When someone visits a website, the homepage is usually their first stop. You need to hook your visitors on this page and encourage them to stay and explore. There are several elements to consider that can break or make your website’s homepage.

Use Images Appropriately

People are visual, so using images that match your content can improve your homepage. However, be mindful of how many images you are using and their size. Too many images and the wrong sizes can slow your website down, which could cost you visitors. If it takes over three seconds for a website to load, 40 percent of visitors abandon the website.

Your images should be visually appealing. Look for photos that have a strong central subject. Images that are vibrant and crisp also catch people’s attention. Add a caption too because this is another opportunity to use SEO and offer a little more information to your visitors that provides some value.

Niche Content

People visit a website because they are interested in what it has to offer. Think about your products and services and provide content that complements it. For example, if you sell plumbing services or supplies, content related to plumbing would be niche content.

Niche content can often get stronger emotional response rates. Once people have an emotional investment in your website, they are more likely to come back. This can also increase how often they share your website with the people they know.

Write to Your Reader’s Problems

When you are developing content, write to your visitors and what they want to learn. By reading your content, your readers should know that you appreciate them and want to help. Your content should solve a problem. People search websites online looking for information that can help them with a problem.

You can do this in many ways. Write how-to articles to teach people how to do something. You can also discuss problem-solving strategies, write product reviews to help people choose the best products or provide advice about life in general. As long as your content is thorough and helpful, visitors will appreciate it.

Keep It Simple

If your homepage is cluttered and difficult to navigate, visitors will leave and find one that is neater and simpler. Your homepage should have a simple slogan, a stand-out image and communicate the services or products that you offer.

If you are still using flash on your website, remove it. Not only does it clutter your homepage, but it can also slow your website down. Make sure that the navigation links are easy to find and that they accurately describe the pages that they take visitors to.

Contact Information

Your visitors who are on your website to contact you need to be able to find this information quickly. If they have to click around to different pages, they are likely to leave. Your contact information should be on your homepage in the top right or left corner.

You should also include this information in the footer on every page of your website. Since most websites put this information there, it is natural for visitors to go to your website and scroll down to find this information. Ensure that your contact information is complete and that you update it immediately if it changes.

If you already have a website, the next step is to evaluate it. Look at the navigation, the speed and the overall aesthetic. Make a list of the changes that can improve how visitors view and interact with your homepage. Once you make these changes, ask your visitors for some feedback to see if additional changes could be beneficial.