3 Keys to engaging visitors on your website’s homepage

Our opinion here at Ascent is that no one seems to care enough about their bounce rate. The bounce rate statistic is one of the most insightful metrics in the world of online marketing. It tells you, quite simply, what percentage of people don’t think your website (and therefore your small business) is worth their time. It tells you how many people found you (yay) but decided that one page was all they needed to see before they decided “not you.”

Here are the 3 biggest keys to ensuring that your small business website creates a strong connection with your visitors as soon as they arrive, drawing them into your story and motivating them to dig in deeper. Cover these bases and your bounce rate will drop and your conversion rates – and bottom line – will go up.

1. Connect functionally: who are you and what do you do?

Don’t assume that your visitors have the slightest idea what your company does to earn money. Or what your name is, or where you’re located. Job #1 on your homepage is to communicate, “Our name is ___ and we do ___.” Within seconds your visitors should be able to answer that fundamental question. This may seem like a given, but too often, web designers and clients alike overlook it.

But when it comes to how you communicate the who and what of your company, be thoughtful, clever, and think “multimedia.” Use your logo, branding line, visuals/photography, navigation labels, video, and – oh yes – words to clearly, succinctly and elegantly communicate your company’s compelling reason for existing. For us, it’s “We’re Ascent Digital Media and we grow companies through online marketing and killer websites, while making the world a better place.” Whether you mow lawns, sell insurance, or cure cancer, be sure your visitors know it.

2. Connect pragmatically: what’s in it for me?

Let’s face it: people are selfish. No matter how effectively you’ve shown a visitor who you are and what you do, their natural, subconscious reaction is always going to be: “So? Why should I care?”

So get right to the point and communicate how your company’s products & services provide value & will benefit the visitor. Does your service reduce their costs? Does your consulting help them improve their business? Does your product make them more beautiful? Figure out how your products and/or services solve one or more of their problems, and tell them about it as clearly and urgently as you can. As the visitor then understands the benefits you’re promising, you can then…

3. Connect emotionally: OK but why you?

All the above stuff is well & good, but here’s where you really grab them: when you successfully convince the visitor that choosing you will make the visitor feel good – and feel better than if they chose anyone else. So let your brand & personality shine through. Show what sets you apart, and communicate that the visitor can rest assured that this would be a positive relationship that they would never have any cause to regret.

The bottom line is that your potential customers want to work with someone they think they’ll… want to work with. If you present yourself solely in terms of competencies, deliverables, and feature/benefits, you convince them that you’re capable… but unless they are fools, they were already planning to choose someone capable, so you haven’t brought them any closer to a decision or given them a compelling reason to choose you. Without communicating your unique position in the market or putting them at ease that they’re going to like you, your process, and your results, visitors will likely keep looking at their options and sign on with a competitor who demonstrates both capability and a compelling, unique, and engaging brand personality.

Finally, don’t leave them hanging

Once you’ve taken care of all the above, give them something to do next. Don’t leave it up to them to figure out where to go or what to do. Every homepage should have at least one (more is also ok, but don’t get crazy) easy-to-find call-to-action.

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