In this post, we share a few small tweaks that will improve your homepage messaging so that your site generates more qualified leads.
Does Your Website Need More Traffic?
[Meghan] Let’s talk about your website my fellow messy marketers!
A lot of times you may have a goal to get more traffic to your site. More people coming to your site is better, right?
[Theresa] Well… At face value, increased traffic seems to be a win.
But more people coming to your website doesn’t necessarily translate to more customers.
[Meghan] So true! This means that before you focus on increasing traffic, you first need a site that:
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- attracts people who are interested in what you do and
- persuades those people to make a small commitment before they leave your site.
Examples of a commitment are downloading a checklist or scheduling an appointment.
[Theresa] That commitment is really anything that makes it possible for you to follow up after the person leaves your website. Because now that person is more than just a website visitor; they’re also a lead!
[Meghan] So, before you focus on increasing your website traffic, you want to optimize your site to generate qualified leads. Or, in marketer speak, you want to improve the conversion rate of your website.
Once your site is effective at converting, THEN it makes more sense to work on sending more people to your site.
[Theresa] Right? Otherwise getting all of these visitors to your site won’t translate to more business. And that’s just a waste of time and effort.
Let’s talk about one way that you can generate more qualified leads, which is to make your homepage messaging more effective.
Use these tips to improve your homepage messaging and make your website better at generating more qualified leads.Click To TweetHow to Improve Your Homepage Messaging
[Meghan] Your home page is often one of the more visible and most visited pages, so make it count!
It’s your job to express a very unambiguous and straightforward message at the top of your home page in that big banner area, which is commonly referred to as the “hero banner.”
[Theresa] The hero banner is your big opportunity to grab people’s interest before they leave. Like the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
The thing is, you’ve got only about three seconds to communicate to a website visitor whether they’re in the right place.
So that means you must be brief and direct. Make a statement about what solution you offer or what problem you solve as if you’re speaking directly to a lead.
[Meghan] This can be surprisingly tough, though!
Your homepage messaging isn’t about what you do from your perspective. It’s about what your customer perceives as the problem you solve.
[Theresa] That’s an important distinction.
For instance, I help my clients become more productive and achieve their goals. But for them it’s more about saving time and focusing on the right tasks to make business less stressful and overwhelming.
My hero banner continues to evolve over time as I understand my client better. I’ve learned to listen to the results THEY want and my messaging reflects that.
[Meghan] Theresa’s done such a fantastic job with her homepage messaging! In fact, her hero banner inspired this episode.
Anyway, your message must focus on what your customer gains as a result of your service. It’s super important because that message will either convince the person to take the next step or not.
How to Improve Your Homepage Call to Action
[Theresa] And that next step is the call to action which should appear close to your hero banner message.
The call to action is an essential part of your homepage messaging since it motivates your visitors to act before they leave. To make that commitment we mentioned earlier.
[Meghan] To come up with a really effective call to action, determine what step is next after a person reads your hero banner message and says to themselves “What now?”
What action moves your target audience closer to making a purchase decision?
[Theresa] If you own a gym, it may be a free trial membership or a tour.
Or, if you’re an author, it could be a free download of chapter one.
What about if you’re a coach or consultant like we are? Then you probably want the person to book a call with you.
[Meghan] This is your chance to create a message and call to action that attracts warmer leads. You’ve got to be strategic! So, consider where your target audience is in their buying journey when choosing your call to action.
[Theresa] It really depends on your business and target market. For me, booking a call is a much warmer lead than someone who downloads a PDF.
In other words, someone who downloads a PDF could turn into a client. However, that will be a much longer sales cycle than someone who’s willing to jump onto a call with me.
A Few Tips About Homepage Messaging
[Meghan] Exactly!
It helps to know your value proposition and to know your customer to develop an effective homepage messaging strategy that generates good leads.
[Theresa] And, it helps to avoid jargon. Otherwise, you’ll confuse people. Use the language that your customers use to describe the value you deliver.
[Meghan] That’s right. Dig deep to go beyond the surface level of the service you provide.
For example, as a content marketing consultant, I offer a content strategy and content calendar service. But that’s not really why people hire me. They hire me because they don’t know what content to create to get more sales and they need a plan to move forward.
There’s a big difference between the message of hiring me for “content marketing help” versus hiring me to come up with content ideas and a strategic plan to meet business goals.
Though, I have to admit, my messaging is still a work in progress! And yours may be too.
[Theresa] Like with most things marketing related, developing the right message may take some trial and error.
If you need some inspiration, here are a few examples of good homepage messaging. Sometimes it is easier to come up with your own marketing when you see what others are doing.
Homepage Messaging Examples
Social Media Management
Although the background image makes the text hard to read, the message on SociallyBuzz’s homepage focuses on results customers get, not on the task of social media management.
Blog Writing
The Content Panel uses the homepage hero banner to address some of the most common concerns that people have when hiring a blog writer. This strategy helps to remove barriers to buying at the onset!
Email App
GetResponse focuses on the results customers get, such as lead generation and business growth. The call to action for a free account means that GetResponse offers a free trial while also capturing people’s email address before they exit the site.
Accounting Software
QuickBooks talks directly to a typical pain point for businesses, and that’s the complicated task of accounting. They take website visitors to the plans page, probably since that’s one of the most visited pages before people make a purchase.
Housecleaning
Maid in the USA addresses the pain points of time and hassle with their message and photo. They also address trust, which is something that is likely a concern of their customers when hiring a housecleaner.
[Meghan] Hopefully those examples sparked your creativity!
That wraps up this episode. If you get value from the podcast, please tell your business buddies or leave us a positive review. We appreciate you! And, we love hearing from you, so please leave a comment below to share your thoughts about this topic.
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