3 Tips to Creating a Homepage That Converts

A great looking website is an absolute must in today's ecommerce world, but a beautiful website that doesn't convert or, worse, confuses potential customers isn't doing you any favors.

I'm working on a website for some friends who will be launching the capital raising arm of their real estate empire here soon, so I thought I'd share 3 key things you want to focus on when building out your own website.

1) The Homepage is EVERYTHING!

People know within half of a second of landing on your page whether they want to stick around or not.

Most users will never even bother scrolling, so it's imperative that all the information you want to convey to a potential customer is conveyed instantly in the content "above the fold" (aka, before they start scrolling).

2) People Read The Homepage in a Z-pattern.

(Reference the attached picture for clarity).

That means the first thing they'll see (whether conscious or not) is whatever is sitting in the top left corner of their screen. That's where your logo should live.

Next, their eye is going to scan straight right across the top of the screen. This is typically where menus reside, but you'd be missing an opportunity if you don't put a CTA (call-to-action) up there. A button designed in your brand's primary or accent color works wonders here.

Next up, the eye is going to scan diagonally across the screen down and left. In the middle of the screen should be a clear, concise soundbite about what it is you offer. We'll talk more about this one in a second.

Beneath that message should be another CTA button. We'll also talk about why we have so many CTA buttons in just a second.

Finally, the eye is going to continue tracking down to the bottom left of the screen. If there's nothing there, that's fine, but I personally like giving another visual cue that drags the attention across the bottom of the screen. Informational icons with snippets of "what you do" can be strong here.

This all happens in the blink of an eye and you're probably not even aware you do it when you first land on a page, but heat maps consistently show this is how our brain initially processes a homepage. Use this information to your advantage and put key information and CTAs where you know their eyeball will be.

3) Clear Message + Clear Call To Action

The center of the homepage header is the most important real estate on your entire website and it needs to hook somebody instantly.

What's the best way to hook somebody?

Well, there's a lot of great ways, but I'll tell you one of the worst ways: Confuse them.

A confused mind doesn't buy.

The last thing you want your customer to think when they land on your page is: What is this? What do these guys even do?

Your user needs to know instantly what you do and why they should stick around. That's why a crystal clear, concise message is a must.

Once you've nailed that, which is by no means a simple task, the next thing a customer is going to ask themselves is: Now what?

Most of us just start poking around aimlessly when we land on a new website, which is fine, but you want to make sure that at all points along the users journey that THEY know exactly what YOU want them to do. Whether that's a Shop Now button, or a Join Our Newsletter button, the likelihood of converting a customer increases tremendously when you simply instruct the person as to what you would like them to do.

It really is that simple.

Quick disclaimer, the attached image is of a site in beta, so we're still going to be making some tweaks, don't judge too harshly, I'm not a professional designer, I just play one on tv.

Whether you're designing your own site or your working with a professional, hopefully this helps get you off on the right foot!