10: What Your Squarespace Homepage Needs
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00:00 The homepage of your website is a virtual storefront for your business. So how do you create a homepage that gets people attention in a way that makes them excited to learn more?
00:09 That's exactly what we're covering in this episode.
00:12 Welcome to Think Inside The Square, a podcast full of quick tips and tricks
00:16 that will help you create a Squarespace website that you're proud of.
00:19 I'm your host, Becca Harpain, Squarespace expert and creator of Insidethesquare.co
00:24 In this episode, you'll learn how to create a homepage that gets your
00:27 website visitors excited to learn more about you and what you have to offer.
00:32 For a transcript of this episode, along with the links to any resources mentioned, visit insidethesquare.co/podcast
00:39 The term Squarespace is a trademark of Squarespace, Incorporated. This content is not affiliated with Squarespace, Incorporated.
00:46 Before we dig into my advice for your homepage, I have to confess something.
00:51 Redoing my own homepage for Insidethesquare.co has been on my to do list for well over a month.
00:59 I'm honestly hoping that by recording this episode and sharing my advice with you,
01:03 it's going to inspire me to finally cross this off my to do list.
01:07 So, my friend, it is you and me. Let's do this together.
01:10 Let's plan the perfect homepage for your Squarespace website.
01:13 I will share the perfect homepage for mine.
01:16 And by the time this episode launches, hopefully that homepage will be live.
01:20 All right, so first thing is first you have to have a main purpose for your homepage.
01:26 You want to have every website visitor do a thousand things on your website.
01:30 You want them to buy from you, to read your blog, join your mailing list,
01:33 follow your Instagram, read your client reviews, book a service.
01:37 I want you to forget all of that and pick one main purpose for your homepage.
01:43 This will be the focus, the literal front and center of your homepage, what we designers like to call the Hero section.
01:51 This Hero section is here to save the day.
01:54 We want to deliver something of value ASAP.
01:57 So for my own website, this is where I'm going to encourage people to sign up for my email list.
02:02 I'm offering a freebie in exchange for their email, a lead magnet, if you will.
02:07 But we'll save that jargon for a future episode.
02:09 Right now, let's talk about the Hero section.
02:12 I want to feature what I'm offering prominently.
02:15 I'm going to have a main call to action.
02:17 The one thing I want that website visitor to do, and that is the only thing that's going to exist above the fold.
02:23 That's another website designer term I'm slipping in here.
02:27 Above the fold means that you don't have to scroll to see that content.
02:31 It's an archaic term that actually has to do with folding newspapers.
02:35 But for the purpose of this episode, let's skip all of that.
02:37 We just want to make sure our Hero section, the number one thing that we offer to save the day
02:43 for whoever is visiting our website that is featured prominently front and center, without scrolling.
02:50 For this Hero section, I'm offering a freebie so I can build my email list.
02:54 That's my number one priority.
02:56 But for you, you might want to encourage people to check out the seasonal items
02:59 in your online store or to get a ticket for your next live show.
03:03 Make that the focus of your homepage.
03:06 After that, I like to funnel people to the right content.
03:09 Maybe they're already on my email list, or maybe they don't want to shop seasonally or can't grab a ticket to your next show.
03:16 What else you got that's what you need to share next.
03:19 My main focus is teaching people how to customize squarespace with code.
03:23 But I also have training for people brand new to using Squarespace.
03:27 So the Next page section on my home page is going to guide people to what they might need next.
03:33 I'm going to have one section for people ready to customize and another
03:37 section that's ready to teach people the basics of using Squarespace.
03:40 I want to guide people to the next thing they might need for me.
03:44 For you, it might be more categories in your store or a summary block showing your next events.
03:49 If the Hero section didn't save the day, what else might your website visitor need?
03:55 The next section after that is critical because it's for the critical visitor.
04:01 Kind of a pun, but hear me out.
04:02 Your Hero section didn't do the trick.
04:05 They didn't click on your other auctions.
04:07 Chances are they either want something super specific, or they want you to prove that you're real.
04:13 At the time of recording this, it's October 2023.
04:17 AI is here.
04:18 Deep fakes are a part of reality, and anyone with a laptop and a Starbucks
04:21 nearby can make themselves look like an expert in one afternoon.
04:25 Being critical isn't an asset. It's a necessity when doing business online.
04:29 So people visiting your website will be critical of who you are if they don't know you yet.
04:36 That's why you should use this space on your homepage to prove that you are legit.
04:40 Add a photo of you in your natural habitat.
04:43 Talk to them about why you are the person or the company that they want to work with.
04:48 Toot your own horn, my friend! This is where the trust needs to be built.
04:52 I like to feature a photo with a little bit about me and an intro, then include my badges of honor.
04:57 I've got my Squarespace Expert badge, my Circle Leader badge,
05:01 my affiliates, publications, all the goodies I have to brag about that.
05:05 Position me as the expert they can trust.
05:07 You can also throw in testimonials here.
05:09 That's great for people that work one on one.
05:12 Or, if you just have some stellar reviews about a product or service you offer, build that trust right here.
05:17 Make sure the critics are confident before we move on to the final must have for your homepage.
05:24 What is that final must have?
05:25 Your final offer.
05:27 Give them one last chance to convert and get creative here.
05:30 Maybe offer your content in a different format this time on this new version of my homepage design.
05:36 This is where I'm offering up links to my top five most popular tutorials
05:40 and my top three workshops mixed together in a cool looking design.
05:44 An overview of the best I have to share.
05:46 So if my hero didn't get them, my secondary offer didn't do it, and they read through my qualifications,
05:51 it's time to get them hooked on the other content I have to share.
05:55 Personally, I'll probably repeat my main call to action in here as well.
05:59 I want to give them a chance to easily sign up for my email list after I've shared proof that I am the right gal for the job.
06:06 Now, all of this advice is just that it's advice.
06:09 This is not a rulebook you have to follow.
06:11 Feel free to mix up the order to create a homepage that resonates with your business.
06:16 For me, it's going to be a Hero banner that promotes my lead magnet,
06:20 encouraging people to sign up for my email list in exchange for an awesome freebie.
06:25 After that, I'm sharing my two main categories of content
06:28content that will help you either create your Squarespace site or help you customize it.
06:34 After that, I'm sharing content about me. Why I'm the expert to trust.
06:38 This is where I have my credentials. This is where I'll feature testimonials.
06:42 This is where I prove that I am a real human on the internet, ready to teach you something awesome.
06:47 I am the expert to be trusted and I've got information to back that up.
06:51 But in the final section on my brand new homepage is going to be offering my content
06:56 in a slightly different perspective, featuring my top pieces of content.
07:00 And that rad freebie that I want to share.
07:02 Making sure that I give them a chance to interact with me in the way that they're most comfortable with.
07:06 I'll probably list a podcast episode.
07:09 Again, I'll have that freebie mentioned for my email list and some of my top tutorials and workshops.
07:14 I want to make sure that they can interact with me in any way they want to.
07:18 After going through this list, I genuinely feel a little more inspired to finish my homepage redesign.
07:23 So I'll probably call this shorty episode a wrap and get to it.
07:26 When you're ready to check it out, visit insidethesquare.co to see this content in action.
07:32 Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Think Inside The Square.
07:35 I have a lot more tips and tricks to share with you about making an amazing Squarespace website that is uniquely yours,
07:41 so be sure to subscribe to this podcast wherever you happen to be listening to this episode.
07:46 Thanks again for listening and most importantly, have fun with your Squarespace website.
07:51 Bye for now.
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My own homepage: httpsinsidethesquare.co
