Your homepage needs to leave a good impression on anyone who reaches it and part of how it does this is through the content you put on it. This landing page alone serves as the foundation for everything to do with your website and the messaging you choose can make or break a customer interaction.
No pressure, right?
Writing homepage content can feel like creating an essay introduction for a thesis paper. It doesn’t have to, which is why we brought in an expert to help. For those tired of staring at a blank page, we worked with Terry Schilling, Copywriter and Founder of Cool Copy, to help guide you through how to write homepage content that says exactly what you need it to say.
Your homepage needs to support the site’s purpose
Before writing anything, you need a goal for your website. Why? Because the content on your homepage is meant to be a key pillar that supports and helps achieve that goal.
Think of it this way, going on a journey is enjoyable but, ultimately, you need to decide on a destination. Figuring out what goal your website needs to achieve, selling your products for example, creates a focal point for everything else on your site and helps you better understand what really needs to be said on your homepage.
If your audience only has a chance to see this one page on your site, it should be informational and enjoyable enough to spur action or garner interest.
“ALTC: Always listen to customers.
I promise you, getting feedback from customers about the checkout process, what made them choose you, what was life like before you came across my brand?
These questions give you insight into what your customers are looking for and where they’re at in life. There’s a great chance something from their mouth and experience will be perfect for your homepage and website copy.”
Terry Schilling
Questions every homepage should answer
You could say just about anything on your homepage buuut you shouldn’t. This is a page that, like we said, can make or break someone’s decision to work with or buy from you. Make it count! When we asked Terry what he thought any and every homepage needs to include, he provided a quick list of four questions to answer:
- WHO are you helping: Drive the point home that your products or services are here to help fill a need or solve a problem for your target audience in a way that makes it clear you are here to help them.
- WHAT is the problem you’re solving: Whatever you do, it should be made clear to the visitors of your site what problem of theirs your product or service can solve.
- WHY they should choose you: You probably aren’t the only one who offers what you offer. Explain why buying from or working with you is the best choice. You get bonus points if you do this without trash-talking the competition.
- The wow transformation: People expect results, so it is a good idea to paint a picture of the kind of results or transformation they can expect when they work with or purchase from your business.
- HOW to buy/take the next step: Whether it is a quote request form to fill out or a contact us button, you should provide a clear path to the next steps your audience should take to encourage them to explore further rather than leaving the site.
Easy-to-use tips for writing good homepage content
“Good” content looks different on every site. No matter how you do it, there are key details that will help set apart “good” from “bad” homepage content.
- Write with a focus on the audience: As Terry says, “You need to put the focus on what your audience can achieve with your product or service. If they don’t see themselves making the transformation, you’re more likely to lose their attention.” He explains further that it is helpful to do the “Me” test. Find words like ‘Me, We, Us’ and replace them with ‘you’ statements.
- Write attention-grabbing headlines and subheadlines: This is going to help your audience and the search engines themselves. Headlines and subheads tell search engines what people can expect to see on your page, making it easier for them to index the site and pull it up when relevant. Once someone clicks on the page, the headline and subheadline make it easy for them to scan the page and determine whether or not the rest of the content on the page is worth their time.
- Use language that is specific: One effective trick that Terry told us about is the Keep it Specific method. “You look on the internet, or you use ChatGPT, they use words like ‘powerful’ or ‘fast.,’” he explains. “Well, what does powerful or fast look like? One client I worked with sold a SaaS product to help with SaaS buying. They initially had ‘Find the right SaaS product fast.’ We changed ‘fast’ to the ‘on the first try.’” Even just switching up a few words to be more specific can be a game changer.
- Make the most of your metadata: The meta title and meta description for your homepage are what visitors see on Google or Bing before they ever reach your site. The words you use here can have just as much of an impact as the words on the homepage itself. “Your meta tags are important and can still be beneficial and include keywords,” Terry expands. “My advice is to show authority in your space with the meta tags. Take my Cool Copy Newsletter, for example; I have it say ‘The coolest copywriting newsletter on the internet.’ By starting with ‘The’, I show this is the #1 choice.”
- Outline the benefits, not features: There are plenty of cool details that make your products or services unique. Listing features, though valid, puts the focus on you. Tell your audience what benefits they can expect from what you have to offer. Then you can discuss how by explaining the features.
- Cut out needless info: You put a lot into your business but the reality is your audience doesn’t need every detail, especially not on your homepage. If it can go on the “About Us” page, be expanded in a product or service page, or just be nixed for internal use only, then it doesn’t need to be on your homepage. This is prime real estate, so make sure you are creating a solid foundation to build on.
Our hope is that these pointers are going to make a big difference when you start solidifying your messaging for your website’s homepage. Of course, for anyone who needs some additional assistance, you have some great options. You can (and should) subscribe to The Cool Copy Newsletter and follow our wonderful contributor on Instagram @terry_schilling. You can also reach out to our team to get some added support with content writing, marketing, and other professional creative services.
Contact RM Creative Services by sending a message to rachael@rmcsofficial.com or visiting our Contact page.
Written by Brianna Fries, a California-based writer, editor, bookworm, and mother of two. You can contact her at brianna@rmcsofficial.com and discover more of her work at briwritesthings.com.