Trying to write a homepage for your website is a bit like being asked to tell your life story but only being given two minutes to do it in. There’s so much you think you should be saying, but the information ends up jumbled and the key points you wanted to get across get lost somewhere in the mess.

First things first, it’s completely understandable to feel that way when it comes to crafting your homepage. You know it’ll be the first thing potential customers see when they land on your site, and you want to give the best impression possible. This means it can be incredibly tempting to blurt out everything there ever was to know about your business onto this page and just hope your visitors find what they’re looking for.

Writing a homepage that converts, however, requires a little more restraint. A home page is all about introducing visitors to the very best your business has to offer. That means writing about one or two key benefits your business provides, and writing about them well.

But how?

Take a look at our top tips below to determine what gets to stay in your home page content, and what needs booting out.

 

Writing a Home Page that Converts

Understand your audience

Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), it’s vital to understand not only what you need to be writing, but who you’re writing it for.

Understanding the problems, values and desires of your customers is key to writing a home page that converts the right customers. Often, home pages can take on a bit of a generic edge. Businesses aren’t always 100% sure who might be landing on their website, so they write it for everyone, just in case.

While you may think that this covers all bases, it actually serves to exclude the people you really want to target.

To combat this, step into your ideal customers’ shoes before you begin writing. Determine who they are and what makes them tick (and what doesn’t). Establish how they speak and the style of communication they respond to best. Take time to discover their pains and pleasures. Write it all down in one big document and let it infuse your homepage.

By keeping these details in mind, you’ll be crafting copy that captures and holds the attention of your ideal customers, rather than anyone and everyone who might stumble across your page.

Your Unique Selling Point

You now know who you want your ideal customer to be, but how are you going to convince them that it’s your product or services they want?

Simple. With your USP.

Your unique selling point is what will make you stand out from all the other businesses in your industry. Sure, there’s lots of cleaning companies out there. But do they all clean specifically in your local area? Probably not. That’s their unique selling point. Yes, there’s plenty of small businesses that sell dog accessories. But do they all sell accessories specifically for cockapoos? No. That’s their unique selling point in the bag.

Determine yours before writing your home page. This way, you can utilise it in your heading, your introduction, your CTAs. The world (and your home page) is your oyster.

First Impressions Matter

Okay, so you know who your audience is. You’ve established your unique selling point. Now its time to use both of those to grab your visitor’s attention as soon as they land on your home page.

Easier said than done!

Us human beings are fickle creatures. Our attention span just about surpasses that of a goldfish, which isn’t saying much. We need information and we need it quickly, which means the first 5 to 25 words on your homepage need to do all the talking.

Craft a headline that includes your unique selling point to do this. Often, there’s a misconception that the headline on your homepage needs to be the name of your business. It definitely doesn’t!  A headline should tell your visitor exactly what your business does and what you can offer to them specifically in just a few short words.

Let’s look at a few examples of before and after headlines to really get the gist:

Before

Doggy Day Care

After

One-on-one Doggy Day Care for Pampered Pooches

Before

Florist

After

Bespoke Wedding Floristry in Northampton

 

Before

Web Design

After

Affordable Web Design for Start Up Businesses

 

By refining your headline and utilising it to showcase your unique selling point, you also refine your audience. Instead of attracting everyone who needs doggy day care services for example, it attracts only those who are suited to your specific service. It sets you apart from the rest of the businesses in your industry and allows you to niche down to target a specific group of people who will benefit from the specific service your business provides.

First impressions matter – use your home page headline to make the right one for the right people.

how to write a home page that converts

The Content Itself

Once you’ve got your headline sorted, it’s time to think about what you actually want to write in the bulk of your content.

As tempting as it can be to throw everything and the kitchen sink at your home page, please resist! Clear and concise is the way to go – especially when you’ve only got a limited time to convey your key points.

Skip the waffle about founding your business, avoid going into detail about your achievements or accomplishments and, instead, focus on the benefits you can provide for your customers.

Remember, your business is secondary when it comes to your home page. All focus should be on your potential customers, their pain points and how your service or product can help them.

A few short paragraphs outlining what you do and the benefits of what you’re providing should do the trick. You could even throw in a short, bulleted list to really highlight your unique selling points.

This way, your visitors will get all the information they need in a clear concise manner without having to wade through three paragraphs of your life story to get it. They’ll be able to make a quick decision on whether your business is the right fit for them, and hopefully, they’ll find themselves clicking through to explore your website further.

 

Your Perfect Home Page

Writing a homepage can be difficult. There’s so much you want to say, but you’re also aware that consumers want quick, easy information that assists them in making a buying decision.

By understanding your audience, crafting a clear headline that highlights your unique selling point and ensuring all copy focuses on the customer, not your business, you’ll be creating a home page with great conversion potential.

Give it a go!

Or, if you’d like some support in creating your perfect home page, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our copywriting team.

We write compelling, valuable, thoughtful copy for businesses (and home pages!) like yours.