Writing a Homepage That Sells

From the minute a potential client lands on your homepage, it’s all about capturing their attention. Investing in beautiful website design is a given, but that’s only part of the equation. Writing a homepage that establishes your brand voice is the secret sauce to converting casual visitors into quality leads. To get a clearer picture of the process, we’re chatting with our very own IDCO Studio copywriter, Carmen, who knows a thing or two about writing a homepage that sells. She’s worked with dozens of custom copywriting clients and understands the value of thoughtfully-written words. Carmen is walking us through the must-have elements of an interior designer’s homepage copy, with tips to capture new visitors from the get-go. Take it away, Carmen!

 

Photography: Madeline Harper

 

Writing a Homepage 101

 

A homepage tends to have the least amount of copy out of all the pages on a website. But keep in mind that the message you choose to communicate is a make or break. The goal with homepage copy is to get your site visitor to click through to your other pages. These words should be the heartbeat of your brand. You should include all pertinent information like location and primary services while outlining what differentiates you from competitors in a concise and impactful way.

 

 

5 Key Elements to Include

 

It’s really important to be clear about who your services are for—this will help with SEO, too!

 

one

Location (if your services are location-based)

 

two

Any specialties or specific expertise (i.e., new construction, renovations, commercial design, etc.)

 

three

A specific call-to-action (preferably more! Tell them where you want them to go next)

 

four

A mission statement (don’t overthink it! Just write a sentence that answers what you do, how you do it, and why)

 

five

A link to your contact page or inquiry form. Don’t make them search for a way to get in touch – make it easy for them!

 

 

Carmen’s Writing Tips + Tricks

 

Don’t overthink it. No one knows your business like you do. I think, sometimes, business owners can convolute their brand voice by taking inspiration from too many other places or asking others what they think. Write your thoughts down as if you’re talking about your business to a friend, including keywords that you want others to use to describe your brand and designs. Take what you came up with and distill it down to your core values. Your writing can be informational and professional while still feeling warm and authentic. As you edit, remove redundancies and anything that might be unclear to someone who has no prior knowledge of your brand. Check for spelling and grammar. If that isn’t your area of expertise, ask a friend to look it over before you go live.

 

 

Stepping Up Your SEO

 

To spruce up your current homepage copy, I recommend making a list of keywords—some for information and SEO and others to build out your brand voice. Here’s an example:

• Austin, TX
• Full-service design
• Layered
• Luxury
• Timeless

Look through your existing copy to see how you can incorporate these words to convey your brand’s values. When I’m writing sites, I frequently use an online thesaurus to help me put my thoughts into words. Remember: less is more. Keep it simple and sincere. Your work will do the rest of the talking for you!

 

A special thanks to Carmen for sharing her copywriting expertise with us today! And remember, if DIY copywriting isn’t your cup of tea, we totally get it. Custom Copywriting is available as an add-on with any website template purchase from the IDCO Studio. Take a hands-off approach and let Carmen help elevate your brand, one word at a time.

 

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If you’d like to dive deeper into the topic of crafting a compelling brand story, check out our online course Content Planning for Interior Designers in our Studio Sessions collection and these related posts:

• Establishing Your Brand Voice
• How to Write the Perfect About Page
• The Legal Checklist Every Interior Designer Needs

 

IDCO Studio is a full-service creative studio for interior designers and boutique lifestyle brands. Offering bespoke branding, web design and social media content creation, we help brands built around beautiful living elevate their digital presence to represent the physical spaces they design. Our recently launched limited-release website templates are the perfect way for interior designers to get a luxury website on a budget. These templates allow designers to maintain control of their content. Want to work together? Shoot us an inquiry here.