You can easily re-purpose content from one medium to another. This post is from a speech I gave a few weeks ago to my Toastmasters group titled 4 Homepage Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make. It took just minutes to edit and post to my blog. You can do the same with speeches, blog posts, white papers, sales sheets and more. It's already written, why not re-use it!
Thank you for the kind introduction, it's great to be here with my fellow Toastmasters.
4 homepage mistakes you can't afford to make.
Think of a visitor’s first look at your homepage as a fleeting moment of truth. Will she stay engaged? Or will she click away?
And what causes visitors, especially first time visitors, to do just that, click away and look for another website?
In the short amount of time I have, let me discuss four mistakes that website owners often make on their homepage that turn off visitors. And how to correct them.
Homepage Mistake One
Your Steering Wheel is on the Wrong Side
Did you know that in the US it is not illegal to manufacture a car with the steering wheel on the right side? So why don’t American car makers do it? It would certainly make their car stand out!
Thing is, people aren’t used to driving on the right side. They’d find it annoying. After all, what do we say about the British? Their steering wheel is on the wrong side.
It’s the same with your homepage. You want your content elements where people expect to find them.
Where do you naturally look to find the name of the company on a homepage you haven’t been on before? That’s right, the upper left corner. Place your company name, logo, and tagline in the upper left corner of your homepage.
And place your navigation menu at the top or the left side of the page. Your headline and lead text above the fold.
Make it easy for your visitors to get oriented so they can find what they’re looking for.
Homepage Mistake Two
You Fail To Tell Your Visitors What’s in the Can
Too many homepages take forever to let visitors know what the business does. I’ve seen headlines like: “Be Warm, Be Cool, Be Green” or “We Provide Impact.” How do I know what these businesses do?
It’s like being in the canned vegetable section of the supermarket and the cans are turned around so all you see is the text on the back. But there’s nothing that tells what’s actually in the can. Where are the green beans! That would be frustrating, wouldn't it?
Make it easy for visitors to know what you do and what you offer in your headline above the fold.
Tell your visitors what’s in the can.
Homepage Mistake Three
Your Lead Text is All About You
People generally find your website because they have a problem. They aren’t looking for you yet, they don’t even know you exist. They’re looking for answers. So after they look and see your company name in the top left and read your headline that tells what you do, they know they’re in the right place.
Now is not the time to give them an advertisement. This is from an actual CPA firm’s text, “We pride ourselves on providing exemplary personal service to all our clients. We take the time to get to know each individual client’s situation then we tailor our professional services to what they need.” We call it Corporate We We. Homepage text that’s all about the firm.
How about something like this, a lead I wrote for another CPA firm, “If you’re in business today, you face constantly changing state and federal tax laws, new audit requirement, and health insurance reform. How do businesses in Central New York comply with it all and get the advice they need when they need it?”
See the difference? Stating the reasons visitors come to the site in the first place establishes a connection that keeps them on the site.
In the lead text, answer your visitors’ questions and be crystal clear as to how you help customers and make their lives better.
And please, no sliders!!!! They go too fast to read and the search engines can’t crawl them. Plus, they’re annoying…see Mistake #1 above.
Homepage Mistake Four
People Can’t Find What They’re Looking For
Your homepage is the portal to the interior of your website. I like to get the links to your various services below the lead.
So all of the services that a lawyer provides: Probate, DWI, Family Law with images below that lead text. Or an insurance agency website: Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Business Insurance.
Organize your services in a way that makes it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for.
In closing, online marketing is not the same as traditional advertising. You’re not pushing your message out to a large, disinterested audience. Your prospects are searching for exactly what you offer. That means they’re not looking for an online brochure. They’re looking for answers.
That’s why I encourage businesses to take advantage of the web by creating content that establishes relationships with visitors.
It was a pleasure speaking with you today and I hope these four tips will help you get your share of leads and sales online.
Until next time,
Nick
Subscribe to my email for more tips, strategies, and online writing secrets. Like my Facebook page for content marketing ideas from experts all over the internet.
