Imagine walking into a store, and instead of seeing products lining up on the shelves, you find none. It’s clean. There are no decorations even. When you came in, you realized that the door was not locked, so you naturally assumed it was open. However, now that you are inside, you are not sure if even this shop is open for business yet.
With that in mind, speaking from experience, one of the biggest mistakes that most of our users make is not setting up their site’s homepages the right way.
In fact, did you know that it takes approximately two seconds for customers to your website to decide whether they are going to stay or leave? Yes! Your site visitors are judging your brand based on your site’s design, and 38 percent of users have been reported to stop engaging with a business if they find their website layout and design unattractive.
With all that in mind, I’d like us to look at the four keys to creating an attention-grabbing homepage for your website.
Key 1: Optimize Your Website for Mobile
Is your website well optimized for desktops? Perfect!!
But what about mobile users? Has your site been optimized for that? After all, more than 85 percent of users say that a website’s mobile version should be as great as their website version so they can engage with it.
And if the mobile version isn’t at par with the website version, 57 percent of users have even gone as far as saying that they will not recommend the business to their family and friends because of the poor mobile optimization.
So, if you had been taking mobile optimization for granted so far, I suggest that you stop. Immediately work on creating some breakthrough design for your site’s mobile version, and you should see a significant boost in your site’s sales, engagement, and business.
Key 2: Use Attractive Visual Data and Images
The quality of your site’s home page design will highly rely on the visuals and images you place on your website. After all, the brain conveys 90 percent of the information through visuals and images. With that in mind, use attractive and relevant images that you think are perfectly aligned with your site’s structure.
In addition, to make your homepage even more powerful, you can represent any important data you would like to display on your site through visuals. It is one of my favorite ways to grab a user’s attention and make them read my numbers. Add to that the fact that everyone finds reading numbers in text form boring.
If you are not sure about how to go about any of this, then I suggest that you check out the homepage designs of various websites that you’d consider “the leaders in the industry your business is in.” Checking out what they have done with their business might inspire you to come up with some persuasive and eye-catching visual data for your site’s home page as well.
Key 3: De-clutter Unnecessary Elements on the Homepage
Every purpose you’d like served on your homepage should have an element of its own. Note, though, that too many elements on a website’s homepage are guaranteed to reduce user engagement on any website.
Most website users do not like crowds, and the only thing that a crowded homepage does is it makes some of your users anxious while distracting a majority of them from seeing what is actually important for them as well as your business.
Here is a great example. Can you imagine implementing a solid Call to Action (CTA) that boasts the ability to boost conversions only for it to fail to grab user attention due to the redundant crowd of elements on your homepage?
Key 4: Use Your Homepage to Highlight Problems Your Visitors Might Be Experiencing and How You Can Help Them
I’d like you to stop telling your site visitors how amazing your business is, how you offer the best service, use the greatest techniques, or the latest equipment. A majority of them do not care about that, and the remaining portion might not even believe you.
Instead, start making your homepage about how your services and products can resolve any issues the customers might be having. Please take this opportunity to showcase that you understand everything they are going through and comprehensively explain why you’re the authority when it comes to solving their issues.
You could also go as far as explaining the process and roadmap you’ll use to help them out. Also, instead of using words such as “we”, use alternative words such as “you.” Write the homepage’s copy as if you were talking to a specific customer over a cup of coffee.