The Importance & Power Of A Great Homepage
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First impressions online matter! And while you might get a second opportunity to make a second impression face-to-face with prospective customers or clients, you don’t get that opportunity with a poorly designed and miscommunicated homepage.
In less than a minute (the stats will explain it below), a customer can form an entire opinion about your business and your brand, deterring them from progressing any further on your site. That results in less traffic, fewer leads, fewer conversions and ultimately, fewer sales and profits.
It’s why creating a powerful homepage is crucial to your business’ overall success. You have the opportunity to boost your credibility and turn those first impressions into a powerful lead converter.
We’ll dive a little deeper into why your homepage is so important to your business and how you can make it better than ever before!
How Important is Your Homepage?
There is only one way to determine how important your homepage is to your business: taking an in-depth look at these eye-catching statistics!
According to Business 2 Community, “94% of first impressions on websites are designed related”, telling you that if your homepage isn’t immaculately designed, users are going to jump off. In fact, “judgements on a company’s credibility are 75% based on the company’s website design,” further highlighting the importance and credibility of your website.
KoMarketing says that “36% of visitors will click on the company’s logo to reach the homepage”, which means if you think people aren’t going to click on your homepage, you’re wrong. They also state that once on a company’s homepage, 86% of visitors want to see information about that company’s products/services, 64% want to know the company’s contact information, and 52% want to see “about us” information. What does this mean? Precise information is essential for your homepage.
Which brings us to another point: keeping your users on your site. “38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout are unattractive“, so if your homepage is not looking amazing, it’s going to stop users from searching and interacting with your site. The same applies to your homepage’s main image. According to CXL, “users spend an average of 5.94 seconds looking at a website’s main image,” which shows us the importance of creating an attractive homepage.
Furthermore, “users spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at a website’s written content,” highlighting the importance of engaging, attention-grabbing content. Coupled with Hubspot stating that “if given 15 minutes to consume content, two-thirds of people would rather read something beautifully designed than something plain”; brings together the “simple is more” approach to website design and content.
Finally, and hugely important, Business 2 Community highlights that “70% of small business websites lack a Call to Action (CTA) on their homepage”, which ultimately means fewer reduced opportunities to convert leads.
These stats prove one thing: creating a powerful homepage is essential for your website’s success.
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What You Can Do To Make Your Homepage Better
Creating an effective homepage can be broken down into three distinct sections: design, content and user experience. We take a look at some key techniques that can enhance each section, therefore improving your homepage overall.
Improving User Experience
Simple, obvious navigation is necessary if you want people to carry on past your beautiful homepage. Don’t make it difficult to find your way through your website. Simplicity wins! That applies to everything from contact information and about us to Call-To-Actions, which should be open and in the audience’s face.
CTAs are often so tucked away in the design and content that people don’t notice it. Also, make your CTAs relatable to your product or service. Consider GiftRocket, which has its CTA right in the banner and plays on its brand “Send A Gift Rocket”. It works every time.
These CTAs should also be viewed and accessible through mobile and devices. Which brings us to another point: it’s 2021; people are using their phones and pads more than computers. It makes sense that your homepage has to be adaptable to both. “Indeed, mobile minutes accounted for 77% of online time in the US in 2019,” according to Statista.
Finally, speed matters. A second or two delay, and people will jump off your homepage. Ensure that your website loads quickly by reducing clutter in your code and huge image or video files. No one is going to stick around to see them if they’re too slow to load.
Content for Homepage
Hook them in personally! It’s that simple. You need engaging content that speaks to your audience on a personal level. Are they looking for machinery? Speak to them on a blue-collar level. Are they professional? Then concise and sharp content is needed. If you don’t believe in this personalized approach, consider that Forbes stated that” 34% of consumers are more likely to make an unplanned purchase if a brand personalizes content”.
Through your personalized content, you should make it obvious what you do! Take, for example, Colz Electrical’s homepage. It makes it clear: they’re electricians and offer high-quality services. Compare that to Gates & Fences, which we kind of assume it does gates and fence, but do what exactly? The site is too messy and improper. The answer is simple: make it clear what you do.
Amidst all the content creation, make sure that you target your audience. As Anne Holland, a columnist for Chief Marketer, recommends, “80 percent of the Home page to the needs of your main audience“. She has a point and one you should follow.
Homepage Designs
Consistency is key to your design; your homepage should not divorce itself from the rest of your website design. Ensure that every part of your website flows in tandem, enhancing your branding while providing a last impression on your entire website.
From there, you should utilize a “less is more” approach to your website design. People don’t want clutter on homepages; they want clear and concise information, neatly displayed. For example, according to Usability Geek, focus on “single focal point”, “a hierarchy of content”, which should be “precise And crisp”, while offering a “simplification of navigation”.
Continue with this approach by keeping your ideas simple and aim to promote one thing with your homepage. Is it to make a lead, build brand awareness, or do you want a video or no? There’s no value in putting a lot of stuff on your homepage, stuffing it completely. Keep it simple and concise. If you follow along with brand consistency and the “less is more” approach, you’ll be able to create a smart, sharp homepage that works.
About the author
Tarek Mohajer
Passionate about growth, technology, and marketing, Tarek is an initiator, thought leader, and trail-blazer in the Calgary business community. Driven by a dream, Tarek founded GrowME Marketing to help local businesses grow and prosper through their online presence. GrowME is one of the fastest growing digital marketing companies in Alberta. Doubling in size since its conception in 2013, GrowME has helped hundreds of businesses reach their goals of increased online leads and more conversions. Their mission is to outrank, outsell, and outgrow the competition through website design, branding strategies, PPC Marketing, and search engine optimization. Better growth begins with GrowME.
As the founder and leader of multiple businesses, Tarek has achieved his high school dream of becoming a 'successful businessman,' but the goal doesn't end here. Speaking in front of crowds of over a hundred, Tarek continues to share his story of perseverance, inspire young people with a vision of victory, and contribute consistently to the business and entrepreneurial world.
