5 Things a Home Page Should Have to Increase Conversion Rate
The homepage is the most visited page on the majority of websites. Often, the majority of site visits will start on the homepage. What makes the homepage even more important is that all the other pages tie back to it. Whenever a site visitor feels lost, all they have to do is return to the homepage to start over. As such, a poorly designed and weakly optimized homepage can cost your business. You will most likely be losing customers if site navigation is a problem. Here are five expert tips to help you improve the quality and functionality of your homepage to help increase conversion rate on your website.
Cut out the clutter
Clutter, or unnecessary distractions, could be costing you big time. These “sideshows” divert the visitor’s attention to elements that add no value to the lead conversion process. Wordy texts, for example, only confuse the reader, complicating the decision-making process. Cutting the text in half could increase your conversion rate by 58%, according to a recent study by Nielsen. Advertisements are another common distraction. Cut out any form of clutter if you want to boost your conversion rate.
Communicate value
Once you cut out the clutter, the overarching message becomes apparent. Next, you should ensure that the message is clear and powerful enough to convince visitors to take action. In essence, you need a discernible value proposition – a reason for the visitor to choose you over the competition. Is it lower prices? Higher quality products? Or, perhaps better customer service? If you can get visitors to buy into that proposition, you’re halfway to making the sale. To appeal to your visitors more, combine different forms of content (text + images + videos) when communicating the value.
Increase trust
You’ll need a lot more than words here. For example, you’ll need to provide proof of customer satisfaction. You can provide proof by using testimonials and user reviews. You also need to make it easy for visitors to verify the accuracy of the information on your site. This can be done through citations, well-known publications, and source material. Company photos, a link to your blog, contact information, and security badges such as the MacAfee shield are other ways to prove your trustworthiness.
Work on your CTAs
First off, you need as few CTAs on your homepage as possible. The experts at Outgrow.co recommend having two to three CTAs – one or two above the fold and the other below the fold. The most important CTA should be placed in the middle or just off-center. Secondly, use a contrasting color for the CTA buttons to make them stand out from the rest of the page. Blue and green buttons seem to work the best. Additionally, leave plenty of white space around your CTAs, so they are prominent and easily visible. The best CTAs are short, contextual, and to-the-point.
Test, test, and test some more
In digital marketing, success only comes from continuous improvement. If you want to grow, you need to find out what you’re doing wrong and correct it. This is why testing is crucial – it allows you to uncover your mistakes. Prioritize A/B (split) tests, in particular. In fact, you should always have several A/B tests running at any given time. When combined with measurement and analytics, the tests will continually open your eyes to new growth opportunities. Some of the elements you want to test include; headlines, page layouts, offers, different media, and CTAs.
Remember, No Jargon
The above tips should set you on the path to more leads and increased conversions. However, be sure to avoid the use of jargon where possible, those technical terms only confuse site visitors. Start employing these techniques and you should start to see a difference in your website conversions.
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