As a digital marketer, you know that first impressions matter. People make snap judgments about your products and services based on their initial interaction with your brand. Make sure you’re “wowing” website visitors with a clear homepage experience.

Your homepage is comparable to your company’s online dating profile. It’s where you show off your best qualities and tout what sets you apart from the rest.

You show your products and services in their best light with stunning visuals, an enhanced user experience and intuitive site architecture. After visiting your homepage for the first time, a user should recognize your brand personality, offerings and mission.

Homepage messaging tips

Developing and refining the messaging that’s front and center website’s homepage is no easy task. It requires finesse and strategy. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Be clear, straight to the point

Think of your favorite brand. Go to their homepage and summarize what they do and who they do it for on a piece of scratch paper.

There’s probably a reason you chose that specific brand. It’s because your experience was memorable and free of confusion. Chances are, their homepage reflects these characteristics and you could immediately extract what they offer and what makes them unique.

Your messaging should eliminate all ambiguity a new user may detect.  In a research report, Dianna Huff and KoMarketing Associates asked, “Which website elements annoy you or cause you click back out?” Not surprisingly, 83% of respondents said it was the lack of message (can’t tell what the company does.)

People are impatient. They need their questions about who you are answered – immediately.  Keep this fact top of mind when rethinking your homepage message strategy.

Give visitors immediate value

It’s not only important to clearly convey what you do. Your homepage messaging should relate back to how your capabilities are relevant to your audience.

Put yourselves in the shoes of your website visitors and ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” and, “Why should I care?”

If you can answer those questions honestly from your web messaging strategy, then you know you’ve successfully brought value to your potential customers.

Tell them why you do it better

The chances of operating in an industry completely free of competition are slim to none.  There are companies that offer similar products and services, and visitors to your website are faced with a purchasing decision.

If they can’t distinguish your key differentiators, they’ll likely move on to a conversation with your competition.

What are your unique selling points? Your key differentiators in the market? Price? Warrantees? Experience? Whatever they are, give each of them their rightful place on your homepage.

Now is the time to refine

Consider taking time during Q4 to perform an informal audit of your homepage messaging and leverage our tips to refine it.

Once you’ve tackled your homepage messaging, you can apply these same principles to deeper sections of your website –  like pages dedicated to services and products.  Slowly but surely, your website will become more customer-centric and memorable.

If you’re looking for help with your homepage messaging, refer back to these tips and get in in touch today so we can get started on showing off your best qualities.