What Should Be On Your Website Homepage?

Your website’s homepage often serves as potential customers’ first impression of your business. While a lot of visual and technical components of web design make up an effective website, the most essential element of any page is its content. And while the quality of a website is responsible for captivating visitors, it is ultimately a website’s content that drives them to take action. A homepage in particular, needs to have content that caters towards audiences from multiple origins. It needs to attract and engage new visitors, guide visitors to the right pages, and convert visitors that are ready to invest in your product/service.

Since your homepage will be the most highly trafficked page on your website, it’s important you hire a web designer in Kuwait to get it right. Putting some work into your homepage will allow you to leverage it as a powerful selling tool. And if you’re able to use your homepage to incentivize people to navigate to page two of your website, you will already begin driving them down the sales funnel. Soon you will see better traffic, leads, and sales.

Different websites have different homepages. Depending on the type of website and the industry, many homepages have additional features. However, you can use this guide as a checklist of the most essential content elements of any website’s homepage implemented by most web developers in Kuwait.

1. Logo

Your logo lies at the core of your business’s identity. Because it is a tangible representation of your product/service, it should be visible right at the top of your website. It should also be easy to spot and large enough to read. (Check out our blog on designing the perfect logo for your business) The top left of your homepage is a good spot since that’s where visitors’ eyes first fall. Make sure your logo is surrounded with enough negative space to make it stand out. Also, logos on websites are often used as clickable links to the homepage, so you want it to be located within the header itself.

2. Navigation

Your website’s navigation is like a map for your website, so it should be intuitive and easy to locate. Include it in the header as well, and accompany it with a search box if your website is content-heavy. If you wish to reduce your website’s bounce rate, it’s important that your visitors have a clear path to the pages that they need right from the header. Avoid overloading your menu with too many items and keep the tags succinct and descriptive. Finally, try not to hide your menu using the popular three horizontal lines, since it almost cuts discoverability in half. You may choose to exclude a menu completely if you’re working on a one-page design.

3. Hero shot

The hero section comes right below the navigation bar and usually comprises a large/full-width image or slideshow. It is named so because it is the largest and most prominent element of your website’s homepage. Your hero shot should be focused, singular, relevant, and easy to comprehend. Steer clear from stock photos since they can make your business come off as inauthentic. The purpose of this section is to give visitors a quick idea of what they can expect from the rest of your website. But don’t waste all this space only for aesthetic reasons. Throw in your mission statement and tagline too.

4. Headline

A headline tells visitors what the business has to offer in just a few words. It should be clear and simple and is usually located above, below, or within the hero shot. Instead of making the headline self-glorifying, try to tell the reader how your product/service can benefit them.

5. Sub-headline

The sub-headline is usually 2-3 sentences and should provide a clear, powerful, memorable, and concise description of your business. A good web design and development company in Kuwait can help you brainstorm content ideas for this key part of your website.

6. Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

The primary goal of a homepage is to move visitors down the funnel. It’s a good idea to place a few visually striking and easy to spot CTAs above the fold. These should be brief and action-oriented so that visitors are compelled to click on it. They should also be relevant to the visitor’s stage in his/her decision-making process. Buyers at the initial stages can be channeled towards the most relevant pages/content within your website, while those at the bottom of the funnel can be offered free trials and consultations.

7. Differentiation

To keep your visitors interested, and to keep them from backing away from your website, you need to tell them why they should choose you over other alternatives. Points of differentiation can be derived from your product/service or other areas of your value chain like customer experience, culture, etc. Keep the content easy to read and in the language of your customers. Because this is the introduction of your business, it should be benefit-oriented and informative. You shouldn’t go into a lot of detail about your products/services on the homepage, but including a brief summary of each assures viewers that you have what they’re looking for, gives you a place to link visitors off to relevant pages, and helps your page rank higher on Google.

8. Images

People are visual animals and clearly indicative images and videos often do a great job of capturing emotion and driving action. So instead of simply posting stationary photos of your product/service, use photos of people actually using your product to add an additional touch of credibility and integrity to your website. Avoid using cookie-cutter or filler images and choose photos that are on-brand with the rest of your website.

9. Testimonials

This is a great opportunity to capitalize on positive reviews from your previous/current customers. Using testimonials and other social proof builds people’s trust and confidence in choosing your business. They also establish your expertise so that visitors know that you know what you’re doing. Highlight your best case studies or reviews in video interviews or detailed narratives. Just be sure to add a name and photo to these testimonials to give them credibility. Other elements of social proof include trust seals, certifications, awards, statistics, press mentions, ratings, and numbers (like ranking, subscribers, followers, etc.)

10. Footer

An informational footer is just as important as a navigable header. In general, a footer should include:

• Contact information including phone number, email, and mailing address
• Maps & locations
• Links that encourage users to check out your website’s interior pages
• Social icons with links to all your social media accounts in order to encourage visitors to interact with your company through other mediums
• Badges
• Galleries
• A final CTA

You can make a great first impression by incorporating these elements into your homepage. To make a stellar homepage for your business or refresh an existing one, reach out to us today! At Design Master, one of the best web development companies in Kuwait, our team of experienced designers, copywriters, digital marketing experts, and professional web developers in Kuwait, can not only help you transform your homepage, but can completely elevate your online presence.

Check out our work on the myriad of websites we’ve created, and get started on yours too.