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Crafting the Perfect Home Page

Rebecca Gill
December 06, 2014

Crafting the Perfect Home Page

Presented at WordCamp Las Vegas 2014

Crafting the perfect home page is more than images, text, and widgets. It's about creating a home page that connects with visitors. This requires a deeper understanding of who visits your website, why they come, and what information they seek.

In this presentation we will dig into defining user personas, creating visitors paths, and utilizing focused call to actions to help website visitors convert their visit into leads, sales, and real revenue.

Rebecca Gill

December 06, 2014
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Transcript

  1. You buy an awesome and amazing multipurpose WordPress theme to

    bring your new idea to life. ü  Unlimited colors and fonts ü  Built-in page builders ü  Shortcodes aplenty ü  Seven different sliders ü  Megamenus ü  Portfolios ü  Shopping carts ü  Forums ü  Landing pages ü  Pop up boxes
  2. A WordPress theme is not the starting point. A theme

    is simply a means by which you can reach your final destination.
  3. Your home page creates the first impression. It immediately begins

    to tell your story and allows you to connect with visitors. Make sure your home page is welcoming, professional looking, builds trust, answers questions, and provides clear direction.
  4. Define what success looks like and then establish your goals

    and objectives. What do you need? Brand exposure, subscribers, leads and prospects, or actual sales? .
  5. Ask yourself these important questions: ü  Who is your target

    market? ü  What problems or issues do they need to solve? ü  How can you help them solve these issues? ü  What service, product, or content can provide a solution? ü  Why should they reach out to you versus someone else? ü  Can you provide social proof? ü  What content can you offer as additional information? ü  How can visitors convert into a subscriber, lead or sale?
  6. Create user personas by segmenting your target market into individual

    groups. ü  Persona name ü  Demographics ü  Pain points and/or needs ü  The offering that meets their unique needs ü  Path to persona-based content ü  Call to action for converting into lead, sale, etc.
  7. Create a roadmap for each visitor persona. This helps define

    what you need to provide within your website to properly service the various visitors and their unique needs.
  8. Make navigation easy. Have a navigation menu that clearly points

    visitors to core pages such as About, Products, Services, and Contact. Use common language and avoid cute (aka confusing) verbiage.
  9. Define and document focused call to actions. At the end

    of a successful visit, what do you want visitors to do? Make these call to actions relevant and skip the fluff. Validate call to actions by comparing them to your original goals and objectives.
  10. Write an brief overview of who you are and what

    you do. This will give visitors a quick way to validate that they are in the right place. It will make them pause and allow them to dig deeper into your website.
  11. Wireframe your ideal home page. The home page is a

    map for the visitor journey not yet taken.
  12. Match your wireframe to a WordPress theme. Purchase a stock

    theme that matches your wireframe and your project objectives. If funds allow, hire a professional designer to create a custom theme that is unique to you, your website, and your brand.
  13. Remember to select a theme that matches you, your content,

    and your objectives. A good WordPress theme will be designed specifically for a type of website or blog. What type are you? ü  Company with basic brochure information and images ü  Blog with only posts ü  Complex online store with multiple products ü  Simple single product store ü  Service-focused website ü  News site ü  Review site ü  Community site
  14. Maintain a solid look and feel that matches your brand.

    A home page sets the tone for the rest of the website. Keep logo, color, and fonts cohesive with your brand. Avoid bling and a mismatch of colors and fonts.
  15. Don’t. Just Don’t. I beg of you. ü  Don’t use

    overly large logos ü  Avoid bling, neon, and sparkles ü  Skip the slider with ten rotating images ü  Avoid rotating sliders with moving text ü  Say no to autoplaying YouTube videos ü  Remove the “welcome to my website” message
  16. Take a step back to check your progress. Does the

    home page adequately address your target market and personas? Does it answer the key questions you previously answered? Does it provide clear direction and navigation? Does it help achieve the goals and objectives originally defined?
  17. The key takeaways… A WordPress theme is not the starting

    point. A theme is simply a means by which you can reach your final destination. Select a theme that matches you, your content, and your objectives. The home page is a map for the visitor journey not yet taken. Make sure it speaks your target market and provides clear direction. @rebeccagill #wclv #wclv14
  18. Rebecca Gill I am a wife and mother of two.

    I’m the founder of Web Savvy Marketing and a lover of all things WordPress. Learn more about me and my team at Web-Savvy-Marketing.com. Follow me on Twitter via @rebeccagill. #wclv #wclv14