Let’s talk about FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Because the truth is, they do matter. ESPECIALLY when it comes to your website. Let’s imagine something real quick…you’re in a new city on vacation and decide to do a little retail therapy (my favorite kind of therapy, thank you very much). You don’t know the city but you find a cute little outdoor mall, you stop at Starbucks and pick up an iced white mocha and decide to take a stroll to find something good to buy. As you pass by the shops, you take a peek into the window – hmmm, the stuff here doesn’t really look like your vibe, so you keep on strolling…But then, you pass by a store that seems TOTALLY like you. There are cute outfits in the window that match your style, they have a big sign in the back that has a quote to one a Tupac song, they are playing one of your favorite Taylor Swift songs over the speakers and you just love the energy when you look inside the window.

So what do you do? You go inside! And you shop…because this store caught your eye in the first 10 seconds which made you want to go in and spend your money.

This is the power of a good first impression. And this is what your home page does for your website too.

It’s so important for your home page to HIT HOME with your ideal client. Because if it doesn’t, then chances are they won’t click to your other pages or even make it to your services. They won’t connect with you and they won’t convert into your next client. So you have to be sure your homepage is ON POINT so you can grab that attention right off the bat and bring your website visitors into your space so they shop around, get to know you and realize that you’ve got exactly what they’re looking for.

In this blog post, we are going to break down how to craft a home page that captures attention and converts your website visitors from strangers into your next clients. We’ll go over:

• Understanding your ideal audience so you can carefully craft your message the RIGHT way
• How to come up with your unique value proposition that sets you apart from the rest
• How to design your home page for clarity and focus so visitors keep on scrolling
• The importance of high quality visuals to keep their attention
• Creating engaging content for your website that locks in your website visitors and builds trust
• Optimizing your home page for conversions so you can make more sales with your website
• A template for your home page that you can download to help you craft the perfect high-converting home page

Let’s get into it! With this post, I hope you’ll be able to take an audit of your current home page and see where improvements can be made so you can start bringing in more leads and sales to your business through your website!

Understanding your audience: the foundation of a GOOD home page

Let’s start from the beginning: you have to have a clear understanding of your audience and ideal client in order for your home page to REALLY WORK. Without understanding them in and out, you won’t be able to specifically speak directly to them, and your home page won’t be able to hit home without you knowing the pain, frustration and desires that your ideal client has.

Understanding your ideal client means that…

1. Identifying their pain points:
   Where are they struggling? Why are they not reaching their goals in their business right now? What seems to be holding them back from reaching their next level that you could potentially help them with?
2. Recognizing their goals and desires:
   What does their dream life or business look like? What are they working towards now? What kind of outcome do they desire to create that your business or offer can help make happen for them?
3. Understanding their language and tone:
   Having an idea of what type of language resonates with your ideal client is key because then you can, well…speak their language! Are they more casual and chill or do they work in a professional tone?
4. Identifying their objections:
   One of the best ways to convert more of your website visitors into clients is by handling their objections with your website before they even bring them to you. Having a good understanding of the common hesitations that are keeping your ideal clients from moving forward with you will help you craft a message that speaks directly towards that so you can ease those hesitations head on.

When you can clearly understand all of these points, you will be able to speak DIRECTLY to the soul of your ideal client, and THAT is when you really capture their attention and keep them scrolling through your website, because they truly feel like you understand them on a deeper level.

How to come up with your unique value proposition

One of the most important things for you to get clear on when it comes to your business and your website is: what makes you different? Why should someone invest their hard-earned money in YOU instead of the hundreds or thousands of other people that offer the same or similar services as you?

Well first, owning that YOU are a huge part of your product is really important. Sure, you could be a wedding photographer among a sea of wedding photographers…but there is no other YOU. Therefore, you really don’t have any competition because there is not one single wedding photographer that has been through the same experiences and situations as you have, which is what sets you apart.

Figuring out your unique value proposition and making that PROMINENT on your home page will help you stand out from the masses and show people why you’re different from everyone else. So how do you figure this out for your business and brand?

1. Identify your target audience:
   We already went through this, and it’s step one to helping you come up with your unique value proposition because you need to know who you’re serving before you can determine how you serve them differently than everyone else
2. Write out the features and benefits of your offer or working with you:
   What do people get when they hire you? What are all the parts and pieces of your offer? Flesh that out so you can then move on to the next step with clarity…
3. Determine your unique selling points:
   What makes your offer different from everyone else’s? How do you do things different, what kind of quality do you provide, what is different about your offer? Lean into how you are able to stand apart from everyone else and how your offer is unique

It can be hard sometimes to figure out what makes you unique when you feel like there are others that have the same offer as you. But lean into the one thing they DON’T have, which is YOU. You are what sets your offer apart from all the rest, so how does your unique experience as a human set your offer apart?

Figuring out your unique selling proposition is what helps your home page stand out from the crowd. Here’s an example from one of my clients – Cakepops by Rachel. When we started working on her website, I wanted to find those aspects of her business that make her unique. Why would someone want to buy HER cakepops instead of a cakepop from Starbucks?

We added this section to the homepage of her website so that people could clearly see what makes her cakepop business DIFFERENT.

We highlighted that her cakepops are handmade in Washington, showing that she is locally owned and a true cakepop artist! She also uses the best quality ingredients so you know her cakepops are delicious and top notch. And last, she highlights her experience creating cakepops for over 10 years, which builds trust and shows people that she is established as a cakepop maker!

Figuring out what sets you apart and what makes you and your offer or product unique is so important to help your home page stand out, grab attention and build trust with your visitors!

How to design your home page for clarity and focus

Along with having great copy and great photos, your website design also needs to be great, because you could have the BEST offer in the world, the most amazing words that hit home with your ideal peeps…but if they come to your home page and see a clunky, confusing mess? It won’t matter.

Your website and home page needs to have a clean design and clarity around your message and main points. This is what will keep your website visitors engaged in your site and wanting to dig into ALL of your pages. There is no bigger turn off than a shitty website design in my opinion.

Some things to keep in mind when designing a home page and website that is CLEAN and clear:

• Clear and straightforward navigation:
  If people can’t figure out where tf to go when they land on your website, they are just gonna peace out. Make sure your navigation menu is very clean, clear, easy to understand and not overwhelming. You don’t need 17 pages – keep your core pages in your navigation so its easy for people to move from one page to the next
• Focus on visual hierarchy:
  Basic design 101 is to remember visual hierarchy on your website home page. Large headings that are clear and easy to read. Bold call to action buttons that stand out. Paying attention to visual hierarchy helps your page look balanced and easy on the eyes so your website visitors want to keep consuming and scrolling down the page.
• Don’t be afraid of white space:
  One of the most common mistakes I see on websites is feeling like you need to cram ALL the things into every single open space on your page. It’s ok to use white space to balance out your content and make it easier for your website visitors to take in the elements on your page. No white space makes the page overwhelming and confusing, which will likely lead to them clicking away.

Here is an example of what clean and focused design can look like on your home page. My client Ashli with Wellness and Hormone Health wanted a website that was simple, inviting and warm – as a nurse practitioner with her own clinic, she knew that many healthcare facilities can feel really sterile – which is not how she wanted her website or business to feel.

Her website has a very simple and clear navigation menu with only the most important pages linked. This navigation menu sticks to the top of the page as you scroll down too, making it really easy for her website visitors to click to the next page when they are ready. Also, her hero section of her website has a lot of white space, her headline statement has visual hierarchy with her logo the most prominent and then her call to action button highlighted next so that it stands out.

You don’t have to have a crazy, intricate design for your website and homepage to draw your people in. In fact, the more simple, clean and focused your home page is, the better it will help your website visitors navigate, take in your content and ultimately immerse themselves in your website.

The importance of high quality visuals

One of my biggest pet peeves when looking at websites is when photos are just not the best quality, they come through blurry or pixelated. Not only does this just lower the overall quality of your website, but it looks much more amateur and like you DIYed your website.

Having brand photos taken is SUCH a helpful thing to do when creating your website. Professional photos will absolutely elevate your website and will also help your branding come through clear as day. It’s important to have good quality images on your website if you really want to create the best website experience for those that land on your page.

One of my recent website projects was for a stockyard in Florida called Arcadia Stockyard. Before we started working on their website, they had a photo shoot done to really help take their brand and website to the next level. It absolutely paid off, because the visuals on their website really hit the “down home” feeling that Arcadia Stockyard has with their customers.

Ultimately, the quality of your visuals DOES make an impact on your website. Don’t upload low resolution, blurry ass photos. And if you haven’t already, this is your sign to GET THE BRANDING PHOTOS DONE, SIS!

Creating engaging content for your website

Your website copy is truly one of THE most important aspects of your whole website. The words you say have the power to HIT HOME with your ideal client, build a solid relationship and gain their trust in a matter of minutes. Writing persuasive copy is key because you’re not just here to have a good time, you’re here to grow your business, bring in new leads and make more sales with your website…right? So you have to focus on how your words make an impact with your ideal client.

Now of course, hiring a copywriter is an amazing way to ensure that your copy is BOMB.com. But if you’re writing your own website copy, here are a few tips to help you speak directly to your audience’s needs and desires:

• Start with empathy:
  When you can relate to your ideal client, they will feel like you truly know them and understand their struggle. And when they feel like you understand them, they will also feel like you can help them through this struggle. Relate to where they are, talk about how you were in a similar position and show empathy early on.
• Speak their language:
  One of the best ways to relate with your audience is to speak the same language – this means using words and phrases your audience naturally uses and avoiding high-level jargon that they may not understand (unless it’s common in your industry). For example, I’m a casual queen over here. You’ll see me addressing you as “girl” and “sis” and “friend” all over the place. You’ll also see some F-bombs, because that’s just how I roll and I love to work with other business owners that aren’t afraid to cuss a little. It’s just what makes me feel comfortable and the type of people that I enjoy working with – so think about your ideal client and talk the way that they do
• Highlight the benefits, NOT just the features:
  When talking about your products or services, don’t just rattle off a list of everything that is included. Remember – people buy off of emotions, so link it back to the benefits they will experience and how they will feel when it comes to those features of your product or service
• Address objections head on:
  This is one of the key’s to a home page that converts. When you can handle objections straight on in your website copy, you can help your audience overcome any mental hurdles that might be holding them back from investing in you. When you do that, you’ll see more people seeing that you truly can help them and hitting that Buy button because of it.
• Tell stories they can relate to:
  You know what they say – facts tell and stories sell. Your stories are what can help you relate with your ideal clients, your stories build trust, your stories help set you apart from everyone else. So don’t be afraid to tell stories on your website and master the art of storytelling in general as it can benefit you not just in your website copy but in all areas of your business

Optimizing your home page for conversions

So I have a few blog posts specifically on the topic of optimizing your website for more conversions and leads. If you really want to dig into these, be sure to check them out here:

• Transform your DIY website into a client-converting machine
• 5 tips to optimize your website for more conversions

I still want to touch on this and how you can optimize your home page specifically so that you can bring in more leads and sales. There are a few key things you can do that will help you make that money honey, and having a strong home page will make it happen.

Here are some tips for how to optimize your home page for more sales:

1. Make sure you have clear and compelling call to actions throughout:
   Don’t just have one button at the bottom. Break up your sections with calls to action so that no matter where they are on your home page, they can click and take the next step with you
2. Incorporate lead capture forms:
   Whether this is a section where you promote a freebie you have or just a simple form to opt-in to your newsletter, make sure that people have a way to hop on to your email list so that you can continue to nurture the relationship with them after they have left your website
3. Add in social proof to build trust:
   Elements like quotes from happy clients, links to case studies, logos of brands you’ve worked with or all of the above, having trust builders on your home page will help you show people that it’s ok for them to fork over their money to you, because look at all that you have helped others achieve

Like I said, I won’t go too deep into this, since I have some great blog posts that go extensively into optimizing your website and home page, but we have to touch on it because doing these few small things can make a big difference when it comes to your website.

How to effectively layout your website home page

We’ve gone SUPER deep into what you can do to set your website home page up for success. And to really just tie it all together into a little pretty bow, I’ve put together a template that will help show you how to effectively layout your website for more conversions.

I want to see you use your website to absolutely catapult your business, friend. The right layout can literally draw your ideal clients in and if done right, take them on an intentional journey from absolute stranger to falling in love with you to the point where they feel the NEED to work with you.

An effective website home page is one that draws that attention but also keeps people reading, scrolling and clicking to other pages on your website. With my free home page layout template, I will show you how to create an effective home page that keeps website visitors coming back for more, consuming your content and ultimately becoming your next client.

Be sure to grab your free home page layout template here and I’ll show you exactly how to plan out your home page strategically so you can see more leads coming through and sales of your offers!

Let’s wrap it up

I hope this blog post helped you feel confident in being able to audit your home page so you can be sure you are doing ALL the things to bring in more results in your business. Your home page is the first impression when website visitors land on your page, so it has to hit home, and it has to hit HARD. Remember to focus on engaging copy, a clear and simple design and have your customer journey all laid out. (And if you want more in depth info on how to create a customer journey for your website, I’ve got an awesome blog post here that goes into this topic).

One of my strengths as a web designer is creating websites that are backed with strategy, that look amazing and that help my clients bring in more leads and sales online. If you’re ready to make this happen with your website, then let’s chat about Website in a Week. It’s my signature offer that is more than just getting a new website launched – its a total branding and website experience.

With Website in a Week, we will create your unique branding that will be infused into your new website and built out with strategy so you can see more sales coming through in your business. At Alexa Lucky Creative, my soul mission is to help other service based female business owners feel confident AF growing their business knowing they have a strategic, beautiful and branded website in their arsenal.

Be real friend – how long has “get website done” been sitting at the top of your to-do list? And how damn amazing would it feel to ACTUALLY get it done? Listen, I’m a mom and a business owner – I know that time is precious so a quick turnaround is so helpful because ain’t nobody got time to wait around for 8-12 weeks for their website to be done. Why don’t we get it launched in a week??

Here’s how it works:

• Fill out an application online at alexaluckycreative.com.
• I’ll reach out if you have any questions based on your application and send over the contract/invoice when you’re ready to DO the damn thing
• Once that is complete, I send over my Get Prepped email with next steps, a branding questionnaire to help me better understand your brand, business and website vision.
• The week starts off with branding on the first day, then we move on to designing your website pages!
• I send each page over for you to review so we can be sure your vision is captured
• We launch on the last day, and I will also send over social media launch graphics so you can proudly share your beautiful new website with the world!
• After our week is over, you’ll receive a website tutorial video so you can feel confident making any changes needed to your website in the future, along with 30 days of free tech support if anything pops up after we go live.

Website in a Week is THE best way to finally get your website and branding done and dusted without having forever to make it happen. Let’s take your business to the next level with a beautiful and strategic website that brings in more aligned clients and converts more sales while you sleep.

Comment below – have you gone in and made sure that your home page is set up for success and optimized to bring in more leads and sales to your business?