To keep up with what’s happening in my industry, I visit a lot of B2B SME tech websites, particularly software companies. I’m sorry to say that a 
lot of companies completely miss the key elements that must be on a website home page. This happens quite easily because companies tend to write what they want visitors to read rather than thinking about the visitor and what information they need in order to understand the company’s offer. Here are the 5 questions that must be answered clearly on your website home page.
- What does the company offer/product do?
- Who uses the product or service?
- Why do companies use it and why should your visitor use it?
- Why are you better than the competition?
- How can the visitor contact you?
Your website menu should also be easy to use and read and make sense to the reader. And of course the all important social media icons should appear at the top (not the bottom) of your home page and every page. You should feature your blog (if you have one) and also a list of existing and past clients. Whether that is by using their logos or testimonials, they need to be included so that your visitor understands the market you are in and the type of customer using your product.
Of course, images are vital. So be sure to use images that represent what you do.
What you shouldn’t include on your website home page
- Industry jargon
- TLAs (three letter acronyms)
- Too much text – the home page is about answering the first 5 questions only. Link to other pages to explain further
- Tons of navigation items – I recommend 5 to 7
- Too many columns or boxes – 3 is recognised to be the optimum number
It is also vital that you have some method of capturing your visitors email addresses. Offering something of value via a quick sign up form before downloading tends to be the best option. A sign up for newsletter/updates section also works.
And don’t forget Google Analytics – vital to measuring the success of every website.
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One Response
Absolutely sound advice