What’s the first thing you do after meeting a new contact or hearing about a new brand? Bingo. You check out their website, usually landing on the homepage. The same is true for the folks you want to reach to grow your business. Your homepage is often the first impression a potential customer has of your brand. It's your chance to engage your prospects, capture interest and follow up and convert visitors into customers. If your homepage isn't performing as well as it could be, you could be losing out on valuable business. Here are 10 top killers of homepage performance and easy, affordable fixes that will yield big returns.
- No Clear Path - Are you crystal clear about the one main thing your website needs to do? If you’re confused, chances are, your visitors are, too. Confusion kills conversion. Do not pass go without filling in this blank: if nothing else happens, we want to make sure our visitors _______ (book an appointment, call us, shop our best sellers, understand our mission, etc.)
- Cluttered Design - Visitors get overwhelmed by cluttered homepage designs. Overwhelm = opt out. Make tough choices about what stays and what goes. Simplify! Use plenty of white space, clear headlines and easy-to-navigate menus.
- Slow Load Times - If your homepage takes too long to load, visitors will become frustrated and leave. Your website designer can help optimize images and use a caching plugin to speed up load times.
- Lack of Clarity - If your homepage doesn't clearly communicate what your brand is about and what you offer, visitors will quickly lose interest. Don’t try to say too much, or you’ll say nothing clearly. Use clear, concise language to convey your value proposition.
- Confusing Navigation - If visitors can't easily navigate your homepage, they'll quickly become frustrated and leave. Use clear menus and intuitive navigation to make it easy for visitors to find what they're looking for.
- No Social Proof - Testimonials, reviews and case studies help build trust in your brand. Include social proof to build credibility and trust.
- No Clear Call to Action - If your homepage doesn't include a clear call to action, visitors may not know what to do next. Provide one prominent call to action to guide visitors to their next step.
- Poor Mobile Optimization - If your homepage isn't optimized for mobile devices, you could be losing out on a large portion of your audience. Make sure your homepage is mobile-friendly and easy to use on all devices.
- Not Customer-Focused - If your homepage doesn't speak directly to the problem your target audience has, they may not feel like your brand gets their needs. Use customer-focused language and make it clear how you can help your user survive and thrive to make visitors feel like you understand their pain points and can help.
- Missing Key Information - If your homepage doesn't include key information, such as your business hours, contact information or how to take the next step, visitors may become frustrated and leave. Make sure all important information is easily accessible on your homepage.
- No Visual Hierarchy - If your homepage doesn't have a clear visual hierarchy, visitors may become overwhelmed and not know where to look. Use a clear visual hierarchy to guide visitors through your homepage and make it easy for them to find what they're looking for.
Gain business development, sales and lead generation return when you address these top 10 killers of homepage performance. We can help identify easy, affordable fixes for a homepage redesign that converts visitors into customers, increases your site’s stickiness, improves performance and boosts user satisfaction.
Learn more by booking a discovery call today.