You only get one chance to grab your visitors' attention. Use these four easy steps to get their attention with your home page and persuade them to explore your Web site.

Step 1. Headline

Start your home page with a compelling, benefit-oriented headline, followed by a subheadline.

Example:

• Enhance Your Competitive Edge With a Professionally-Designed Web Site! Five Star Web Design uses design techniques that persuade people to click on your links, spend more time on your site, and order your products and services.

Step 2. Description of your Web site

Describe your Web site's content in one to three sentences. Target your audience. Tell what you can do for your visitors, what problem you can solve for them, what solutions you provide, and what your qualifications are.

Example:

• Five Star specializes in designing custom Web sites for small- to medium-sized companies at competitive rates. A graphic designer and business owner for twenty years, Leva Duell specializes in designing professional, easy-to-read and navigate, fast-loading Web sites that build trust and generate sales.

Step 3. Provide Links

• Provide links that give visitors an overview of your site's content.
• Turn your links into headlines. Include action words and benefits to invite and motivate people to go deeper into your site.
• Write several headlines with different hot buttons to motivate a larger number of visitors.
• Link to a testimonial page. Providing testimonials from customers or authorities in your field is a powerful way to convey the benefits you offer.
• Provide a link to your sales letter, catalog and order form.

Examples:

• Multiply Sales, Subscriptions, and Traffic With Action Words.
• Browse Our Recommended Web Design Resources. Click here.
• How to Design Your Home Page to Get Your Visitors' Attention and Motivate Them to Explore Your Web Site
• A Profitable Web Site Starts with Planning.
• Find Out About Our Upcoming Seminar "How to Create a User-friendly Web site." Click here.
• What Clients Say.

Step 4. Capture your visitors' email

• Getting your visitors' email address and building email lists of your prospects should be one of the main goals of your Web site.
• Few people will buy from your Web site on first contact. Generate leads with your Web site, stay in touch by email, and turn your visitors into customers. Send regular email to establish trust, provide additional information and value, offer additional products and services, get visitors to return to your site, and increase sales.
• Offer something valuable to get your visitors' email address such as a free special report, newsletter, evaluation, consultation, discount, or special offer.
• Keep the sign-up form brief. Ask for their email address and name. Ask for their address and telephone number if you're planning to follow up by mail or phone.

Examples:

• Yes! Send me your FREE Web marketing ebook!
• Click here to receive a FREE "online marketing" seminar by email.
• Enter your email address here and we'll keep you posted about new Web design and marketing resources.

More tips to make your home page effective and keep visitors at your site

• Keep your home page short. Visitors should be able to see the important information on your home page without scrolling down.
• Make your home page fast loading. If people have to wait to view your home page, they will leave and go to another Web site. Avoid large graphics, flashing animation, audio, and other technical features on that slow your page down.
• Make it easy and logical for visitors to get to the information they want.
• Make it easy to contact you. Provide your phone number, email address and Web address.

If you are not experienced with web design, a professional designer can help you turn your text and graphics into an easy-to-read, easy-to navigate, professional-looking web site. Professional designers know which layout and techniques are most effective. Visit http://www.fivestarwebdesign.com or call Leva Duell at 760-722-0290.