Home Page Template

What would you guess is the most common mistake I see in business websites?

So many sites are guilty of this infraction, that I decided to write a quick post about it, and more importantly, how to fix it.

I’m going to outline a simple home page structure for above-the-fold.

Above-the-fold is what your visitor sees upon landing – it’s the screen right in front of them.

They’ll spend only a few seconds there before deciding if they want to scroll further, so it needs to be quite engaging.

Here’s the E-Z formula:

First, you’ll probably have some kind of banner or logo at the top. That’s fine – just make sure it’s pretty.

Next, probably below the navigation bar, you’ll put your headline. Your banner is not your headline – it’s your branding and no one cares that much about it so you’ll need a headline.

What kind of headline?

Not “Welcome!”

Not “Hi, my name’s Jane and I’m a copywriter.”

Not a reiteration of your banner.

One of the most interesting kinds of headlines is a question. People read questions, and then they try to answer them.

“Would you like to learn how to effortlessly save 10% of your income, starting with your next paycheck?” Sure!

Questions engage readers. Then they read on to see if you’re really the one to solve their problem, or even, just maybe, this time, the answer is in the copy.

So try asking a question for your headline.

Next include a short paragraph, not more than four lines, explaining who you work with and what problem your typical client has. Why so short? Visually, short paragraphs are less intimidating. If you’re asking a prospect for a time commitment, make it as easy as possible for them to comply.

Lastly, add a few bullet points. Visually, they’re fun to read. And they communicate the benefits you offer concisely and clearly.

Pretty good bullet points aren’t difficult to write, by the way. Great bullet points take years to master. If you want some resources on the greatest bullet point writers in copywriters, just ask me below.

As for the rest of the Home page, keep it simple and clean. The most important tip I can give you is…

Well, first let me ask you a question. What makes the most sales for you?

Your copy? Sadly for me, no.

Your website? No.

You? Unfortunately not.

Your offer? No again.

It’s your prospect. Whatever persuasion, assurance, convincing, or even coercion you perform, ultimately they’re the ones that make the sale. And they can be damn good salespeople if you let them.

So what’s the big infraction? Too much information. Don’t deluge your website with every detail about you and your business.  Make an elegant and compelling argument why you can provide the solution to your reader’s most pressing problem, and then let your prospect take over.