3 Principles to Evaluate Your Home Page Copy

Unlike printed books, websites are alive. You have the power to change them however you want. It’s a great thing, but there’s a downside.

Most businesses rarely touch their website.

And since it’s a live asset on the internet, you better believe their competitors are taking full advantage of new designs, technologies, and better website content.

Our home page copy, or the content we put on our main page, is the most important thing to drive action.

We should always evaluate it.

Use these simple principles, along with data tools, to tweak and improve your home page copy on a routine basis.

1. Visitors Don’t Need to Scroll

You can easily identify great website design and copy by how well you strategize your hero section.

The hero section, or your main banner, is the first thing visitors see. Most of them will leave your website in the first few seconds if they face any hesitation.

Do you want visitors to scroll down your site? Of course. The longer they visit, the more likely they will act. But all visitors will have to decide if they want to continue.

Visitors should know three pieces of information in two seconds before they touch their mouse.

1. The big picture: the emotional value you promise
2. Exactly what you provide
3. What to do if they want it

Creating Your 3-point Offer

The Title or Headline should convey the emotional benefits customers get.

If you sell premium pens targeted toward lawyers, you know that they don’t buy them so they write on paper. They want to feel good, write smoothly, and enjoy their experience as they become better lawyers.

Example of the title:

Write Like You’ve Already Won

It conveys the confidence lawyers feel when they write with a pen that demands attention and offers a smooth writing experience. Keep in mind we didn’t plainly say “premium pens.”

Next, you include the subheader. The subheader or subtitle is another often misunderstood section. Many think they should keep hitting the benefits or say exactly what they do.

Wrong examples of a subtitle:

Write Like You’ve Already Won

Quality Pens and Ink

Or

Write Like You’ve Already Won

The best quality on the internet.

The first example loses perceived value by missing out on the reinforcement of the emotional benefit. A lawyer who wants a good pen can buy one next door.

The second example doesn’t communicate what you do or provide. There should be no room for confusion.

So while the subtitle communicates what you do, we do it in light of the emotional benefit (we create a hybrid).

Example of a good subtitle:

Write Like You’ve Already Won

Hand-crafted, premium pens that write as bold as you in the courtroom

As soon as I read this section, I know exactly what this brand provides – all while piquing my interest to read more.

Lastly, there should be a button to act. Instead of “Buy Now” or “Learn More” which are fine, utilize immediate value if possible.

For example, in this case, we can say “Shop Now” or something more luxurious like “See the Showroom” if the web design complements that mental image.

Or, we add immediate value by removing the hesitation of “what if I don’t like the pen?.”

The button can say “Try Before You Buy” or “Try it Yourself,” and the brand can create an offer that holds a deposit until a few days after it arrives.

When you see a hero section like the one above, you notice the clear and concise value.

Someone can make the decision to buy right there – no scroll needed. If you can convey everything before touching the mouse, you’ll increase readership for the rest of the page and improve conversions.

2. There is Only Once Choice

Once you’ve checked the first section of your website, it’s much simpler. Ensure your home page motivates the visitor to take one action.

You are directing traffic, like the intersection near your home. If the intersection has four directions, traffic goes everywhere.

While this is an efficient and organized method for the street, it’s a disaster for a website. You want to control the experience and have them do the most important thing.

You lose them if they see the option to click on another link.

If you feel a Case Study is essential, try to make a short version on the home page. If your audience is very technical and you have to lead them to another page, add the same call to action at the end.

That’s why menus, which are at the top of the page, should also be simple. If it has 20 options, visitors will go everywhere. Keep it as minimal as possible.

Either way, have visitors do one thing. It might be to call you or make a direct purchase but make it clear and easy to identify.

3. It’s Easier to Say Yes Than No

By nature, we think in negative terms.

We have to work at being positive (and that’s if we want to). Imagine a visitor with no loyalty to you or interest in doing business. They just want the value you offer.

It’s very easy and more likely that they say no. So we need to do our best to flip that tendency. We need to tackle the biggest hesitations on the home page.

For example, on our premium pen page, we remove the hesitation that they buy a pen and don’t like it. We can send them a pen kit with multiple options. They keep the one they like and send the rest back to us when they decide.

Common Hesitations to Tackle

1. What if I don’t like it?

Offer a money-back guaranteed sample or a “try before you buy” offer.

2. Can I trust this brand with my money?

Display security features through accreditations and the processors you use. Show logos of companies you work with if B2B or customer reviews.

3. Are the other brands better?

Create a gallery of reviews (even better if you include a featured video testimonial). Provide comparison analysis or directly address why you are better than most brands in the copy by communicating features.

4. Does it work as promised?

Your money-back guarantee or a “try” strategy will tackle this in combination with reviews. Include a warranty for the best way to eliminate the worry.

As you routinely check and nurture your website, use these three principles for a healthy home page.