Websites should be designed with a purpose – to generate more members. Each element of each page should have specific intentions behind it. The placement and information within the different elements are crucial to your website reaching its full potential.
It takes about 50 milliseconds for a website visitor to decide whether or not they like your website.
What does that mean? It means you have 0.05 seconds to capture a visitor’s attention and keep them on your website.
Since your homepage is typically the first impression people have of your website, an effective design is crucial.
Let’s explore what you should be considering when it comes to your home page design.
The Header
First, let’s define “header.” The header is the bar at the top of your website. It typically includes your logo, some type of call-to-action, a navigation bar, and your business’ phone number.
To convert a website browser to a lead, you have to give them as little reason as possible to get frustrated with your website. Your header and navigation bar need to be extremely clear. At Market Muscles, we recommend:
- Including your logo in the header to create brand awareness
- Adding your contact information for easy access
- Using contrasting colors in the header and navigation bar
- Ensuring the text is easy to read by choosing appropriate fonts and text sizes
- Keeping the options in the navigation bar simple to avoid confusing or overwhelming the visitor
The Opt-In Area
Opt-in forms allow website visitors to enter their contact information on your website, typically enrolling them in automated messaging or giving them access to more information. The goal of the opt-in form is to get as many names as possible for later use.
The first opt-in area is usually right underneath your header banner and contains your call to action. At Market Muscles, we don’t recommend putting your trial offer in the text of this section because if someone isn’t ready to sign up, they probably won’t put their information in. Instead, a generic and effective phrase to use is, “View our special and access our schedule.”
When choosing what fields to include here, you don’t want to have too few or too many. Collect the most important pieces of information:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Program of interest
The Reviews
Putting reviews on your home page gets the social proof directly in front of your website visitor, eliminating the need for them to leave your website and seek reviews out elsewhere.
Most prospective leads like to read reviews before jumping into a trial purchase. Seeing what people in your community are saying about your school can persuade them to take the first step and opt-in.
Remember, it’s important to call the social proof section of your website a “reviews” section and not a “testimonials” section. Online social platforms refer to them as reviews, so that’s the way people think of them.
Want more tips on home page design? Check out our home page structure webinar with Market Muscles’ founder Stephen Reinstein!