Update your homepage (without leaving the house)
OK, so (in Australia) we're actually allowed to leave the house a bit now. But we're still isolating, people.
The time to update our homepages is upon us and these tips are simple, actionable and game-changing so mark some time to take a whirl.
💥 Include a sweet headline
You want to reel those fickle scrollers in, so you'll need to be clever and interesting. Try to grab their attention with a catchy headline. We’ve written a whole blog about headlines, so have a wander over there for some great ideas.
💥 What do you do?
Listen, not everyone is going to understand what your service is (ahem...copywriter, anyone?) — so you're gonna need to tell them. It's best to distil this into a few key services, so that you don't have to launch into an autobiography when a new friend (online or IRL) asks about your business.
💥 Who do you do it for?
Now's the time to be specific. If you write creepily specific break-up emails for people in long distance relationships OR make cat jumpers for cat fiends OR offer your services ONLY to women changing careers in their forties, you've got to tell people that. This way, people will know that they've come to the right place.
Here’s a helpful formula:
“I help (who you help) to (what you help them do) so that they can (how you’ll improve their lives)”.
Here are some examples:
“I help established business owners manage their social media, so that their message gets in front of the right people”.
“I help new parents get their babies into a routine so that they don’t lose their minds!”
“I help athletes learn how to manage overwhelm through mindfulness, so that they can perform at their peak”.
💥 Which problems do you solve?
You know you're a dead-set legend, but this is your chance to tell your ideal clients how much BETTER their lives will be with you on board.
Over the years, marketers have generated lists of reasons why people buy. There are different iterations of this, but generally we agree that people want to:
Save time
Save money
Look good
Avoid pain
Make money
Avoid effort
Prevent stress
Protect family
If you work out your ideal clients’ motivation, you can highlight it on your homepage. By explaining how you’ll make a prospective client’s life better, you’re taking that pain point off the table. And people LOVE that.
💥 A Call to Action
Be very clear about what you want people to do. Book you? Make an appointment? Fill in a form? Email? Carrier pigeon? Tell people what to do and make it dynamic.
You’ll also love:
Martha Barnard-Rae is a Denmark WA-based SEO copywriter. She supports businesses in Denmark, Albany, the Great Southern and beyond with all the wordy things they need to stand out in the best possible way.
Her words live on the websites, blogs, videos, emails, and socials of businesses all over Australia. An accomplished speaker, Martha helps brands, business owners, schools, and Government Departments understand what they need to do to find their voices.
Martha holds an Honours Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Education — communication truly lights her up. When she’s not crafting delicious words, you’ll find her walking two giant pooches, practicing her ukulele, or wrapped around a cup of tea, planning out her next Instagram reel.
To stay up to date, join the Word Candy crew on Instagram, or connect with Martha on LinkedIn.