8 Steps to a Better Homepage
This week, James of InsureMe Affiliate Blog fame, rehashed MarketingSherpa's tips for an improved homepage. I reviewed the list and it looks pretty good.
And because I know most of you web-savvy agents have been wondering how to get your insurance web sites up to snuff, I thought I'd rehash them here. So I guess I'm re-rehashing.
8 Steps to a Better Homepage
1. Refocusing about 80% of your homepage to fit your primary audience. Of course, this means you have to identify your audience. Young? Old? Male? Female? Not sure? Just make sure it passes the 'mom test.' Passing the 'mom test' means that it's simple, straightforward, and non-offensive. Then dedicate some resources to learning about your demographic.2. Move useful links to the 'small fold window.' You've heard it here before: Above the fold is valuable real estate. It's the part of the screen a user can see without having to scroll. But when we have multiple windows open, that real estate becomes drastically smaller. Put important links to contact info, quote applications, and account log-in even higher than the traditional fold line.
3. Rewrite navigation links to fit what people are searching for. By now you should have analytics on your web site. Go through your analytics report and see what search terms visitors are entering. Then mimic those keywords in the navigation links. Take a look at the top navigation bar on the InsureMe Agent homepage to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
4. Get rid of extra columns. Older homepages boast three or four columns. Marketing Sherpa recommends minimizing columns, using two short and one long. Again, take a look at the new InsureMe Agent homepage for visual reference.
5. Dump the external and banner-style ads. They're horrifically out of date and unprofessional. If you really want to make a little extra coin, put ads on your blog. Just keep 'em off your business web site.
6. Use a larger font. Anything below 10-point can be hard to read. I'd also like to add: Examine your font style. Dump the frilly, over-the-top fonts. Stick with clean and classic types, like Arial or Helvetica.
7. Make sure you have a fast-loading page. Web users have a short attention span. If your page takes too long to load, they'll be on to the next one faster than you can say World Wide Web.
8. Pay attention to where new users are going on your homepage. Dig out your analytics report to see what sections of your site new visitors are hitting up. If your About Us and FAQ pages are getting a lot of clicks, it's time to reexamine your homepage text. It could mean that users aren't finding the answers they need on your homepage.
Remember, your homepage should tell visitors who you are, what you do, and make it easy for them to get what they want. Check out the full MarketingSherpa article to learn more about these eight points, and peruse the following links for more on beefing up your web site.
[Related articles]:
Use Copywriters to Convert Customers
How to Make Web Visitors Run for the Hills
The Anatomy of Successful Web Sites | Part One | Part Two
Revamping Your Web Site: Part One | Part Two
