Your homepage is your storefront, and it doesn’t take a long for a customer to decide if they want to shop there or not. The most crucial part of an ecommerce website is to connect with your customers, and to convince them to stay, shop, and buy.
1. Tell a Story
The first goal of your homepage is to set the brand tone. There’s something unique and special about your brand that your core customers care about. Careful use of headlines and imagery can tell that story quickly. Don’t illustrate what your headline just said, but add to it. For example, if you pride yourself on quality and style, your headline could speak to the style, while the photo could show a close-up of of the materials you use. Visitors can be at different stages of their purchasing journey. If you can tell a complete and concise story about who you are and what you offer, you should be able to propel them into your site.
2. Connect With Your Customers
Get to know your audience and offer them what they want, not just what you want to sell the most. Focus on what makes your brand stand out, and show your customers what makes you special. Everything from your site’s images to the organization impacts a user’s decision to make a purchase. Beautiful high-quality photos are a must, as they bring your product to life! Also, include people in your photos using your products.
3. Traffic Funnels
Customers have different interests. Identify the largest area of interest and promote that first, then the next area, etc. This could be a new collection, a product category, or a specific product. There’s no limit to the number of funnels you should have on your home page, just keep going down the list. If they’re not interested in one thing, they’re most likely interested in the next.
When you develop an honest story, you start to form an emotional connection between your brand and your customers. A positive and memorable user experience can turn visitors into customers, and turn customers into repeat customers.