Tell me if this sounds familiar? You’re sitting at your computer staring at the blank screen of your website builder and what should be your home page with no idea where to go from here? We’ve all been there – yes, even me!

Designing your own website is no small feat – so props to you for undertaking this monumental task. And of course, you want to make sure it is done properly. So, you’ve probably browsed a lot of websites and probably even have a compilation of your favorites – no it’s just a matter of putting it all together. That’s where this handy guide will lead you to the perfect home page.

After 6+ years of designing websites professionally, I can tell you that all the homepages are comprised of the sections below in some way or another. And when you include these sections on your homepage, you will have a well-structured, primed-to-convert website home page that you can be proud to send your customers or clients to.

Your homepage is like the storefront of your business. You don’t have a physical storefront your customers can walk into and browse (if you do – imagine you want it to translate into the online space). Your home page will have a bride introduction to WHO you are, WHAT you do, and HOW you can solve your visitor’s problem.

After all, if they have come looking on your home page, it is likely you already captured their attention, and now it is a matter of showing them why you and your business are the best solution to what they are looking for.

Your potential clients are likely to land on your homepage before any other page on your site. It should showcase everything you have to offer so your potential clients can navigate to what will be most useful for them on there. But, you also don’t want to overload it because “a confused buyer will not buy”.

So, how do you create the perfect balance of showcasing your offers and inviting the visitor to work with you without overwhelming them?

Well, my dear, read on for the anatomy of the perfect homepage! I use this as a starting point for all my clients and customize based on the specifics of their business. You can absolutely add or discard sections based on your business as well, but below you will find the general anatomy of high-converting homepages that I have researched and designed over the years.

Are you ready for it? *Drumroll* presenting the anatomy of the perfect home page!

Your perfect home page should look something like this:

• Header (with logo and navigation menu)
• Hero Section (aka your introduction)
• Offers/Services
• About
• Newsletter/Freebie
• Extras
• CTA
• Footer

Now let’s dive deeper into this structure so you can make the most of your homepage!

Hero Section (aka Introduction)

This is where you want to introduce your business. Now, it’s called the hero section because it should be about the hero of your story. But, here’s where businesses sometimes get this wrong…the hero of your story is not you, or even your business – it’s your customer or client!

They need to see themselves using your services or products for them to purchase and/or work with you. So, your hero section needs to introduce your business in a way that will make your visitor feel welcome and entice them to continue scrolling.

You want to hit the major points on WHAT your business does and WHO it is for. A nice large on brand image does well here to capture the attention of your visitors.

Offers

In this section, you want to list your major offers. If you have products with LOTS of listings, break this down to categories or maybe your most popular products. You shouldn’t list hundreds of products here.

If you offer services, then list the main services you want to showcase for your clients to learn more. If you have smaller offers for each service, you can add them to the individual service pages.

You want to ensure that you use high-quality stock or branded images that are visually appealing and on-brand for each of your services. They don’t say “a picture is worth a thousand words” for nothing.

About

Briefly describe who you are. This is your opportunity to make a connection with your visitor. Tell a story about how you and your business will guide them to the outcome they are looking for. These days especially, your clients are looking for a human connection. They want to know about you and sharing your story is exactly how you can build their trust in that you are the best solution for them.

Be sure to include a high-quality image of yourself, preferably on brand to make this look professional and inviting.

Newsletter/Freebie

Here you have the opportunity to grow your email list. Offer something to your visitors for free when you ask them to sign up to your newsletter. They are much more likely to sign up when they receive something in exchange.

Building your email list is key to getting repeat customers and warming up a cold lead faster. Make sure the sign-up form is short and sweet and don’t forget to let them know what they will be receiving!

Extras

If you have a blog post, testimonials, or a portfolio – this would be the place to arrange it. You can list testimonials and social proof from past clients to build your credibility and trust in the eyes of your visitors. You can also add relevant blog posts that will help them connect with you and invite them to learn more about you.

A portfolio sneak peek would do great here as well to showcase some of your best work for to entice your clients to continue browsing your website.

This section can be primarily visual to draw the eye and lead them where you want them to go.

CTA

Your Call-to-Actions (CTAs) should be sprinkled throughout your homepage. But at the bottom, you should include a final call to action inviting your visitors to book a call, purchase a product, sign up to your newsletter, follow you on social media – anything that allows your visitors to take easy action on your website even if it’s not immediately purchasing from you.

Now that you’ve broken down the structure of the perfect home page it doesn’t look so scary right?! So, what are you waiting for! Get going on creating your homepage, and if you know that this looks like waaay more than you have time for right now (you go busy entrepreneur!) check out my website templates that you can customize for your business. They have these homepages built out for you to just plug and launch!

Happy Designing!