computer showing home page on screen with flowers in background

When designed effectively with the right elements, your website’s home page should function as the key component in the hub of a successful, traffic-generating marketing plan for your business.

Avoid Common Home Page Mistakes

Think of your home page as the front door of your website. If the welcome mat is actually welcoming, people will want to enter, stay awhile, and visit often. On the other hand, visitors could form negative opinions about your business if your home page is boring and unwelcoming. That could cause you to miss out on valuable opportunities. Remember the old saying, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Here are a few common mistakes made by professional organizers when creating their website’s home page.

Fixating on Irrelevant Information

No one needs to know that you won the 8th-grade spelling bee, so do not “welcome” visitors by going back in the time machine and listing various milestones and irrelevant credentials.

Visitors want to know how you can help them, not about your company’s history or all of the awards that you may have received. Branding is good, but bragging is bad. Focus on the details that make you stand out from your competition and showcase the value you bring to potential customers. A successful home page isn’t about the products or services you provide. Instead, it should be about the problems your company solves and the resulting benefit to customers.

Blurring Lines

Who you are plays an essential role in your organizing business. Your personality needs to come across, but as a professional, your goal should be to accomplish this without over-sharing. After looking at your website, potential clients should feel comfortable inviting you into their homes and offices. Pique the interest of visitors and establish credibility without crossing boundaries.

Overwhelming Visitors

Internet visitors looking for help organizing their homes and offices are obviously disorganized and, like other internet users, most likely have short attention spans. Don’t risk losing their attention. Respect their time and realize that they are on a mission to find a solution to their particular problem. The easier you make it for them, the longer they spend on your website. Clearly define your unique selling position — why a visitor should choose you. Avoid “walls of text” or giving your visitors too many choices. Remember, less is more. The primary purpose of your home page is to get prospects to the next page of your website. The majority of consumers define a great web experience as being able to quickly and easily find what they are looking for.

Not Integrating

Think of your website as your marketing hub. It closely integrates with all the other components (or “spokes”) of your marketing plan or strategy — your blog, social media sites, and other branded content. By maintaining your company presence on social media, you enable your audience to select their preferred method to receive information and engage with you. Remember that customers like to do business with people they feel like they know. Give them the opportunity to participate in conversations with you and other customers via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Display icons with links to your social media channels and your blog on your homepage so that potential clients can find them easily. Ensure that all information posted on your social media sites points back to your website.

When choosing “spokes,” think about your audience. Focus your efforts on the sites that would be most relevant for them. While you may want to be active on all social sites, be careful not to over-commit. It is better to stay current on only one or two critical ones than to let numerous sites go stale with neglect.

In assessing your homepage, try looking at your content through the eyes of a new visitor. How is the overall experience? Is the information engaging? Can content quickly and easily be located? Are other marketing channels, such as social media, clearly accessible? If you feel that your home page doesn’t present your business in its best light, enlist professional help to rework and reorganize your design to adhere to home page best practices. Remember that even small changes and tweaks can significantly impact that all-important first impression.

This article was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.


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