10 Important Things to Showcase on Your Homepage
1. Logo
Your company’s logo is like a condensed version of your brand. When people see it, they’ll immediately think of your business and the products and services you offer. That’s why it’s so important to make your company logo visible on your website’s homepage. Consider big-name brands like Apple, McDonald’s, and Amazon—upon hearing their names, you likely conjured up a mental image of their logo automatically. Conversely, if you were to see any of these companies’ logos, you would immediately be able to identify the brand, even without seeing the brand name. Include your company’s logo on all business materials—especially your homepage—so that consumers can more easily identify and connect with your brand.2. Call to Action
If you want to convert a casual website visitor into a paying customer, you have to provide them with a little encouragement. A call to action invites visitors to take a specific action that benefits your business. This could mean prompting visitors to purchase a product, get a quote, sign up for an email list, or something else. For example, take a look at the homepage of MySmartMove, an online tenant screening service. One of the very first things you see when you navigate to their website is a big bright button that says, “SCREEN TODAY”. They get right to the point by stating how they can help landlords and prompting immediate action from website visitors.
3. Navigation Menu
Make it easy for visitors to explore your website by including a simple navigation menu on your homepage. You can either post navigation links at the top of the page or include an expandable navigation menu on the side. This will enable visitors to navigate to different sections of your website and explore everything your company has to offer.4. Engaging Photos or Illustrations
Adding some appealing visual elements to your website’s homepage is essential. Not only can compelling pictures, illustrations, and other designs make your website look good, but they can also serve a practical purpose. For example, if you create a website for your flower delivery service, you might include high-quality photos of some of the best flower arrangements on your homepage in order to immediately communicate to visitors the service you perform and the value you offer.5. Reviews
Posting customer reviews, testimonials, and other forms of positive feedback on your homepage can help reassure potential customers who are considering whether to work with you or your competition. You can talk up your business all day, but in reality, every business claims to be the best at what they do. The average person is more likely to be won over by reviews from real people rather than your word. If you need an example of what this looks like, check out the Intuit ProSeries homepage, which places customer reviews and testimonials front and center.
6. Contact Information
It should be easy for visitors to your website to get in touch with you. Make it simple for them to call, email, or otherwise contact you to place orders, ask questions, give feedback, and more by placing your company’s contact information in a prominent position on your homepage. You might include company social media links as well so that people who are interested in your services can follow you and stay up-to-date with what you have to offer.7. Search Function
A search function can be an incredibly useful feature, especially if your website hosts a lot of content. Don’t force visitors to sift through page after page to find what they’re looking for. A search function allows them to type in exactly what they’re interested in and find it with the click of a button.8. Footer
Although a footer may seem like an afterthought, it can really make your website user-friendly and functional. When a visitor scrolls down to the bottom of your website’s homepage, they should be able to see links to different pages on your website, contact information, social media links, company information, and maybe even a prompt to sign up for your mailing list.9. Key Features
Somewhere on your homepage, you should make it clear what your company’s key features are. What does this mean, exactly? Your company’s key features are what makes you different from the competition. Highlight the products or services you offer, explain what separates you from the competition, and harp on what makes you unique.10. Awards and Certifications
Showcasing awards and certifications on your website can go a long way in winning over the trust of potential customers. Awards, certifications, and other accolades can make you appear competent and accomplished in the eyes of someone who’s debating whether they should use your services or someone else’s. Highlighting these accomplishments can be especially helpful for a personal website, where you’re trying to market yourself online to your target audience.
Putting together a great website for your business is the first step in any effective digital marketing strategy. If you want to optimize your website, it may be a good idea to use web analytics to measure its real-world effectiveness. Keep track of your web data, regularly maintain your website, and implement some of the above homepage features to achieve your business goals!
About the Author:
Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. He is currently a contributing editor for 365 Business Tips. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys the San Diego life, traveling, and music.
