You’ve got a website, but you don’t think it’s working as well as it should. Do you get a lot of visitors, but they don’t go beyond your home page? Explore the reasons why this happens and what you can do to improve your results. You’ll get surefire methods for creating compelling content that drives action and improves search engine results. * How to score your website to see if it’s hitting a home run * Use Google Analytics to identify problem areas * Ways to improve the overall architecture and experience * What it takes to create exciting and on-target imagery * A simple technique for creating content that truly connects with visitors and gets Google’s attention * Tips for headlines that motivate and inspire You’ll get at least 10 ideas for making your site more effective, as well as tips, tools and techniques you can put into practice immediately.

1. HOMEPAGE HOMERUNS
WHERE GREAT WEBSITES BEGIN
IT’S WHAT’S
INSIDE THAT
COUNTS

2. Homepage Homeruns
WHY YOU NEED TO HIT A HOMEPAGE HOMERUN
▸ Get people to stay at your website long enough for
the message to get through
▸ A better performing website starts with the home
page
▸ Don’t squander an opportunity to promote
▸ Avoid the bounce
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3. Homepage Homeruns
INTRODUCTION
YOU DON’T GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
▸Face to the world/virtual storefront
▸Doorway to the rest of your site
▸Get visitors over the threshold to explore
▸Reflection of your business and
marketing strategy
▸Sets the tone for everything that follows
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4. Homepage Homeruns
YOUR HOMEPAGE WILL HELP YOU PLAN YOUR ENTIRE SITE
▸Blueprint for your entire
site
▸Dictates:
▸Navigation (menu)
▸Architecture (how pages
connect)
▸Other pages you’ll need
4

5. Homepage Homeruns
WEBSITES ARE MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE
▸ User Experience (UX):
▸ Visitors easily “get” what you’re about
▸ They’re satisified; they find what they need quickly
▸ Site is easy to use without explanation
▸ Visitors “know” what to do
▸ Can do in the least amount of time possible
▸ While achieving your conversion goals: sales, leads, etc.
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IT’S ABOUT CONVERSION, NOT PERFECTION

6. Homepage Homeruns
NOT EVERY HOMEPAGE HAS THE SAME REQUIREMENTS
HOMEPAGES VARY DEPENDING ON THE BUSINESS MODEL
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Single Product Ecommerce
Consultant
Single Service Focus Construction
Catalog Ecommerce
Software Application
Craft Tutorials Infrastructure Software

7. Homepage Homeruns
IT MAY TAKE THE WHOLE SITE TO GET VISITORS TO PURCHASE, BUT THEY’LL
NEVER SEE IT IF YOU CAN’T GET THEM PAST THE HOME PAGE
YET, THIS IS WHAT ALL HOMEPAGES NEED TO DO
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MOTIVATEBUILD TRUSTINSPIRE PERSUADE CONVERT
Build relationship Educate, inform, demonstrate expertise Sales and leadsConvince, compel

8. Homepage Homeruns
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’VE GOT A HOMERUN? SET YOUR GOALS.
A BUSINESS HOMERUN
Homerun Measures
Increase in sales Ecommerce and offline sales
Increase in lead generation
Phone/email inquiries;
newsletter subscribers
Customer satisfaction
Visitor goes to other pages
and/or stays longer
8[ Website Homerun Handout ]

9. HOW YOU CAN GET IT VERY WRONG
PRIMARY REASONS WHY PEOPLE LEAVE IMMEDIATELY (BOUNCE)
▸ Confusion
▸ You don’t have what they
want
▸ Too much work
▸ Lacks credibility
▸ Expectations weren’t met
▸ Irrelevant navigation
Average website bounce rates:
▸ e-commerce/retail: 20–45%
▸ B2B: 25–55%
▸ Lead generation: 30–55%
▸ Non-ecommerce content: 35–60%
▸ Landing pages: 60–90%
▸ Dictionaries, portals, blogs; news and
events: 65–90%
Source: Custom Media Labs
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10. Homepage Homeruns
YEAR OVER YEAR HOME PAGE DATA (GOOGLE ANALYTICS)
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
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QUALITY METRICS
/ = HOME PAGE

11. THE PROBLEM IS,
YOU’VE ONLY GOT 8 SECONDS
THE ATTENTION SPAN OF A GOLDFISH.
A HUMAN’S IS EVEN SHORTER.
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12. Homepage Homeruns
VISITORS MAY INVEST MORE TIME ON YOUR SITE IF YOU GET IT RIGHT
IN A SNAPSHOT, VISITORS MUST:
▸ Understand who you are
▸ What you offer
▸ See that you can solve their problem, fill need, relieve “pain”
▸ Trust that you can fulfill your promises
▸ Relate to the content, have an emotional response or feel
connected in some way
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13. WHAT CAN I ACCOMPLISH
IN 8 SECONDS?
Said every business owner ever
YOU CAN DO THIS

14. AM I IN THE RIGHT PLACE?
FIRST THING VISITORS WANT TO KNOW.
1
2
3
4

15. Homepage Homeruns
GET VISITORS TO LOOK BELOW THE FOLD BY GRABBING THEIR INTEREST ABOVE IT
REAL ESTATE VALUE
HEADER IMAGE
LOGO
Tagline
HEADLINE
SUB-HEADLINES
FOOTER
BODY COPY
BODY COPY
MENU
Above the fold or scroll
Below the fold or scroll
Did you know? Large
format newspapers
required them to be
folded in half. To help
sell papers, the most
important, exciting news
was placed “above the
fold” so it was visible to
people as they passed
by a newstand.
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UTILITIES

16. Homepage Homeruns
THESE HEATMAPS PROVE IT.
WEBSITES ARE READ IN “F” PATTERNS.
PLACE YOUR MOST COMPELLING INFO IN THE RED AREAS. PEOPLE WILL READ MORE IF IT INTERESTS THEM.
Source: 2006 Jakob Nielsen
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See for yourself
Click to try one of these tools

17. GET RIGHT TO
THE POINT VISITOR GOALS
YOURGOALS
Sales
Subscribers
Education
Social Engagement
Leads: phone call, email contact, bid request
Buy something
Find a resource or vendor
Stay informed
Solve my problem or pain
Answers to questions

18. Homepage Homeruns
DIVIDE & CONQUER
HOMEPAGE ANATOMY
GUTS
HEAD
TOE
HEADER IMAGE
LOGO
Tagline
HEADLINE
SUB-HEADLINES
FOOTER
BODY COPY
BODY COPY
MENU
UTILITIES
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LET’S CREATE YOUR HOME PAGE: DIVIDE & CONQUER

19. Homepage Homeruns
A THEME PROVIDES CONSISTENCY FROM PAGE TO PAGE
TEMPLATE STRUCTURE
HEADER IMAGE MAY BE THE SAME,
CHANGE OR NOT BE HERE AT ALL
LOGO
Tagline
HEADLINE
SUB-HEADLINES
FOOTER
BODY COPY
BODY COPY
...
MENU
Different for each page
Always the same
Always the same
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UTILITIES

20. Homepage Homeruns
THE HEAD
Purchase Path
Positioning Statement
Duh, your logo
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HEADLINE
SUB-HEADLINES
FOOTER
BODY COPY
BODY COPY
HEADER IMAGE
LOGO
Tagline MENU
UTILITIES
SET UP THE THEME OR TEMPLATE
Logos: www.blockbeta.com/logos--
business-cards.html
Taglines: www.blockbeta.com/
how-to-write-a-tagline.html

21. Homepage Homeruns
GUIDE VISITORS ALONG THE PURCHASE PATH: THINK LIKE THEY DO
MENU & NAVIGATION
▸ Help visitors understand where they are,
showing them where to go and how to get
back
▸ Map your menu to the visitor’s need for
information as they follow their purchase path
▸ What do you want them to look at first?
Second? Third?
▸ Consider mobile in context
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22. Homepage Homeruns
ORGANIZE INTO A LOGICAL ORDER & PRIORITIZE
22
SAMPLE MENU: HAINES SKAGWAY FAST FERRY
Highest
priority
Practical location info
1
2
3 Sales pitch
4

23. Homepage Homeruns
MAY SEEM MINOR, BUT ESSENTIAL FOR VISITORS AND REDUCES CLUTTER
UTILITY AREA: TOP OF SITE AND/OR FOOTER
‣ Store locator
‣ Phone: Top of page — urgent/mobile (Help, I need a plumber now! I need a
ride! I need to order a pizza!). Footer (vs. contact page only) — readily available.
‣ Special functions: search box, social media icons, send us an email (often an
envelope icon), links to partner websites or other sites you own.
‣ Login: content for specific types of visitors — wholesale buyers, members, etc.
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HEADER IMAGE
LOGO
Tagline MENU
UTILITIES

24. Homepage Homeruns
ESSENTIAL FOR VISITOR SATISFACTION AND ESTABLISHING TRUST
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE FOOTER
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▸ Copyright and other legal
▸ Terms, privacy policy
▸ Social media icons (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
▸ Shortcut links (resources or downloads, for ex.)
▸ Contact information
▸ Signup form
▸ Trust factors, like the logos below, help establish credibility

25. Homepage Homeruns
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT
FINISHING TOUCHES
Social icons and links to social sites
Email icon and link
Search box
Fav icons
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26. Homepage Homeruns
WEBSITES ARE VISUAL. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
HEADER IMAGE & HEADLINE
26
HEADER IMAGE
LOGO
Tagline
HEADLINE
SUB-HEADLINES
FOOTER
BODY COPY
MENU
IMAGEIMAGE IMAGE
Images and sub-
headlines work
together too
Image and headline work
together to communicate
your key message(s)
UTILITIES

27. UNDERSTAND
VISITOR
PRIORITIES
UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S IN YOUR PROSPECT’S
MIND WILL HELP YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THEM
IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BUY FROM PEOPLE
THEY FEEL UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS.
THE FAQ METHOD IS A GOOD STARTING POINT

28. Homepage Homeruns
SAY WHAT’S MEANINGFUL TO VISITORS IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU OFFER
KEY MESSAGES
▸ Messaging identifies the main points you’re trying to make about your business,
while keeping in mind what visitors understand and care about.
▸ Not a cleverly written line
▸ Think about the top ones, no more than 5
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PRODUCT MARKET

29. FIND YOUR DIFFERENTIATORS AND POSITION YOURSELF
AGAINST THE COMPETITION: SEE YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH VISITORS’ EYES
RED BLOCK ANALYSIS
1. Use a search engine incognito (or sign
out) to locate your type of business,
narrowed down by geography if
appropriate
2. Compare home pages by features,
language, style, professionalism, etc. —
see how you stack up
3. Think about what makes your business
different
4. How can you stand out — messaging,
style, tone and content
5. Create a comparison chart

30. Homepage Homeruns 30
SEATTLE HAIR SALONS

31. People decipher images by
reaching into their memories to
understand them. The connection
creates new memories.
Images can cause an emotional
reaction. Emotions create new
memories too.
New Memories
IMAGES HELP PEOPLE REMEMBER
MAKING GOOD CHOICES ABOUT IMAGES IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO
ATTACH MEANING TO THINGS. — CHIP KIDD*
* “A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design”Book cover designer, most notably for Jurassic Park.

32. YOU GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION
ESTABLISHING SHOT
▸ Sets up or establishes the
context for a scene and sets
the tone, sometimes for the
entire film
▸ Your header image functions
in much the same way -- as a
visual representation of your
brand

33. THESE ARE IMAGES FOUND ON TYPICAL SEATTLE AREA WEBSITES.
THEY DON’T COMMUNICATE ANYTHING ABOUT THE BUSINESS EXCEPT WHERE THEY’RE LOCATED.
DON’T USE IMAGES OF YOUR CITY, UNLESS YOU’RE A LOCAL ATTRACTION OR SELLING POSTCARDS.

34. Homepage Homeruns
BENEFITS, NOT FEATURES
HEADLINES
▸ Convert key messages into headlines
▸ Focus on benefits
▸ Include: Keywords, H1’s, H2’s.
▸ Headlines lead readers into the next
paragraph
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Quality Programs for Restoring
Yourself and the Real Long
Island
A Gem of a Gym in the Heart
of Wallingford
We Call Lake Washington
Home
Get to Sleep without Pills
Charter with Us to Experience
the Uniqueness of Puget
Sound and Beyond
Hide Your Data in Plain Sight
SAMPLE HEADLINES
FeaturesBenefits

35. Homepage Homeruns
ONCE YOU’VE WRITTEN THE HEADLINE
YOUR FIRST PARAGRAPH
▸ Order Up Success
▸ Our team of restaurant industry
experts transform eateries into
thriving establishments
▸ From internationally recognized
brands to regional, owner-operated
concepts, we've designed, built,
opened and operated an array of
restaurant concepts numbering in
the hundreds. Call us if you're
thinking about a new restaurant,
want to get more out of your
existing one or if you're ready to
turn your thriving chain into a
franchise.
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‣ Support the headline
‣ Explain how you deliver the
benefits at a high-level; avoid
irrelevant detail
‣ Clearly explain who you are and
what you do
‣ Always write for the visitor, leading
with benefits they think are most
important
‣ Highlight differentiators
SAMPLE HEADLINE/
1ST PARAGRAPHS

36. Homepage Homeruns
GET VISITORS TO DO WHAT YOU WANT. IT DOESN’T HURT TO ASK.
CALL TO ACTION: MOTIVATE, COMPEL, CONVINCE
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LEARN MORE
SEARCH BOX
SIGN UP
CONTACT
BUY
VIEW DEMO
I like what you’re saying,
but I’m not ready to buy
now. I want to keep you
in mind.
This is worth taking
the time
to learn more.
I’m ready to make
a commitment.

37. Homepage Homeruns
CONSIDER KEY AUDIENCES AND THEIR NEEDS. HERE VISITORS CAN CHOOSE
WHAT THEY NEED AND BE TAKEN TO SPECIFIC PAGES FOR INFORMATION.
SPECIFIC CALLS TO ACTION
37

38. Homepage Homeruns 38
COMPELLING HEADLINE
WITH KEYWORDS
BODY COPY
SUPPORTS HEADLINE
CALL TO ACTION; LINK “READ OUR
BLOG,” NOT “CLICK HERE”
FOOTER
SHORTCUTS
SOCIAL BADGES BURIED
COMPELLING IMAGE
Unnecessary call to action
REDUNDANT TO TAGLINE IN FOOTER
GOOD USE OF UTILITY AREA, YET A BIT CLUTTERED
VISIT VERIFIRST.COM TO SEE WHAT’S CHANGED -- FOR BETTER OR WORSE
A WEBSITE THAT GOT IT RIGHTALMOST

39. Homepage Homeruns
MAY THE BEST HOMEPAGE WIN
▸ You now have the techniques, tips and tools you need to understand what goes into
hitting a homepage homerun.
▸ Remember, your homepage is probably never truly finished. Keep checking your
visitor traffic to see what’s working and what isn’t.
▸ Pay attention in particular to homepage bounces.
▸ Good luck and may the best homepages win.
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IT’S BEEN REEL

40. Homepage Homeruns
HOMEPAGE HOMERUNS E-WORKBOOK AND TOOLKIT $34.95
▸ If you liked this presentation, you’re sure to get more out of Homepage Homeruns,
an educational and informative 55 page ebook explaining how to create a high
converting home page, with lots of diagrams, pictures and easy to follow
explanations.
▸ It comes with a supplemental kit which includes:
▸ Get an 18-page deck explaining how to target your ideal prospect
▸ Learn how to choose and use themes and templates, no matter which builder you use
▸ A 22-page deck about creating great header images
▸ Plus a big packet of articles and tip sheets: how to write headlines and content, a
website development roadmap, pre-launch checklist and more.
▸ Last but not least, we're including our super simple guide to search engine
optimization (SEO).
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DOWNLOAD THE FREE
HOMEPAGE HOMERUNSSCORECARDBLOCKBETA.COM/HOMEPAGE-HOMERUNS

41. Homepage Homeruns
BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
BLOCKBETA MARKETING
▸ Robbin Block is a creative marketing strategist, author and
speaker who combines the best of traditional and new media at
Blockbeta Marketing. She’s worked with emerging, small and
corporate clients for 30+ years to connect business intentions
with marketing actions. Robbin is the author of Social Persuasion:
Making Sense of Social Media for Small Business, a SCORE
mentor and instructor, and was the producer and host of the
Minding Your Business radio show.
▸ For more marketing resources, visit blockbeta.com
41
@robbinblock
Image credits: Vecteezy.com