There are a few things to keep in mind as you're writing a homepage. Your overall goal when writing a homepage is to convert visitors into customers. It’s your job to give a visitor what they are looking for and convince them why they should continue to stay on the site, and why they should become a customer.
In essence, a good homepage should answer a question and tell a story. When speaking to our potential customers, we should tell them what services we provide and how it can make their lives better. Next we should explain why this company is the best place to find what they are looking for and then we should deliver a call to action, telling them to call us or contact us online to schedule an appointment. The homepage should also provide links to the most important pages or services.
The first thing visitors see on our site is usually the headline, therefore, it’s important to tell them what the company does and what makes them the best possible choice. Headlines should be kept to two lines max, so creating the perfect headline can be difficult.
Because it can be difficult to say everything that we want to say while keeping our headline clear and concise, we can use a subhead and introductory text to support our headline. These should be placed directly underneath the headline.
In the example above (from accabasements.com), the headline explains what services the dealer offers and what area they service. The subhead helps to highlight what makes ACCA Basements the best contractor for the job. The introductory text explains in more detail what the company does and helps to build trust (explaining that the company has more than 50 years experience).
People visit our dealers’ websites because they are looking for a solution to a problem, whether it’s someone to fix their wet basement, repair their damaged foundation, make their home more energy efficient, or to replace their roof. We need to show our visitors that we understand their problem and offer the solution they are looking for. We need to clearly describe our products and services.
This example uses text and a call-out box to show the customer that this company is capable of handling a variety of common problems:
Because visitors tend to skim the page, using call-outs or bullet lists is a great way to help break up blocks of text, while highlighting important information or things that we think our customer might be looking for.
Links that best serve the needs of a majority of visitors should be used throughout the page. Our “service grid” is helpful to use for a dealer that offers a lot of services. The service grid is also a great way to link to the most important pages within the site.
The service grid and other homepage tools can be found in the “New Toolkit” in devtest11 in the CMS: http://johntest.basementsite.com/styleguide/
As a customer, I want to know exactly what's in it for me. It’s important to explain the benefits of how solving the customers' problems will improve their lives.
The example on the right (from northernflorida crawlspace.com) explains to the customer how fixing their basement or crawlspace will help to control mold, get rid of musty odors, and create an overall healthier home.
Now that you have explained what the company does and how the customer can benefit, it’s now your job to explain why customers should choose this company’s services over their competitor.
Things you might mention are any warranties, like the lifetime transferable warranty on basement waterproofing systems; unique products and features; and any special financing options, rebates or incentives that are available.
Call-outs (like the one on the left) are a great way to feature the main benefits of the company. Things to mention include years of experience (as long as it’s more than 8 years), if they provide free estimates, types of services, etc.
The text below also explains to the customer why ACCA Basements is better than their competitor: patented, state-of-the-art products; certified and trained specialists; and backed by a national network.
After telling potential customers what we do, how we can improve their lives, and why they should choose us to get the job done, we now need to get them to where they need to go or tell them what they need to do next (Remember: our ultimate goal is to convert them into a customer, so we should make it simple for them). Use links and buttons to take them to the estimate form, service area, or a products page. Here’s an example:
A call to action should be placed toward the upper to middle part of the page, and then again at the bottom. A special call-out box does not need to be used both times. For example, you might use a callout (like the one above) in the middle of the page, and then use only text (and a link) at the bottom of the page, like this:
Anytime we can connect with our customers on a more personal level, we should. A great way to do this is by including information that’s pertinent to where they live. For example:
In this example (from northernflorida crawlspace.com), we show the customer that we have experiencing working in conditions that are common of this area and dealing with problems that are similar to theirs.
Whenever you use a photo, it should also have a caption.
Photo Captions are helpful!
![Our [state] Service Area](/images/layout/service-area-map-sm.png)
