5 Essential Elements Your Homepage Is Missing

Your homepage is unquestionably the most important page of your website. One thing to remember is that you never get a second chance to make a first impression so it’s important you snag the traffic and filter that traffic into leads and then eventually customers.

1. Hero Image Banner

“a term used in web design for a specific type of web banner. A hero image is a large banner image, prominently placed on a web page, generally in the front and center. The hero image is often the first visual a visitor encounters on the site and its purpose is to present an overview of the site’s most important content. A hero image often consists of image and text, can be static or dynamic (e.g. a rotating list of images and/or topics).”
Hero images are the main object that draws your users in and you must make sure its perfect in describing who you are, what you do, and what you can do for the individual user.
They usually consist of a:

• Headline – Hook/Main message 1-8 words MAX (this is the biggest text)
• Sub headline – smaller text that goes into a bit more detail (1-2 sentences)
• Primary Call to Action – button/link that transports the user to purchase, call, email, etc.
• Supporting Image – Background image that goes with the theme of the service/product you are selling or promoting.

2. Supporting information

Building trust. Even though we are now advanced with computers as a society, many are still very skeptical about where they put their credit card information, and with good reason! A user should always be weary of entering their information anywhere on the web. Supporting information is essential to winning your users’ hearts especially the ones who question who you are, what you do, and why your product/service is right for them. It validates their question-ability about your company/product/service and allows them to move on with the call to action.
Supporting information can consist of:

• Benefits of your product/service
• Who you are
• Affiliate logos
• Social proof
• Reviews/Testimonials
• Success Indicators

3. Navigation

You want to always give your visitors a clear and concise path towards their intended destination from your homepage. It’s important to make sure the navigation is also visible at all times if possible. If your site is to include a search for products, make sure this object is prominent and always visible too. The purpose of a great navigation is to decrease bounce rates, you definitely do not want to waste your users’ time by leading them in the wrong direction. Some people get frustrated, especially when they cannot find what they are looking for.

4. Resources

the majority of users that come to your site will most likely not be ready to buy/sign up with you. This is normal. Include an area on the homepage where they can dive deeper and learn more about your product/service. This invites them to learn more about what it is they are looking for and it’s another item that helps you establish who you are and help with credibility.

5. Secondary Call-to-Action

Essential for getting a grasp on those who are not interested in your primary objective. “If the first net doesn’t get them, try with a second one.” Secondary call to actions should always be below the fold. They are meant to give the user an option in case they aren’t interested in what they’ve already seen.