Warning:
Your current website may well be damaging the health of your business!
Why? It’s not deliberate; it’s just that your web developer is NOT a marketer or branding expert. Subsequently, too many businesses settle for a nice-looking website which lacks targeted traffic or regular client conversions. A website without a home page strategy is akin to a glorious show with no audience; it’s not enough to simply produce the play and expect an eager audience to turn up on opening night!

If you’re website is not working for your business right now then I can reassure you that you’re not alone! In fact, Here’s a scary stat which inspired the creation of this post:
More than 97% of 1st time visitors leave a website within the first 20 seconds (Liu et al, 2010).
Having spent the past 10 years helping entrepreneurs, organisations and small business owners develop online sales funnels and websites, it’s clear the gap between a brochure-style website and one that churns out regular customer leads is wider than ever. So what can be done to eradicate your website’s apathy and boost results? In this comprehensive post, I’m going to cover 9 of the most important home page sections and, crucially, specific tactics within each section to help you convert your website from a digital brochure to a smart sales tool .. starting today.
Convert Your Website – Section #1: Header
Section Goal: To promote your brand and make it instantly recognisable to your prospect visitors and clients. This is one of the most important areas and effectively represents the cover of your site. The header is also your visitor’s 1st impression of your site which is pretty significant given you’ve only got 8-seconds (on average) to make a memorable impact in the digital world.

or

Increase your client conversions with;
???? A call-to-action toolbar (eg. ‘HelloBar’)
???? Sticky header with call-to-action button
???? Social icons, business phone number & link to your contact page
???? Logo on left
???? 6-8 menu items ordered logically from ‘Home’ to ‘Contact’
Convert Your Website – Section #2: (Big) Hero Image
Section Goal: To visually welcome, impress and entice visitors to stay on and experience your website.

Increase your client conversions with;
???? Using ONE banner graphic (rotating banners DECREASE overall conversion rate)
???? High resolution and appealing (full page width) graphic
???? Image which stirs an emotion and/or represents a beneficial outcome for your target audience
???? 1-3 lines of clear and engaging text; your main value proposition or call-to-action
???? Call-to-action button with relevant and inviting text
Convert Your Website – Section #3: Captivating Headline and/or Short Explainer Video
Section Goal: To attract your visitor’s attention and engage them sufficiently to stay on your site and find out more about the benefits of your product(s) and/or service(s).

Increase your client conversions with; (Headline)
???? An attention grabbing headline (e.g. question) which speaks to the biggest (emotional) need / want of your target audience
???? Headline which empathises with your visitor’s current situation and promises a solution
???? Bigger and darker headline text on a white background
(Video)
???? A video between 1-3 minutes with short relevant text lines / bullet points, engaging visuals, background music and/or voiceover
???? A sales script which draws upon the ‘AIDA’ sales principle;
> Grabs the Attention of your visitor
> Creates genuine Interest
> Generates an emotional Desire
> Instructs your visitor to take Action i.e. the logical next step
???? Call-to-action button within or below the video
Convert Your Website – Section #4: 3-4 Site Description Boxes (or Tasks)
Section Goal: To offer your visitors a clear starting point for the main 1-4 tasks they’ll undertake when visiting your site.

Increase your client conversions with;
???? Sections which are engaging and more likely to increase your bookings and/or sales
???? High resolution graphic above text description box
???? Text description which creates curiosity and hence leads to more visitor clicks
???? Appealing call-to-action button under each description with inviting button text e.g. ‘Find out more’
Convert Your Website – Section #5: (Short) Customer Testimonial or Review
Section Goal: To build instant trust with your visitors and help them overcome their buyer objections and skepticism.

Increase your client conversions with;
???? An Image and full name of client providing the testimonial
???? Shorter text and varying sentence length; i.e. no more than 3-4 lines within a paragraph
???? Endorsements which focus on how your product or service SPECIFICALLY helped the client to overcome their original challenge or roadblock. Equally, how has their life situation improved compared to before they used your product or service?
???? A relevant call-to-action button or link below the testimonial e.g. ‘Find out how our service can work for you too’
Convert Your Website – Section #6: Primary Website Call-To-Action
Section Goal: To convert your traffic into returning visitors, active leads and, ultimately, paying customers.

Increase your client conversions with;
???? A relevant and progressive text line above your call-to-action button e.g. “Stop wasting your precious hours on social media which doesn’t work” or “Next steps to making Facebook profitable for your business ..”
???? An embedded or pop up form which only (initially) requires 1-3 bits of info from your visitor
???? Image background (or contrast colour) to make your call-to-action section stand out
Convert Your Website – Section #7: Business Value Proposition or Vision
Section Goal: To convey to your visitors (in at least one way) that your product or service is a better option than that of your competitors.

Increase your client conversions with;
???? A summary of WHY your business exists to serve your audience i.e. What is the motivating or driving force behind your product or service?
???? Simple and emotive language which resonates with your target audience
???? Main Benefit which distinguishes your product or service from direct competitors
???? Transparent text and image background which aligns with your your brand identity
Convert Your Website – Section #9: Pop-Up ’Lead Magnet’ (Email Capture Form)
Section Goal: To build an email database of potential customer leads which return to your site and further engage with your business.

Increase your client conversions with;
???? A valuable giveaway (PDF report, email series, video etc.) in exchange for your visitor’s email address
???? Free content which is useful, relevant and a soft presell to your paid product or service
???? Engaging headline which promises your audience a big benefit and/or desirable result
???? Pop up form which appears as your visitors scroll down or just before they go to leave your site
These 9 sections alongside the respective conversion tactics will help your website to thrive in today’s competitive web space. If all you do is improve just 1 or 2 sections on your home page then you can still expect to improve visitor engagement, repeat traffic and prospect enquiries. Conversely, you can expect your bounce rate to drop (ie. the % of visitors which leave your site after viewing only 1 page) and, in turn, enhance Google rankings for your main competitive site keywords. Whatever your situation, avoid indifference at all costs as Google and your visitors will not reward your business for it!
What is your biggest website challenge right now? Share your experience and any questions in the comments section below!
PS: If you’re considering treating your business to a better performing website this year, Our 20-minute FREE website explorer session here can help provide some fresh ideas on how to get your business ahead on today’s web.