BEST OF: 10-Point Checklist for Your Website Homepage
Designing the home page for your website may feel a little confusing, but when you have a clear understanding of the purpose this page serves, you’ll find it’s probably a lot easier than you think. We prefer to think of it like our online home and the homepage is like the foyer where we greet a new guest. We invite them in and give them the lay of the land to help them feel more comfortable, cozy, and empowered to get around on their own.
In this episode we walk you through our 10-point website homepage checklist so you can create a new page or improve on the one you already have.
Here’s what you’ll discover:
- The overall purpose of your website homepage so you can maximize your visitor’s overall experience, (and keep him/her on your website longer)
- Our 10-point homepage checklist and how to apply it to your website for better results
- Why going through this exercise will be an eye-opening experience for you so you’ll be able to improve your website marketing message to attract more dream clients
Today we’re bringing back a popular episode of the podcast that will walk you through our 10-point website homepage checklist. The good news is that you can design your website in phases; you don’t have to do it all at once. Since each page has its own unique purpose, it’s easy to start and stop one page at a time. Since your homepage will get the most visitors and it can also help you build your email list, that’s where we are starting.
Alright, let’s dive into our 10-point checklist.
#1: Navigation Bar
The navigation bar should be located at the top of your website homepage. At a minimum, it should include a tab for the about me page, paid programs/services and a contact me form.
#2: Search Icon
The search icon should also be located at the top of your website. It gives your website visitors the ability to search for keyword and topics within your side that interest them.
#3: Marketing Statement
Your marketing statement is a simple one sentence structure that shares who you help, how you help, and the outcome or transformation that you offer. It’s structured like this –
I help ______________ get ______________ result using ___________ method.
A great example from one of our Wellness Business Accelerator clients Karen Finn is:
Helping women lose weight and tackle menopausal symptoms with intermittent fasting and self-care strategies.
#4: Your Picture
It’s important to include your picture at the top of your website because as a personal brand you are truly selling yourself as much as you are selling the transformation that you offer. Your dream clients want to get to know you and by showing up at the top of your homepage you’ll start building a relationship and the know, like trust factor with them immediately.
#5: List Building Freebie
It’s important to add your list building freebie title near the top of your homepage as well. It should be visible on a desktop computer without needing to scroll down to find it, (which is called above the fold). You will capture the most emails from your website visitors in this location.
#6: Opt-In Box
The box for someone to add their email address should also be located above the fold. I recommend either just one box to capture their email address or two boxes, one for their first name and one for their email. The more boxes you add beyond that will discourage your website visitors from downloading your freebie.
#7: Direction/Guidance Buttons
Direction and/or guidance buttons should be located near the middle of your homepage. Think of these like shortcuts to the places on your site you most want to take your visitor. Just create three or four graphics and then hyperlink that graphic to the desired page or location.
#8: Testimonials
Since it’s likely that your website visitor will scan your homepage quickly it’s nice to include two or three brief testimonials from past clients.
#9: Latest Blogs
If you are someone that publishes a blog through your website it’s a good idea to add a summary of the last three blogs on your homepage. The idea is that when your website visitor scans the page a few of your recent blogs will capture their attention and then they’ll stick around to read them.
#10: Social Media Links
One of the easiest ways to get new social media followers is to include links from your website homepage to your main social media profile and business pages. We recommend that you link only to the social media platforms that you are active on. If you aren’t posting consistently don’t link to that platform.
Your website is your online home, and your homepage is the place where your website visitor can window shop the most important aspects of your site. In essence, you are building a mini customer journey just for your website homepage visitors.
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