When was the last time you read through your website content?
As a business owner, your website is the first port of call for potential customers to access information about what you offer and whether your offering is right for them. Your customers are your key audience because this is who you are trying to engage with, and these are the people who will keep your business growing. Your website’s home page is a vital resource to attract new business, so here are some tips on how to improve your home page content.
Back to Basics
The first place to start is to review the words on your home page (otherwise known as ‘copy’), and simplify your message. Architect Ludwig Mies van fer Rohe once said, sometimes “less is more” and this rings true for many clients I support because there is often too much content on the home page. Thus, the primary messages get lost in the clutter, and potential customers lose interest quickly before moving on to a competitor’s website. Writing website content isn’t just saying what you know; it is about showing what you do creatively, to convert that potential customer into an actual customer.
Anyone who comes across your website (whether they live locally or in Outer Mongolia) should be able to understand what you do – without question and within seconds! So, I often start by deleting all the unnecessary words on a clients website, to define their elevated pitch.
To get going, allow yourself 30 minutes for a good old-fashioned brain dump. Here are some basic questions to help you get started:
- Who are you?
- What does your business provide?
- Where are you based?
- When are you open for trade?
- List three reasons why someone should use your services or buy your products rather than a competitor.
After your brain dump, keywords will begin to form, and these words will help you create concise sentences that best describe what you do and why you do it well. Your first draft will not be good enough! Writing takes time, and it is worth investing in it because incorrect grammar, spelling mistakes and poor sentence structure = a dull read and will not create a great first impression.
Once you have basic wording in place, you can start to think more creatively about delivering the content. 
Rhetorical questions can work well, such as, ‘have you noticed that your website leads have dropped or are nonexistent’? Or using similes such as ‘eating our organic lemon pie will taste like a slice of heaven’, can help provide your content with the zest it needs.
Finally, add at least one or two calls to action such as a contact me button or a link to a special offer or a subscribe button to your blog. Writing clear, concise, and catchy content will pique your customers’ interest and create a great first impression, especially on your home page.
My name is Evanne Evans, and I am a Melbourne based professional, freelance copywriter. I help small to medium-sized businesses find the right words that best represent what they do, by creating persuasive and engaging content.
If you are time-poor and need help refreshing and editing your website content, or want more information about my other professional writing services, please visit www.evanneevans.com, email evanne@evanneevans.com or call +61 (0) 432 443 801 as I would be happy to support your business.
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