Create a “sticky” homepage to increase conversions, reduce bounce
How many times has this happened to you: You click on a link, land on a homepage, and suddenly you are a deer in the headlights, staring at a page with so much clutter you have no idea where to go to get the information you are looking for? Your eyes roll around the page trying to find something that makes sense, your mouse-finger is poised and ready to bounce you back to search. You give it approximately 5 seconds and click! you’re gone. The site not only lost your interest, it lost your business. For good.
Ban the Bounce
Bounce rate is the number of visitors who left your site from the homepage or landing page without visiting other pages. This rate measures visit quality – a high bounce rate means your visitors did not want to stick around. Why? And why is it important for them to stay? Your visitors have questions and they don’t have a lot of time. By quickly directing them to the answers and creating an enjoyable user experience along the way, you are more likely to generate leads which convert to sales (called “conversions”), and ultimately build customer loyalty with frequent return visits. So, how do you do this?
Start “Sticky”
Start by making the site all about your visitor. Step into their shoes to anticipate their needs and give them a reason to stick around: What would they want to know or do? Where should information be located to make it easier to find? Then, organize and arrange the information in a logical way to make it clear where the visitor should go; reduce clutter and confusion by limiting the number of choices the visitor can select; use simple, colorful graphics and interesting photos to create an engaging visual environment, and finally, infuse the site with your business’s personality or “brand” and welcome them into your “home”.
A Happy Home
A well-designed homepage can make your visitors feel “at home”. This is important because if your visitor feels good about where they are, they will hang around to discover more about you, what you offer, how you are different, and most important, they will want to come back again. The more pleasant the visitor’s experience, the more they get a sense of your distinct personality, and make return visits, the more effective your site becomes to generate leads, make sales, build brand recognition and customer loyalty.