How to Write a Homepage That Sizzles

What do people see when they first come to your website? Your homepage is a prime piece of Internet real estate. 
It’s your first - and maybe last - chance to make a good impression. It’s the elevator speech you’d give if you were face to face. 

What message is your homepage sending?



A common homepage mistake:

Some people treat their homepage as a resume. 

I’ve done this, this, this, and this. Aren’t you impressed? Don’t you want to be my friend?

 Nobody likes a braggart. Nobody cares what you’ve done, where you went to school, or how many followers you’ve got. At least not until you’ve met their needs. So what can you do to make your homepage sizzle?  How can you make it convert browsers into buyers and surfers into subscribers?



Here are three ways you can pack your homepage with persuasive power:

1. Make your message clear 🔎 

People don’t stay anywhere online for long. 

Tony Haile says 55% of website visitors spend 15 seconds on a single webpage. That’s not a lot of time. So keep your message simple and direct. Make it clear immediately. Remember people scan, not read websites. Highlight phrases that invite people to read more. 
What should your message be about? 

Transformation. 



It’s not enough to sell benefits. If you want your homepage to rock, sell the life that people want:


• More sales of their products

• Less stress because those nagging problems are a thing of the past

• More email subscribers for their lists




Whatever your people want, help them see they can get it. 



Here’s how you do that:

2. Make the home page about them, not you 👩‍💻

A common mistake we businesspeople make is to see ourselves as the hero. We’re not. 

The customer is the hero, you’re the guide. 

You come to the rescue by offering a plan that makes your customers’ dreams come true. That makes you a guide. You’re the Yoda that equips Luke Skywalker to lead the rebellion to defeat the evil empire. That’s pretty cool, right?



Here’s how you can win your website visitor over quickly:



• Make an emotional connection. Something is standing between your customers and their goals. It’s frustrating, limiting, and seems impossible to overcome. It even keeps them up at night with worry, stress, and maybe even confusion. Let them know a good night's sleep is just a conversation away. Who wouldn’t want relief like that? 



• Encourage their dreams.

 We all want something out of life. We want to believe we can make a difference, have an impact, and change lives for the better. In other words, we want to know we matter. Let your words paint pictures of possibility. Imagine the life you want. It is not only possible, it’s virtually guaranteed when you follow these simple steps. When you use this system, you’ll have an income that will let you quit your job, travel wherever you want, and work from your laptop. Want to make a difference? With what I’ll teach you, you can leverage your talent and have an impact that exceeds anything you’ve ever imagined!
 When you encourage people’s dreams, you’ll grab their attention - and keep it.


  
  
• Make them feel important. 

There’s no better way to make friends than to assure people they matter. You do that by asking them to talk about themselves.  As entrepreneurs, we’ve got to know our customers, don’t we? Chances are, you’ve got competitors doing something similar to what you do. Maybe they even do it better. So how do you set yourself apart? 


  
  
• Meet people’s needs.


  Here are a few of them:
   - People want to know what others don’t know.

   - They want to be noticed and understood.

   - They need to feel they have power. 



  Fill those needs and you’ll fill your bank account 💵.
  
  

3. Have one call to action ☎️


You’ve just sold the dream and painted pictures of possibility for your prospect. 

 Now it’s time to ask them to do something: 

• Sign up for your newsletter

• Request a consultation

• Sample your product




When you meet someone you’d like to know better, you don’t just say, “Nice to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you again, but I don’t know.”
 If you want to keep the conversation going, you invite them to talk again at a specific time. You do that by getting their phone number, asking when they’re available to chat, and maybe telling them what you’ll talk about. That’s pretty simple, isn’t it? Make sure your website does that. 

In fact, if you want to build a following, you need a call to action everytime you write a blog post, write web copy, or post on social media. 

It doesn’t have to sell anything but an idea. But remember, at some point you will have to ask for money. If people are used to you asking them to do something, it will be a natural next step for them to buy from you. 

Now, Make Your Homepage Sizzle 🔥

Take these strategies and make them your own. Sell the transformation people can get with you as soon as they reach your website. Make it so appealing they’ll be hungry for your help. Do that and you’ll never go hungry. Your pipeline will be full, and so will your bank account! 

Frank McKinley is a Blogger, Published Author, Writing Coach, and Promotion Strategist.
He is the Founder of the Tribe Builder's Network on Facebook and the Host and Producer of the Thriving Writers Show on YouTube.
When he's not teaching, interviewing, or writing, he enjoys coffee and conversation.