A great homepage is the key to a successful website. It's the first thing that visitors see when they come to your site, and it needs to make a good impression.
If you want your homepage to convert visitors into leads or customers, there are certain elements that it must have. Here are 10 of the most important:
Have you ever been on a homepage website and found it visually appealing? From how the information is presented to how the overall design looks – all of these factors can play a role in whether you will stay on that website or leave it.
Now, imagine that you are looking for a specific product or service and find a website with everything you need: high-quality images, well-written product descriptions, customer reviews, etc.
You are likely to buy from that website, right? This is what we call a high-converting homepage.
In this article, we will show you the 10 elements that a high-converting homepage must have:
Here are the 10 elements:
- Branding elements: Brand name, Logo, and Color Scheme
- Catchy Headline
- Sub-headline
- A Hero Section
- Call-To-Action
- Navigation Menu
- Social Proof
- Feature and Benefits
- Contact Info
- High-Quality Images and Videos
What is a Homepage
A homepage is the main page of a website. Visitors typically see the first page when they arrive at a website. The homepage is used to provide an overview of the website's content and purpose.
The term "homepage" is derived from visitors typically seeing the first page. In this context, the word "home" refers to the homepage serving as the starting point or home base for users as they navigate through a website.
What is high conversion mean?
A high conversion rate is defined as the percentage of visitors who take the desired action on the website. This can be anything from making a purchase, signing up, calling, or downloading.
A high conversion rate means that your website is well-optimised, user-friendly, and relevant to your target audience, indicating effectiveness at achieving its goals.
In order to have a high conversion rate, every visitor must get the answers to the following questions when they are scrolling through your homepage.
- Am I in the right place?
- Do you have the product I’m looking for?
- How can you help me?
- I have a question. Can I ask you?
- Can I trust you?
So here are the 9 elements of a high-converting homepage.
1) Branding elements: logo, brand name, and colour scheme
The first thing visitors would notice when they arrive at your homepage is your branding. This includes your logo, brand name, and colour scheme. Your branding should be immediately recognizable.
Your logo should be placed prominently on the page, usually in the top left corner. The brand name sometimes is included, either beneath the logo or next to it. And finally, your colour scheme should be consistent with the rest of your homepage and website.
2) Catchy Headline
Your headline is usually the first text your visitor would read because, aside from being at the top, it is bigger than the rest on your homepage. You may think a headline looks short, so it is easy to make one. Well, you are wrong about that thought because making a catchy headline takes time. You need to study your target audience first and know what will hook them, then come up with a short, straightforward, and unique headline that would briefly tell your visitor what your business is and how they will benefit.
Learn more on how to make a headline
3) Persuasive Sub-headline
Your sub-headline should be distinct from your headline. If you take a look at different homepages, you'll notice that the sub-headlines are usually twice as long as the headlines. Sub-headline is an expanded message of your headline which provides more details. Most importantly, it should be encouraged to take action.
Some examples of a great sub-headline
4) A Hero Section
The hero section or the banner is usually the first thing visitors see when they arrive at your homepage. The hero section should be able to give a clear message of what your business is and how it can help your target audience. It should also have a high-quality image or video that is relevant to your business. You may want to include a call-to-action button on your hero section that encourages visitors to take action, such as "learn more," "sign up now," or "download."
5) Call-to-Action
Little Trailblazers Early Learning Center
A call-to-action button is a button that encourages visitors to take action. The text on the button should be clear and concise such as "learn more," "sign up now," or "download." The button's colour should contrast with the background so it would stand out and be more easily seen than the other elements on your home page. The size and shape of the button should also be taken into consideration. It should be big enough to be seen but not too big that it looks overwhelming.
6) Navigation Menus
Broadcasters' Child Development Center
The navigation menu allows visitors to instantly access the important pages of your website. The navigation menu is typically placed at the top (header) of the homepage or at the side. The menu items should be clear, concise, and easy to use so visitors can easily find what they are looking for.
7) Social Proof
Social proof shows visitors that other people have used your product or service and are happy with it. It is a form of validation that can help increase trust and confidence in your business. There are different ways to include social proof on your home pages, such as testimonials, customer reviews, ratings, media mentions, and awards.
8) Features and Benefits
Some homepages would have an overview section that lists the features and benefits of their product or service. This is usually placed after the hero section or above the fold. This is a great way to give visitors more information about your business and what it can do for them. It is important to remember that you should focus on the benefits rather than the features. Features are the things your product or service can do, but benefits are what your target audience will get out of it.
9) Contact Info
Tooney Town Early Learning Center
It is important to include your contact information on your homepage so visitors can easily get in touch with you if they have any questions or inquiries. The contact information should be placed in an easily accessible spot, such as the footer or the sidebar. You may want to include your email, phone number, or social media accounts.
10) High-quality Images and Videos
Images and videos are great ways to show visitors what your business is about. They can help provide more information and give a better understanding of your product or service. It is important to use high-quality images and videos that are relevant to your business.
These are just some of the elements that you may want to consider adding to your homepage to make it more high-converting. Remember that every business is different, so you should tailor your homepage to fit your specific needs.
Conclusion
A high-converting website is important in business because it helps you to achieve your marketing and sales goals. It also lets you track your progress and see how well your website performs. A high-converting website means success for your business.
By Shammika Munugoda
Shammika is the founder of Sproutling Media. He is a software engineer by trade turned digital marketing consultant helping chilrcare, early learning centres and daycare centres get in front of more parents, book more tours and generate more enrolments.
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