Home Page Design: How to Communicate Quickly

According to web usability expert Jakob Nielson, website visitors will typically spend less than 20 seconds reading a web page. A serious B2B buyer has no time to spend on irrelevant or difficult to navigate websites. Time is of the essence. As a B2B marketer, you need to make those seconds count. In 20 seconds or less you need to build trust with B2B buyers, communicate what your firm does, and explain how you are different or better than your competition. Here are four ways to make your home page communicate fast.

Use Visuals to Communicate Faster than Words

What markets are you focused on? Who recommends you? What do you want me to do next? These are all questions that potential customers want answered quickly. Visual images communicate the answers faster than words. What is your visual content strategy?Photos can show your involvement in specific industries. Recognizable logos from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List or trade associations show visitors you are a reputable firm. Graphic buttons and design point the way to the next click.

Cut Your Copy: Concise Copy Performs Better

Who is your firm and what do you do? Leave generic taglines, industry jargon and a lengthy list of services in your briefcase. Be concise and specific about what you do, including the keywords you believe people are searching for. Cut out unnecessary “marketing speak” that isn’t fact-based. In usability studies conducted by Nielson, users found shorter versions of web pages–with 54% less text–more complete than longer versions.

Make it a Quick Read with Copy Users Can Scan

Studies show website visitors don’t read, they scan. To quickly communicate, focus on benefit-laden headlines and keep paragraphs short. Highlight keywords and other information in bold. Utilize bullets or numbered lists to make scanning website copy easier.

Avoid Information Overload

Resist the urge to add more content to an already crowded home page. Instead, reorganize content into easy-to-digest chunks. Keep the 20-second time frame in mind when deciding what should stay and what should go.

Remember less is often more in online communications.