Explode Your Homepage And Replace It With Something Dynamite!

You know that I'm always extolling the virtues of an all-round website marketing approach that doesn't just focus on search engines? Well, you'll be suprised to hear there's a big problem with this.

The big problem with this is that it assumes your website is ready to start receiving lots of visitors in the first place! Before you start marketing your site you need to know..

How To Destroy Your Homepage And Turn It Into Dynamite

The sad fact of the matter is that most homepages on the web suck. They're not just "below par" - they are downright embarrassing. Now I'm not saying yours is one of them but I'll stick my neck on the line and say that yours is not 100% perfect.

So what can you do? Well - it's time to get a sledgehammer and destroy your homepage. Don't pussyfoot around - just take a big run up, a huge swing and smash the thing to smithereens. Level it to the floor. It's the only way to get it right.

Why Destroying Your Homepage Is The Right Thing To Do

By destroying your homepage you will then start with a blank page - the only way to truly get inspired and come up with something completely different.

You see the problem here is that your homepage is probably the result of months of tweaking, tidying, cluttering, cleaning, dusting, re-tweaking and re-cluttering. Your homepage usually ends up as a combination of all the things you think are important but as a result can often end up looking more like a messy attic than a welcoming reception into your business.

3 Ingredients You Need To Turn Your Homepage Into Dynamite

Ingredient No. 1 - Headlines

You've read a newspaper right? (Here's hoping..). Imagine trying to digest all that information without headlines to draw your attention, differentiate all the separate paragraphs and give you a clue as to what the detailed descriptions beneath are all about? It would be impossible to read.

If you don't have attention-grabbing headlines on your homepage that's what you're doing - making your page impossible to read. And remember - "Welcome to Widgets Inc." or "Welcome to my homepage" are not headlines! Write something that makes me ask "How do you do that?!"

Ingredient No. 2 - Proof Is In The Pudding

You will never make a single sale in your life unless you can establish confidence in the buyer. One of the easiest ways to establish this confidence is to show them proof. Now the tricky bit here is that you haven't got pages and pages of opportunity to do this - you can't start waxing lyrical on your homepage.

What you need to do is hit people with quick shots of hard, cold and irrefutable proof right away. Proof that what you sell works. Proof that they should listen to you. Proof that if they leave your website right now their life will be worse because of it. But I'm not in a position to tell you exactly what shape this proof should take - hell, it's your business not mine! If you haven't got lots of proof - you're in trouble and possibly in the wrong business.

Ingredient 3 - One Single Individual Sole Lonely Non-plural Stand Alone Call To Action

What is your website for? What are you trying to do with it? Whatever your ultimate desired end goal for each visitor you need to make this clear to them right on the homepage. Don't just leave them floating around looking at information making their own decisions about where to go on your site and what to do! Why? Because the chances are that their decision will be to get out of there at the first opportunity because you've not told them what you want them to do.

People like to be led. So lead them!!

"I want to sell you X on this site"

"You need to sign-up now and your life will never be the same again!"

The above are both good examples. Don't be scared and British about it - shout about your motives and desires on your homepage. Otherwise - don't come moaning to me when your visitors aren't doing what you want them to do. They're not psychic you know!

Michael Cheney is Author of The Website Marketing BibleTM. Take the Free 7-Part Course "Internet Marketing Made Easy" and get your free sampler of 'The Bible' here: http://www.websitemarketingbible.com/marketin g/

---

Web Design: Use it to Showcase the Message

If you are designing a web site for which the... Read More

Awards Program Debate

Daily article:One of the most debated subject among webmasters is... Read More

14 Ways to Add Content to Your Web Site - Part 2

7. Create high quality content - make clear points with... Read More

Make Your Web Site User-Friendly

You can create a website that attracts customers, not repels... Read More

Ten Tips For Your Web Site Home Page

1. Loading time:try to be below 20kbless number of imagesspecify... Read More

Website Re-Design?

My site is working fine. The links work. Content is... Read More

Your Web Site Is A Wonderland: What Picassos Art Taught Me About Persuasive Design

Whenever singer John Mayer sings his romantic song, "Your Body... Read More

How Do We Know When Its Time To Redesign Our Web Site?

A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we... Read More

Hacked Off with CSS?

For those not familiar with CSS Hacks, they are ways... Read More

HTML - A Website Language Explained - For Over 35s

This is a very perfunctory look at the website code... Read More

Graphic Design Using Color

Color is everywhere and conveys a message even if we... Read More

Nine Effective Tips For Improving Your Website?s Usability

Web usability is perhaps the most important factor in any... Read More

Ten Design Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes and your site will be steps ahead... Read More

Using Graphic Design on Your Website

Almost everything is available on the web? products, services, e-books,... Read More

Simple Lines and Shapes for Your Logo Design

Geometric designs come in all shapes and sizes? and lines.... Read More

Website Savvy: 10 Key Steps to Turn Your Customers ON!

"How to turn "slightly interested" customers into "I've got to... Read More

Flash - To Use Or Not To Use?

Out there in the WWW there are thousands sites using... Read More

How To Create A Professional Website In Less Than A Week

Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a... Read More

Your Free Guide To Obtain A Cheap Web Design Quote

Website design is a very competitive area and there is... Read More

Tried and Tested Tips to Improve Your Website - Part 1

1. DO NOT use excessive graphics or banner images on... Read More

Color Psychology in Marketing

On the internet we don't deal with face to face... Read More

Choosing Form Over Function Kills Your Site

Never put form over function. Why? Because it's crucial that... Read More

The Proper Way to Use Images

Most people will agree there is nothing more annoying than... Read More

Web Designers Beware!

As a web designer, I have a personal interest in... Read More

Web Site Turn Ons

When you develop a sales brochure, you have a mental... Read More

Website Checklist

10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have ...__ all short... Read More

Creating a Basic Web Design Template

A "template" is simply a design format which you can... Read More

Creating a Favicon

Once, I attempted to create a favicon (the little graphic... Read More

Design vs Content: Who is KING?

Well it is not Elvis, that's for sure.I am a... Read More

Database Driven Website

The solution lies in creating a 'Database driven website', through... Read More

Is a Web Site Builder Right for You?

A web site builder can be a real life saver... Read More

Keep Your Navigation Consistent!

One of the single most important aspects of effective navigation... Read More

Website Design: Color Me Blue

Chris, a new consulting client, asked me to help him... Read More