Persuasive Website Design: Part 5 of 8
Principle #5 – Welcome Home
When you enter someone’s home for the very first time, you get a sense of that individual’s personality by the décor, fragrance(s), sounds, or other items that greet you as you arrive. You often form a positive or negative impression based on that experience, and you definitely decide if you ever want to return. Well, it’s no different with your company’s website. A WELCOMING HOMEPAGE is an entrance to your company’s virtual home, so be sure to include elements that are a consistent representation of your brand. To keep your visitors coming back, show and tell them that they are important to you by incorporating these tips:
• Design for Your Audience – Similar to your website navigation, design your homepage with your target audience(s) in mind. What’s the most important information your visitors or customers need first? Are your target audiences more professional or fun? Incorporate design elements and copy that will appeal to them while demonstrating your brand personality. Make sure you have at least one Call to Action and it’s clear and easy to find.
• Be Attractive – Since your website is often your customer’s first impression of you, it should be visually appealing. Images often speak louder than words, so select powerful images that convey your business personality. Also, be sure to optimize your images and other graphics for fast upload throughout your site. If your site takes too long to load—especially your homepage—you risk losing potential customers.
• Answer the 5Ws and H – Remember these from school? Information that answers the “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How” questions should be prominent on your site. Clearly identifying your website’s goal on the homepage will help your site visitors understand if this is the right site for them.
• Tell Them What to Do – In this case, you’re not being bossy; you’re being helpful. It’s important to let your site visitors know what their next steps should be. Include a clear and compelling call to action to guide them to your desired goal. Items like “Download our eBook,” “Register for our free webinar,” or “Contact us to learn more” are examples of a clear call to action.
• Offer New Content – A static homepage is like seeing the same advertisement over and over. Eventually, you skip it. Fresh content is an influencing factor for a welcoming homepage—it encourages visitors to return to find out what’s new, and it will help improve your website’s search engine optimization.
• Keep it Simple – It’s important to highlight key information on your website’s homepage without overwhelming your visitors. Otherwise, in their efforts to see everything, your visitors may see nothing and abandon your site.
A well-designed homepage invites your visitors (customers) into your company. It builds trust and credibility, and customers want to buy from people and companies they trust. Take a quick look at your homepage. Does it feature the items discussed here? Have trusted colleagues view your site and offer helpful suggestions.
Next up… don’t be the weakest link! Ensuring that Website Links Work is a critical yet often overlooked design principle. Until then, I welcome your comments or questions below.
If you’d like to know more or discuss your specific situation, I’m happy to offer a FREE 30-minute consultation. Simply send me an email.