Essential Homepage Elements To Book More Calls
Find out what essential homepage elements you need on your website to satisfy web visitors’ expectations, keep their interest, and get them to book more calls and appointments.
Motivate in 3 Seconds Flat
Website visitors are a restless bunch. A few seconds is all they give you to make a first impression, keep them on your site, move them on to further evaluation and motivate them to book a call with you.
You need to stand out.
Many service businesses throw up an “appropriate” image, say what the service is and add some words that they think people want to hear but are not specific to their particular business. That doesn’t work. People are actively trying to decide which service to do business with. If you all say the same thing, no one will win. Visitors will move on to the following website hoping to find something that looks real and relevant. Be the one who stands out — in the right way — and gets more business.
Craft Your Essential Homepage Elements to Stand Out
Below are the elements of a successful home page. But you need to make each one specific to your business. If you write specifically about your business and its values, you will attract the right leads, and they will be easier to convert.
Did you know that, for local service businesses, Google is more likely to serve the home page in search results than any other page? This means “above-the-fold” content, like your first headline on the home page, is the very first impression people will have of your business. It is your one chance to keep them on your site to convince them that you may be who they are looking for.
Include a good headline and all the homepage elements below to keep visitors moving through your site, engaged with your business and much more likely to take the action you want them to take.
Essential homepage elements to include “above the fold”
Here are things you want to include at the top of your page — “above the fold” — before someone starts scrolling.
Clear navigation, so they know they will be able to find what they need.
An on-brand visual to set the tone. This is often a large image (called a hero image) — a suggestion of content to complement the text. It could also be something more graphic or abstract and colorful. Although these styles change, the idea of setting the tone is essential to beginning your story on the home page.
A value-rich headline and subhead, or supporting paragraph, that tells who you are and a key benefit you provide. (Including a key benefit is key to this being meaningful to a visitor.) People need to know what you do, and they are looking for how you do it. What is the unique value your business offers?
A primary call to action, like Book a Call, Call Now or Schedule an Appointment. These are often buttons, something that will not be missed while reading. People want to know what you want them to do. This may differ according to the type of service you provide. If a potential customer calling you is what you want most, make sure your phone number is clearly visible and clickable for those viewing your website on a phone.
Elements to include farther down the home page
Once a visitor starts scrolling, keep their interest with information that is useful for evaluating your business.
Good images: We are visual beings. Images add to the story of our services or brand. Plus, images and color make our journey through text more enjoyable and memorable. Images keep the visitor engaged and moving through the site.
Key features of your service: Are there features of your service that help you stand out from competitors? Be sure to mention or highlight them. And, if possible, pair each feature with a benefit.
Secondary calls to action: If someone is not ready to book an appointment yet, they may want more information. A secondary call to action helps them along this route. For instance, you could link to your main services. Or, you could link to your About Us page so a visitor can find out more about your company’s values.
Don’t forget to include social proof
Don’t skip the reviews and testimonials. Reviews are one of the most essential homepage elements. A full 89% of people read reviews before purchasing. Add sample testimonials on your home page and link to another page on your site dedicated to showing reviews or testimonials. Video testimonials are especially engaging. Can you get a few clients to give you video testimonials? That would be whipped cream on the strawberries.
Certifications, professional organizations, or logos of high profile clients add assurance: Add ones that are appropriate to your industry and business. People like to see that you know what you are doing, that you are part of the community and that you are legitimate in the eyes of people who matter.
Where to Begin?
The first way to improve your homepage is at the top, with your value-rich headline and supporting text that tells people “why work with us”. That will gain you the most traction to move people through the rest of your homepage elements and on to booking a call or clicking through to other pages on your site.
Need help? If you find it hard to name your unique value and put it into effective words, book a brief call here. We’d love to get you unstuck.