Working on a new website?

Or just think your Home page copy could use a little work? 😬

Whether you’re starting from scratch or working from existing content, your Home page copy is crucial to the success of your website.

After all, it’s often your first — and only — chance to make an emotional connection with your potential clients or customers.

Today, I’ll teach you exactly how to structure, write, and edit your Home page copy for maximum conversion.

(Pssst: This is all part of the curriculum inside my 5-Day Website Copy Crash Course, where I teach you how to write all five of the pages your website needs. You should definitely enroll if you want to maximize the potential of your website!)

Step 1: Structure Your Home Page Copy

Think of your Home page like your foyer.

You don’t invite just anyone to your house, but sometimes people stop by unannounced. They could be knocking for a variety of reasons — checking in, delivering the mail, selling Girl Scout cookies, you name it.

(BTW, if you’ve got some Peanut Butter Patties, hit me up.)

Because so many different people see your Home page, it needs to be more, shall we say, “welcoming” than any other page on your site.

That doesn’t mean it needs to welcome everyone equally — you still ought to cater your target audience. If your business is called Badass Belly Dancers, you don’t have to clean up your cuss words just to avoid offending people who would never take your classes anyway.

But you do want to ensure your Home page is able to meet any of your potential clients or customers at any stage in their buying journey.

So, how should you structure your Home page copy to keep those doorbell-ringers sticking around your site?

Lead with your audience, not yourself.

The very first thing your website visitors should see is a question or offer that speaks to their desires or pain points — not yours.

Build trust throughout the page.

From testimonials to featured partners to case studies and more, bulk up your Home page with reason after reason that people should trust you (not the next guy).

Give them something to do.

Hopefully your Home page is sprinkled with helpful links and/or freebies throughout. At the very least, end with a strong call to action that encourages people to take the next (not necessarily the last) step.

Step 2: Write Your Home Page Copy

For many people, this is the hardest part of the copywriting process.

(For me? It’s my favorite!)

I can’t tell you exactly what to write on your Home page — you’d have to hire me for that 😉 — but I can give you a rough outline you can use as inspiration:

• Main headline: Make it short, exciting, and reader-focused, and include your target keyword.
• Tagline: Expand on your headline with a benefit-rich statement.
• Short intro: Explain further why visitors should want to work with you.
• Overview of services: Use a multi-column format to list your services and/or the step-by-step process of working with you.
• Social proof: Feature a list of trusted publications or clients who have used your services.
• Featured content: Highlight case studies, blog posts, freebies, or other relevant content.
• About you: Share a bit about your professional and personal life to highlight your qualification for the job.
• Testimonial(s): Include a raving quote from a happy client (or more).
• Call to action: Remind visitors why their lives would improve by working with you, and give them the next step to take.
• Lead capture form: Allow visitors to join your journey by signing up for your emails to access exclusive content.

Don’t forget to include relevant calls to action throughout the page, too. Aim for at least three attention-grabbing buttons (toward the top, middle, and bottom of your Home page) that encourage visitors to work with you.

Step 3: Edit Your Home Page Copy

Whew! You’re done, right?

Actually, writing your Home page copy is only half the battle. Now, you have to not only edit that copy, but also make sure it fits with the rest of your website copy (and design).

You’ll want to work closely with your marketing team (if you have one) on this, but here are some general tips for polishing your Home page:

Optimize for search engines.

Don’t sound like a robot, but do include keywords your clients are searching for, and follow other SEO best practices.

Cross-link among other pages.

The main point of your Home page is to direct people to other pages on your site, so help them get where they need to go.

Get others’ eyes on the page.

I’m talking potential clients, past clients, your English major BFF — anyone whose opinion you trust to help make your Home page the best it can be.

Home Page Copy = Done! Now What?

Congrats on completing your Home page website copy!

(I’m fully aware you probably haven’t actually done any of this work yet, but still…)

Once you’re done with your Home page, though, what should you do next?

Well, your Home page is only one of the pages your website needs. There are (at least) four other pages you’ll want to write and design, too. 

I cover them all in my Website Copy Crash Course, which you can join now for free. Seriously — I recommend this quick email course to anyone working on a website. It takes only five days, and it includes everything you need to know about writing compelling copy for each of the five most important pages on your site.

Here’s to crafting the website of your (and your clients’) dreams!