Five Steps To A Killer Home Page

Your home page is the first view many visitors have of your site, and it is likely to be the most viewed page on your site. We have found five ways to keep customers on your site and get them coming back for more, and the way to achieving this is to ask the five questions that your customers are asking themselves…

1. Who are these guys?
The instant a visitor lands on your site she must know what company's site she is on and what you sell or offer. The stronger your branding, the more likely your customer is to return.

2. Do they have what I want?
Visitors need to see the specific products or services that they came for; otherwise they will use their back buttons and go shop at one of your competitors' sites. If your navigation's not leading them on a clear path to the relevant pages then you might as well slam the door in their face.

3. Why am I here?
Your site has to be compelling and must catch their attention. If your copy and layout are dull as ditchwater you'll send your visitors to sleep, rather than to the checkout. However, don't be too quirky or slick; or you run the risk of falling foul of question four…

4. Do I trust these people?
As well as generating interest you have to generate trust. Remember this might be your only chance to make an impression. If you come across as too pushy or too smooth then your customers will be making a move for a site where they feel more comfortable.

5. Why are they telling me all this?
Resist the temptation to give too much information on your home page. If you drown your visitor in facts the least you will do is confuse them. The more clicks they have to make or the further down the page they have to scroll to find what they want; the less likely they are to stay interested.

Research indicates that most visitors take ten seconds or less to decide not only whether they can see what they want to buy on your site but also whether they like the feel of the site. Your home page will make the difference between a site that converts and a site that falls flat on its face.