Perception is what makes brands happen. We don’t just mean visibility here, either. The way in which the world perceives things– from sheer aesthetics, to the way in which your present information (and in what order), is where all the magic is.
Many seasoned professionals believe that your brand’s website should be the center of your brand’s digital strategy. It functions as both the site of, and main driver for conversions. Your various social channels get that funnel started, but your online storefront is ultimately where it counts.
How to get that funnel down is a topic for another day, though. Let’s talk about what visitors see once they’re on your homepage, and what you could do to make them more likely to convert. Long story short, it’s the way you structure your information. Now, let’s get into the specifics!
—
Phone number
At any point, people should know it’s possible to reach you. Leave a phone number on the upper right-hand side of your page, and after a call to action just to be sure. A phone number makes it a real business, this is what separates brick and mortar brands to other websites.
Navigation bar
You want visitors to find what they’re looking for right away. Try to keep things focused by listing 5 main categories at most, and a maximum of 7 sub categories for each of them.
—
Headline
One single glance should be enough for a visitor to tell what your site’s about. Your headline should directly address your prospective clients’ actual needs. Word this clearly, and with an assertive guarantee. You want to inspire confidence in your product offerings.
Subhead
Here, you reinforce your initial claim. If your headline demands trust, here’s your opportunity to explain why they should listen to you. Use 3rd party proof and statistics to ground your point in data.
Call To Action
A call to action is an element on your site that urges your visitors to take action. It’s usually a sentence or a phrase that drives your audience to make a decision.
This phrase should typically complete the sentence in your audience’s mind.
“I want to _______________”
Ask yourself what you think your customers want, that would be a great call-to-action. If visitors need a bit more buttering up, you may add a second call to action later on.
Hero image
What emotional states would you like to invoke in your customers? Comfort? Joy, perhaps? Your hero image should show them what they could experience with your band.
—
Social proof
We’re all social creatures. People tend to be more trusting of people or services that others can vouch for, so we’re going to need a bit of this too. Show them some of your highest profile clients to reassure them.
Value statement
With social proof to ride on, it’s time to let people know what they’re buying into. This is your chance to let them know what you’re about, and why you’re a cut above the rest. Your brand’s overarching value proposition goes here.
Product offers
Now, we’re getting to business. You’ll want to introduce some of your flagship products and services in this section.
Affirmation (key benefits)
You want to give people reasons to believe in your product, so you better ask yourself, what do they get out of the experience? If I buy this, I could reach a specific, favorable end result. Spell out those results.
More social proof
Your site visitors are more likely to convert at this point, but in case they don’t, you’ll want to leave a foot in the door. Talk to your clients and ask them about their experience with you. Stories that show initial apprehension and pleasant surprise tend to resonate well, so watch out for those!
Finally, your CTA and opt-in
Ah, they’ve made it all the way to the end of the site, but most of the people on your website are not yet ready to commit, and that’s okay. You can create the chance to remark them in the future by giving them something valuable, whether it’s a free downloadable item or service you can give away, in exchange for their contact details or email. This way you can touch base with them in the future.
