your site look professional.

5. A Personal Touch

   If you are an entrepreneur or small business, humanizing your homepage is key. Even though you may never meet your client in person, they still want to know who is behind the business. Place a photo of yourself on your homepage and another to the about page. If you can work with a photographer, I highly recommend it. They will be able to bring your vision to life. If you can’t splurge on a photographer right now, make sure your photo is well lit and fits with the look and feel of your website.

6. Call to action

   When potential clients land on your website homepage, what is your ultimate goal? Do you want them to sign up for your list, visit your about page, or read more about the services you offer? You should make your call-to-action central to your homepage.

7. Contact Information

   Along with a “Contact” link in your navigation, place contact information or another link to your contact page in the footer. Make it as easy as possible for potential clients to contact you.

Keeping these seven items in mind when designing or updating your website homepage will help to create an overall better experience for your website visitors. Keeping visitors engaged and happy when they visit your website will help transform them from visitors to clients.

Want some help updating your homepage? What are you waiting for? Schedule a web optimization call me with today!