Most common homepage copy mistakes (and how to fix them)

You’ve spent time and money on your website, so you want it to do its job, right?

Of course you do!

Yet so many people seem to make the same mistakes with their homepage copy.

This is a problem because your homepage is the primary entrance to the rest of your site and usually serves as a landing page for visitors.

In other words, if your homepage copy is not strategically written, it’s probably costing you customers – and cash!

So, without further ado, here are the 4 most common mistakes – and the solutions to turn it all around!

Mistake #1: Your Home Page is all about YOU.

“Wait, what? Aren’t I supposed to be telling the reader who I am and what I do?”

Yes! But you can’t take centre stage here.

You see, someone has come to your site looking for a solution to their problem and your copy needs to communicate – as quickly as possible – that you have the answer.

(Sadly, they don’t care about your awesome origin story just yet.)

Solution: Offer the answer ASAP!

To do this effectively, you need to know:

• Who your audience is.
• What specific problem they are facing.
• How you can present your offering as the solution.

For example, let’s say a business sells healthy snack for kids. 

• The “audience” is busy moms with kids on a gluten-free diet.
• The “problem” the audience is facing is a lack of time – and energy – to make the right snacks.

Now we’re ready to craft copy that communicates that:

• We genuinely understand what these moms are going through.
• We have an authentically valuable solution that will help them NOW.

Mistake #2: You don’t have a clear CTA (call-to-action).

It can be tempting to stuff as much info on your homepage as possible. 

After all, you love your brand and you have lots to say!

The downside is that a visitor can’t clearly see what their “next step” should be. Consequently, they may simply leave your site – and take their business with them!

Solution: Decide what you want to achieve.

Ask yourself: “What do I want my visitor to DO now that they’re on my website?”

Do you want their email address? (That would be wise.) Do you want them to follow you on social media? Do you want them to purchase something? Do you want them to call you? Do you want them to download something?

Once you have your answer, place that (strategically written) CTA throughout your homepage. You can also add pop-ups that appear when the visitor arrives/leaves your website.

(P.S. If you want someone to join your newsletter, do not make your CTA “Join our newsletter.” Nobody wants to join another newsletter! (Sorry.) Instead, craft copy that shows them the value they’ll receive should they opt-in. To go back to our “healthy snacks” example, the CTA could be: “There’s more to a healthy life than snacks! We curate a delicious array of tips & tricks for healthy children each month. Want in?”

Mistake #3: There are large chunks of text.

Chances are, you’re skim-reading this blog post right now. And that’s okay! It’s how most people read these days.

The problem with placing important content in a giant paragraph is that people tend to miss it. And then all your hard work is pointless. Luckily, this is easily resolved!

Solution: Make your website “skim-friendly.” 

Take a look at your current homepage copy. Divide any large sections of text into short paragraphs containing only a couple sentences each.

Next, make sure that you write headings that clearly articulate the point you’re making in the paragraph below. That way, if a person is ONLY reading the headings on your site, they will still get the gist of what you’re saying.

Mistake #4: Your homepage is just too busy.

Okay, so this isn’t only referring to copy – but we can’t very well talk about your homepage and not speak to layout, albeit briefly.

It can be tempting to include animated elements, sliders, and all sorts of exciting motion effects on your homepage. They are fun, after all! However, a cluttered layout means that your website visitor may just miss your punchy copy and your CTA altogether.

Solution: Don’t be clever – be clear.   

Clarity is king! 

Open a new tab and go to your website as though you were your ideal customer arriving for the first time. 

What’s the first thing you notice? Is it your CTA? When you skim read your homepage do you get the gist of what your brand is offering? 

Take away any elements that move too fast, inhibit your ability to read, or distract your eye away from your clearly presented CTA.

(Extra tip: a lot of websites have centre-aligned text for some reason. (Are you one of those people?!) Studies have proven that left-aligned text is far easier to read and, in this skim-reading world, this quick change can be a meaningful one!)

There you have it! Want a freebie?

By implementing these simple solutions – or avoiding these mistakes in the first place – you are on the fast-track to a more effective (and more profitable) website. If all of this is a bit much, feel free to contact us for a free website copy audit so that we can assess how to elevate your brand today!