Whether you write your own web copy or hire a professional to do
it for you, these rules will help you guide potential customers from Google to
your site – and keep guiding them till they’ve followed your call to action. Read
them over, maybe with your business’s website open at the same time. You
might find that a home page that really brings in business is well within your
reach.

Rule #1. Onscreen reader friendliness
The most important thing to remember here is that people don’t read on the
web; they scan.

Eye-tracking studies show that most people look at websites in an “F”
pattern. That is, they read the top headline, move down a little, read
another line or subhead, and then quickly move to the bottom of the page.
Your home page’s layout must cater to this pattern: put your most
important information in the top two paragraphs. Use anchors (see next
bullet) to keep them engaged as they scan down the page.

Give the reader anchors that their eyes can rest on. Headlines, subheads,
and boldface key words and phrases can stop the reader from zoning out
and moving on to a competitor’s page.

Rule #2. Search engine friendliness
But before potential customers can enjoy your reader-friendly layout, they have
to find you. Here are some ways to get your website to the top pages of any
relevant Google search.

Look at the very top of this browser window: see how it gives the name of
the article, followed by HomeBusinessWiz.com? This is called the title. As
far as search engines are concerned, it’s the most important part of your
home page. Make sure your title contains important keywords that your
customers are likely to type into Google.

Again, headlines, subheads and boldface are your friends. Search engines
know that they are dealing with important content and pay special
attention. Think of the search terms a potential customer might use, add
them to your copy and highlight them in at least one of these ways.

You know what’s not your friend? Flash. Search engines can’t read
websites designed with Flash; the only way you can find a Flash page is to type its address directly into the URL field. Remember: it doesn’t matter how visually exciting your website is if people can’t find it.

Finally, mention your key phrases approximately 3 times per page.
Remember the cobbler search? A savvy business would have dotted its
home page with the phrase “New York shoe repair.”

Rule #3. Clear purpose
Every business, no matter how complex or specialized, can be boiled down to
two simple sentences. If you don’t believe me, let’s take a look at the
American Revolution: “America fought the British for independence. America
won.” Reductive? Oh yeah. But you do get the point.

You’ve got to know exactly what your home page is supposed to do before
you start writing or laying out what you’ve written. Without a clear
strategic approach, web-surfers won’t make it to the second line.

To zero in on your purpose, it helps to see your website through the eyes
of one of your own potential customers: ask yourself, “Do I know what this
business has to offer? What can I expect if I buy its goods/services?” Write
down your answers and sculpt them into a two-sentence description that
anyone can understand.

Whenever you get muddled, refer back to that description.

Rule #4. Clear language
The cardinal rule here: engage your reader at all costs. Create a 1-on-1
dialogue, as if you and the reader were sitting across a table from each other.

Use the word “you” instead of passive, impersonal constructions. And
don’t hesitate to write in the first-person “I” so the reader knows that
there’s a real human being, not a faceless corporation, behind the words.

Industry lingo and jargon will alienate all but the most patient of your
potential customers, so leave the big words out. If a web-surfer reads
your first paragraph and still has no idea what you’re offering, they’ll be
gone.

Small words and short sentences make happy readers. Remember –
you’re selling to your customers, not your competitors.

Likewise, abbreviations and acronyms are better left to instruction
manuals. Spell words out. Your home page has plenty of space to spell things out.

Don’t try to fool your readers into thinking that your company is bigger
than it really is. When referring to your company as a whole, keep the
language personal, e.g. “My team and I…”

Rule #5. Clear customer benefit

If you want to stand out from the competition, you’ve got to appeal to your
readers’ needs – and fast. Like the legions of Manhattan cobblers, you are just
one of thousands of rival businesses on the web. But an eye-grabbing benefit that really appeals to them, like “shoe repair for the rough streets of New York,” will keep them reading.

While structuring your home page, always start with benefits. How will
your customer’s life be improved by buying your products or services?
Write down the answer and don’t waste any time leading up to it. You’ll
have plenty of time to explain the whys and hows later on.

Once you’ve pinpointed your #1 benefit, keep them coming. Think of
more benefits. Get creative. Here’s a time-tested copywriting exercise:
add “so that” and additional benefits to the ends of your sentences.

Example: “Acme Cobblers gets your shoes as good as new in no time so
that you can look your best so that you can feel confident and attractive
so that you can nail that job interview and dazzle your date so that…”

After you’ve created a nice, long chain of benefits, pick the best ones and
add them throughout your home page so that the reader can’t go more
than a few lines without finding yet another reason to shop with you.

Rule #6. Professional impression
Clever design alone has never sold anything. It’s the words that do the job. I
can’t stress this enough. So your words are your first priority. Follow these steps
to make sure they’re presented clearly and convincingly.

• Put your contact info at the bottom of your home page. Even if you
  have a separate “contact me” page, your home page should stand alone.
• Kill the clutter. Don’t use busy backgrounds that make your text hard to
  read.
• Use dark type on a light background. Never use reverse type (that’s light type on a black or dark background). Fifty years of testing have proven that humans mostly skim over reverse type. We are used to reading books, magazines and newspapers that have dark type on a light background. Your home page should resemble them.
• Use narrow columns. They’re easier to read, and make it easier for your
  client to read all your great benefits.
• Don’t strain their eyes – they’ll need them to read their credit card
  numbers. Use a generous type-size (no less than 10) and a simple font.


• To avoid confusion, use underlines only for hyperlinks. If you need to
  emphasize a word or phrase, use boldface.

Rule #7. Clear call to action
Simple, and very important: a clear, concise, hyperlinked opportunity to buy your products and services or get in touch should appear at the bottom of your home page, and possibly throughout your copy. You’ve given your reader a whole mountain of reasons to buy from you – now give them a way to buy from you.

Bottom line
Your website is an important key to your company’s profits, no matter what line of work you’re in. The home page is your first point of contact with potential customers. It must tell them, in clear, engaging language, exactly what you’re offering and how it benefits them – and serve up this information in a visually appealing, easy-to-read way.

Most websites, even the expensive-looking ones, miss out one at least one of these rules. I hope that this article has inspired you to take a good, hard look at your home page and identify the areas that should be improved. So whether you do it yourself or get help, spruce up your home page and start pulling more sales!

© Katja Bartholmess is a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant with
offices in New York and Berlin. In business since 2002, Katja connects products
and services with the people who buy them by way of sales letters, web copy,
promotions, newsletters, and much more. Find out more at www.writing-your-success.com or get in touch: (917)365-6106; katja@kb-words.com.