Your Website Is Your Blog’s Home

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Not only is your website the home to your blog, but it’s also your digital business card and the doorway to your business, inviting people in for a chance to get to know you more.

Instantly, they decide whether to click away or not. It’s your job to entice them to look further…

Starting with your homepage, let’s get to work on your blog transformation, first with clarity, relevance, value, and frictionless or seamless user experience. Your homepage needs to answer the questions people show up with; and, it also needs to guide visitors to the next action you want them to take.

How About the Grunt Test?

The Grunt Test: Donald Miller

Clearly communicate your message to pass the Grunt Test which allows people NOT to have to think to know and understand what you’re about.

Hone in on your business Mission, Vision, & Values to align with your website and content plan. Here’s a sample. At the very least, work from a statement of purpose to keep you and your team on track.

Here are some resources for creating a banging homepage:

• Homepage Questions: Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media Studios
• Homepage Checklist: Gill Andrews
• Homepage Checklist Source 2

Website Navigation: Andy from Orbit, contrary to Gill’s advice!

I just heard Andy speak about this descriptive word choice style vs. the grunt test/generic nav link advice. And, it makes more and more sense to me for clarity. Plus don’t forget the extra punch of SEO juice in this change of word thinking.

Just think about it, “Services Page” says nothing to people or search. “Web Writing Services” on the other hand is much clearer and deserves a page to itself perhaps!

Messaging: Tagline

Gill’s Examples.

Homepage Examples for Review

AppSumo talks about best practices and gives you examples and explanations for homepages here.

Take a look at my friend Henneke’s Enchanting Marketing site as an example of all the right things for a powerful homepage!

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Here’s Gill Andrew’s homepage (her homepage checklist is one we review in the Workshop) so you can see if she checks all her own boxes!

Other homepage examples to take a look at include, HubSpot, Neil Patel, and for the grand finale, Orbit Media’s homepage. Hopefully, these pro examples spark some ideas and insights to guide you to create or update a more optimized homepage guest experience.

Remember, your homepage is the doorway to spark interest and offer visitors pathways to get to know you further, but keep in mind the “intent” for their landing there. Answer intent by sending people in the direction that most suits their needs, and reflects what your business can do to help.

Your doorways might include a chance to:

✅ Start a FREE email mini-course

✅ Visit your hottest, or latest, blog post

✅ Check out and subscribe to your YouTube channel

✅ Click a button to learn about X, Y, or Z

Well, you get the idea! The important thing is you think your profile link strategy through and use each with a specific result or intent in mind, right? Henneke’s page shows this beautifully!

Does Your Website Invite Visitors In?

Your goal, of course, is to draw people closer to you, not send them away.

Consistency in how you describe yourself helps people understand who you are and what you do with clarity. Repeating it at every turn makes it sticky.

Finding clarity and conciseness lets you convey a strong and solid message for your business/brand.

Providing pathways from your homepage gives visitors an opportunity to interact in any number of ways. And each contact with you is a touchpoint. Multiple touchpoints create the stepping stones to engagement and eventually, sales.

Are you creating pathways to invite visitors to learn more about your business and services with your homepage design? Leave a comment with your thoughts below.

More From the Blog…

• Your Website Is Your Blog’s Home
• Site Structure to Feed Content Strategy
• Writing Tips to Improve Your Blog
• Ready to Improve Your Business Blog?
• How to Propel Your Business With a Powerful Blog