When it comes to designing a persuasive homepage for your website, there are a few key elements that you should keep in mind.

First, start with a clear and compelling headline that grabs the reader's attention and succinctly communicates your value proposition. Some experts say your opening headline should say what you do, who you do it for and what makes you different.

Your headline needs to draw in the reader and spark their interest. Ideally you want them thinking ‘yes, this is what I need!” The headline should be concise, clear and to the point, while also conveying your value proposition. The headline should also be memorable, leaving an impression on the reader even after they leave the page. This is hard to do!

Your homepage headline should be relevant to the visitor's needs, offering a benefit to the reader, whether it is a solution to their problem, valuable information, or a unique offering. A good homepage headline will make the reader want to explore more of the website and learn more about what else it has to offer.

Next on your homepage, use visuals and multimedia to break up text and add depth to your content. Additionally, use social proof such as customer reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility. Some say your testimonials should be high up on the homepage, quickly giving credibility to your business and reassuring the reader.

What makes a good testimonial?

A good testimonial is honest, and specific. It should highlight your customer's positive experiences with your product or service and provide valuable insights into how it solved their problems. Testimonials should ideally include the customer's name, location and a photo to give authenticity and credibility to the endorsement. A good testimonial should not only focus on how the product or service benefitted the customer but also express appreciation for the overall experience with the company, including customer service and support. By including these key elements, a good testimonial can inspire trust and confidence in potential customers and lead to increased sales and brand loyalty.

Presenting your services on your homepage

I usually suggest you use your homepage as a funnel, presenting your services in such a way as your customers can choose the right service, product or package for them, clicking on a button to take them to a sales page about that service.

Calls to Action on your homepage

Don't forget to include clear calls to action throughout the page, guiding users towards the next steps you want them to take.

Calls to Action could be to take readers to Sales Pages, but you might also have a Call to Action to download a lead magnet, if lead generation is part of your strategy.

In any case, never let any website page finish without a call to action, always be guiding your reader to the next page you want them to go to, or the next action you want them to take.

Finally, make sure your messaging is consistent with your brand voice and overall mission.

Brand voice is the personality that a brand projects through its communication with its audience. It includes the tone, language, and style that is used in all written and verbal interactions with customers or clients. It should reflect the brand's values, mission, and target audience, and be designed to resonate with that audience as well as build trust and loyalty. An example of a distinct brand voice would be Ryanair. For a long time, Ryanair’s tone of voice was bold, brash, and unapologetic. But over the past few years, Ryanair has been transforming its brand reputation and public image through social media. One notable platform where they have changed their tone of voice is TikTok. The airline has taken a more light-hearted approach and now interacts with their audience in a more casual and humorous style than previously. Rather than simply promoting their services or making announcements, Ryanair posts entertaining videos, parodies, and challenges that reflect their brand's personality and appeal to younger audiences. This has helped Ryanair successfully garner a much more positive response to their social media presence thanks to this shift in tone, particularly among younger people who enjoy the humour and relatability of their content.

Another example is Nike. Its tone of voice is serious and powerful, with many campaigns over the years encouraging athletes to be the best they can be.

What if I don’t know what my brand voice is?

You want your customers to feel like you are talking directly to them. That is the key to a successful brand voice. When you know your customers inside out, it is much easier to speak to them in a way that resonates with them. You want them to feel like they are part of the conversation. It can be useful to look at your company’s mission statement and brand values to determine what your brand voice should be. If your values include words such as approachable, transparent, modern, for example, then we would expect your language to reflect this. If you say you are approachable then it would be incoherent to then use stiff, traditional language stuffed with jargon or terms only an expert can understand.

Your audience is probably the best guide to what your brand voice should be. You want to use language and a tone that is familiar to them. Copywriters do market research to determine what tone your customers are using, known as ‘voice of the customer research’. I often advise clients to simply look at the testimonials they receive as this can be a mine of useful information into the type of language their customers use, so that you can reflect this back in your own communications.

So, in summary…a clear compelling headline, testimonials, calls to action and most of all using a deliberate, consistent and on-brand tone of voice can create a persuasive and effective homepage that draws in visitors and encourages them to engage with your business.

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