Six Most Important Elements on Your Homepage

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People have very short attention spans.

HubSpot reports that “55% of visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds on your website.” Half of you are probably already gone.

So how do you GRAB ATTENTION? You do this by putting the most important elements on your website above the fold. The above the fold language comes from print newspapers – it’s simply the upper half of the front page of a newspaper where the top story was printed. Above the fold in print looks like this:

Online, above the fold translates to the portion of a web page that is visible in a browser window when the first page loads. It’s what visitors first see without scrolling.

Why is above the fold so important?

  • It’s what people see first.
  • It’s what attracts the most attention.
  • It’s where visitors spend 80% of their time!

Six Most Important Elements on Your Homepage

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Your unique selling proposition or unique selling factor is the single thing that differentiates you, your product, or your service from its competitors. It is absolutely essential that this is above the fold. The USP is your way of instantly showing your visitors exactly how they will benefit by exploring your website further.

Here’s the Unique Selling Proposition for Dropbox:

Visitors know immediately that the site is for businesses that might benefit from using dropbox.

Copy that Explains Your Unique Selling Proposition

The explainer copy fills in the details. In the Dropbox case, above, the explainer copy is “upgrade to Dropbox Business and get the solution that both employees and IT admins love.” It’s brief and concise but visitors can quickly tell what the site can accomplish for them. When effective, the explainer copy should raise the visitor interest level and encourage them to keep exploring the website.

Logo

Your logo is critical. It must be on the homepage – preferably in the left-hand corner. Brand recognition is of utmost importance. You want to establish consistent branding and take every opportunity to reinforce your brand identity.

Simple Navigation

Suppose a visitor has landed on your website for the first time. After seeing your Unique Selling Proposition and explainer copy they have a good idea of what it is you do and what you are offering. After seeing your logo, they associate it with you. Now you’ve piqued their interest and they want to learn more. It’s your responsibility as a website owner to give them a framework to explore your website in a logical, streamlined fashion. Allow me to give you a few examples of brands that do this really well.

First there’s Dropbox again:

Then there’s Buffer:

And finally there’s Mailchimp:

 

Notice that all three of these examples feature simple, intuitive navigation. Visitors can easily and quickly find what they’re looking for with minimal effort.

Contact Information

If I had to pick a pet peeve, this would be it. So many websites are missing clear contact information. People want to make sure you are a legitimate business and not a scam artist. Having full contact information will build trust and strengthen credibility. Include your contact information – not just a contact form. Give visitors multiple ways of reaching you.

Call To Action (CTA)

It turns out that it doesn’t matter as much where you put your call to action. Your site definitely needs a call to action. If you manage to sustain your visitors’ eyeballs longer than average, they will stumble across your CTA (it should be somewhere on your home page). If you can put your main CTA above the fold on the home page and do it without overwhelming your visitors, then do it. Keep it simple and focus on a single CTA.

Conclusion

Here’s a recap of the six most important elements on your homepage:

  • A well-written Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
  • Some brief copy that explains your USP
  • Your logo
  • Simple, intuitive navigation
  • Contact information
  • A Call to Action

 

 

 

Content Marketing Lead Generation Tactics

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Content marketing is one of the most important SEO factors in 2017. This should be no surprise to anyone. Google has long rewarded websites with relevant, quality content. What this means however, is that if small businesses want to compete with big businesses, they need to effectively use content marketing to generate a steady flow of leads. And if done correctly, content marketing will also create awareness, build trust, convert leads, serve existing customers, and help you generate referrals too.

The good news is that you don’t need as much content as you might think. Focus on quality over quantity. Consider writing just one or two blog posts a month, but make sure you adhere to the following system for using content marketing to generate a steady flow of leads.

Content Marketing Lead Generation

  1. Build a list of 6 of the most useful content ideas for your ideal customer
  2. Create a lead generating content upgrade for each of these 6 ideas
  3. Start promoting each idea in social media and advertising

Step 1 – What content should you produce?

The key factor here is to remember who your ideal customer is and remember that effective, lead-generating content is going to be content for that ideal customer. Using your knowledge about your business and your customers, and tools like the Google Keyword Tool, Spyfu, or Semrush, develop a list of core content topics and assign one or two to each month for the next twelve months.

Each theme should be a significant topic related to your business or industry and represent an important search term. Think about it as if it were a book. Each month is a chapter in what could be a book at the end of the year.

Step 2 – What exactly are content upgrades and how do I create them?

The idea of driving someone to your website or landing page and enticing them to give you their email address in exchange for something they are looking for is standard marketing procedure these days. However, the idea of bait for lead capture has evolved. The basic idea behind a content upgrade is this:

Write a great blog post and then when people show up to read it offer them an “upgrade” to the content (check list, video, case study) relevant to the topic in exchange for contact information.

If you can do this correctly, you can effectively convert visiting traffic to a lead funnel. The benefits of content upgrades are:

Creating Content Upgrades

One of the best ways to create a content upgrade is to look at your Google Analytics data and find the most popular content and then consider way to personalize a content upgrade for these posts. Hubspot has a great post from 2016 with 20 example of lead generating content – 20 Types of Lead Generating Content to Put Behind Your Landing Pages.

You don’t have to overthink this. Most people just want a snack – they aren’t looking for a manual. Here are some ideas for good content upgrades:

  • a checklist based on a how to post.
  • take a longer list type of post and then expand on the first 10 in more detail.
  • create a list of tools related to a particular type of advice.
  • create and offer a screencast showing readers exactly how you do something.
  • share a template.

Step 3 – Start promoting each article using advertising and social media

The Field of Dreams mantra just isn’t applicable anymore. If you build it, people won’t really come and they probably won’t find you online. You have to promote your content on social media. Here’s some advice from one of my favorite marketing blogs – Kissmetrics: 17 advanced methods for promoting your new piece of content.

 

 

Loud Colors Can Improve Your Website User Interface Design

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Color is a powerful design tool. Loud colors can grab your attention, set the mood, and influence a website visitor’s emotions and actions. In the past, loud colors were exclusively used by websites with playful, cartoonish designs. Increasingly, however, we are seeing the use of bright colors on all kinds of more traditional business websites. The appeal of the vibrant color trend is that it is very versatile and can be applied in many different ways.

Overlays

Overlaying is filtering an image through a color lens. Images with color overlays have been popular for a long time because it’s relatively easy to apply and has the power to focus user attention.

Color Overlay Example

Color Overlay Example

Monotone

One of the most popular ways of using loud colors in your website design is a technique called monotone. Monotone palettes consist of a single color with a mixture of shades and tints. Monotone color schemes are usually really easy to read as they establish a solid foundation for foreground content and typography usually “pops” off the screen.

Example of a monotone website color palette

Example of a monotone website color palette

 

Duotone

Duotone palettes are made up of two colors. This can either be two contrasting colors or two shades of the same color.

Example of Duotone color scheme in website design

Example of Duotone color scheme in website design

Gradients

Gradient color schemes are back again however this time they are being used with high-contrast complementary colors. Modern gradients are also now being used as accent colors. Look at the gradients that are used in the navigation on Bloomberg’s site below:

Gradient color scheme example

Gradient color scheme example

Is it time to redesign your website? 15 reasons to redesign now.

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Here are 15 really good reasons to redesign your website immediately:

  1. Is your website bringing in business? If you haven’t made any updates to your website in months, chances are that it’s not bringing you new business and is time for an overhaul. Website marketing strategies change every year and if your phone isn’t ringing from people finding you online, it’s time to take a closer look at why.
  2. Is anyone finding your website? Look at your Google Analytics reports to see whether you have the website traffic you need to get clients or sell your products. Marketing is a numbers game and you need eyeballs. If your website traffic is very low, it’s time to improve your website content and invest in SEO or a conversion strategy.
  3. Are you embarrassed by your website? If you are embarrassed to give out your website address because you are afraid of what prospects might think of it, it is time to consider a website redesign. Do not procrastinate. A bad website can hurt your business far more than not having one at all, because of the negative perception it gives of you and your company.
  4. Does your website have traffic but few conversions? What happens when people get to your site? How do you convert them from visitors to qualified prospects? You need to think beyond just a mailing list signup form.
  5. Does your website look awesome on a phone? When you view your website on your phone, does your page layout change and do the elements on the web page stack on top of each other so that everything is easy to view? This is called a responsive or mobile-friendly design. Google is now penalizing websites that are not mobile-friendly by lowering their search results rankings.
  6. Is it easy to update your website? WordPress websites allow non-technical users to update their website content very easily. If you have to call your developer for simple updates, it’s time for a website redesign.
  7. Are you using older technology? Platforms like Joomla and Magento are no longer well supported. It has been said that one human year equals at least four years on the Internet. That’s how fast technology is progressing, however some website platforms and content management systems haven’t kept up. They may have been great a few years ago, but if your website has been built on older technology you may find your editing choices will become limited as new features become desirable, and you may also be more vulnerable to security breaches and unwanted hacks. If you are using older technology, it’s time for a website redesign.
  8. Can you control your website? A website is your most important marketing tool and it’s critical that you have access to all the parts (domain registrar, web hosting, and dashboard) so you can update and you understand what is involved.
  9. Can you post blog articles? If you don’t have blog posts or articles on your website, you aren’t demonstrating your expertise to visitors, and you might not be delivering real value. The key to SEO and content writing is to write helpful articles (that answer a question someone might post in a search engine), so that visitors to your website get to know and trust you.
  10. Do you want to link to your social channels? Social media is more important than ever. You should identify the social media channels where your ideal client is and then creative an active presence at that particular channel and link to it from your website and back to your website from the social channel. If your social channels are active, it lets Google and your prospective clients know that your business is thriving.
  11. Have your competitors updated their website? Obviously, you don’t need to give your site an overhaul every time one of your competitors changes theirs. If you spend some time on a competitor’s site and realize it could meet your goals far better than your own site does, it’s time to redesign your website.
  12. Does your website reflect all of your services and/or products you offer. If the list of services that you provide has grown and your old website does not reflect the full suite of services that you now provide, this can result in customers going elsewhere to get a service that you provide because they weren’t aware that you offered that service. By redesigning your website you can expand your list of services to include all of the services you provide, so that each visitor and customer is aware of everything you offer.
  13. Is your website optimized for search engines? A website redesign can help you improve your site architecture so that it is more SEO friendly. A website redesign can help you improve your coding and make your website as a whole more SEO friendly utilizing custom page urls, H1, H2, H3 Tags, Page Titles and Alt Tags by utilizing a more advanced Content Management System that gives you greater flexibility and makes optimizing your website easier.
  14. Is your website built on a fast, safe, and secure platform and host? Perhaps one of the greatest concerns of our time is cyber security, and small businesses and entrepreneurs are just as susceptible to website hacking and viruses as larger businesses. If your website was built years ago and hasn’t been updated since, you are at greater risk for malware and hacking.
  15. Has your business focus changed? Business goals change over time and you want your website to support these changes. Businesses that survive and thrive capitalize on the technology that’s available to them to help deliver a better product or service.  If you don’t redesign your website to integrate new technology into your business you may find it hard to keep up in your industry. Your website is a living part of your business, and it should evolve and change as your business grows and as technology progresses. Even when you do get your website redesigned it doesn’t end there, your website should be in a state of constant measurement, improvement, and enhancement.

Sometimes you just need an outside expert to take a look at your current website and help you decide whether it’s time to redesign your website. Connect4 Consulting will review your website and call you to review our findings and make recommendations. Learn more about our website audits.

Website Marketing Strategies that Bring in New Business

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As a website designer, I spend a considerable amount of time looking at prospective client websites and talking to business owners about their websites. For most businesses, their number one goal is to increase the number of legitimate leads coming through their website. However, most small businesses are still operating websites that only reinforce credibility. That is, new business comes by way of traditional channels such as referrals, public speaking, direct mail, networking, and advertising, and the website serves to support those leads. Websites today can absolutely bring in new qualified prospects but only if a business approaches the website and internet marketing process strategically and invests in website marketing strategies.

A small business owner’s goal should be to invest in a website that drives marketing and brings in new business on its own through Google search. Do you have a conversion strategy for your website? The competition online is fierce and most of your top competitors probably have great websites. How does your internet presence compare with theirs? There are hundreds of new small business websites launching every minute. Small businesses should have website marketing strategies in place to capitalize on website traffic.

Website marketing strategies are also constantly changing and it’s hard for small businesses to keep up with the changes. Website marketing strategies from three years ago no longer work today. This means that it’s time for new website marketing strategies. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that all small business websites need to be redesigned. As long as your website is responsive (adapts to various devices and screen sizes), easy to update (is built on a content management system like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal), and has a modern look, you don’t need to undergo a website redesign. Instead, consider investing in new website marketing strategies.

Website Marketing Strategies that Bring in New Business

Identify your ideal prospect

As you think about strategies to bring in new business, you should first start by identifying your ideal prospect. Who are your marketing to? Who is your ideal client? What are their pain issues? What questions do they always ask? When they hire you, what value will they receive? Why do they buy from you and not your competitor? Create a website strategy that communicates clearly and persuasively to your ideal prospect.

Add a conversion strategy

The biggest mistake small businesses make is not having a conversion strategy on their website. Too often the focus is on driving the traffic to the website and not on what happens when people get there. Without a conversion strategy, these visitors will never turn into leads. You will lose any traffic that isn’t ready to buy the moment they visit.

When someone visits your website, they are trying to solve a problem. Make it easy for them and help them solve that problem.

Google rewards sites that educate by ranking them higher in search results. When you deliver value and educate, your visitor is much more likely give you an email address or contact information in exchange for your valuable content. Suddenly you have a conversion and are building a marketing list of ideal clients. Even if they don’t convert to a customer at that minute, they are on your marketing list and in your marketing pipeline.

Drive traffic to your website after adding your conversion strategy

Traffic is an important part of the equation, but too often, businesses drive traffic to their website before they have a conversion strategy in place. There are many ways to drive traffic:

 Strategy is more important than the visual design

Spend your money on strategy, traffic, writing and photos first. If you get all these right, your website will perform well for you. If you have money left in your budget, you should invest in a custom visual website design.

A $700 website will not help you build your business

There are thousands of website designers who will gladly take $700 or less of your money to design a website. Building an effective website requires strategy and strategy takes time and expertise. Strategy always starts with understanding your target audience and your audience’s needs and then figuring out the right messaging and communication strategy. There is no way that a $700 website can deliver this kind of strategy.

Wonder how your website measures up? Schedule a 90-minute website and internet marketing strategy session with Gabe Seiden.