If you aren’t a fan of sports analogies, brace yourself. While sometimes they aren’t exactly helpful like, “You just gotta want it more,” they can also be a helpful tool to create a clear picture.
Even if you aren’t a sports fanatic, you know what a Quarterback is. They are the most important players on the football field. In this day and age, if you don’t have a stellar quarterback, you won’t win games.
Here at The Marketing Squad, we often refer to your homepage as the quarterback of your website.
What do we mean by that?
We’re glad you asked!
The quarterback accomplishes a few different responsibilities for their team that your homepage should accomplish for your website.
To help us out, here’s a cheat sheet for reading this article:
Quarterback = Your Homepage
Other Players = Other Pages on Your Site
Team = Your Entire Website
When you have a star QB, they will be who people focus on when they look at your team. You may have a really incredible running back or an all-star wide receiver, but without a dominant QB, your team will never experience true success at the highest level. When people look at your team, you want them to think about your QB.
On your website, your homepage needs to be the star of the show. When people click on your site link, they should immediately know that they are in the right place. As the face of your website, your homepage needs to represent the whole of who your business is and what you can offer. While you may offer some amazing services on other pages, you can’t assume your audience will care enough to make it there.
Additionally, as a capable and experienced QB does for a football team, your homepage should instill your website visitors with confidence that they have come to the right place. Your homepage should give visitors the assurance that their web search has ended with your website.
What do all great QBs have in common?
They can pass the football to the right receivers.
It’s not just about having the ability to throw, it’s about knowing when and where to make the pass. If there are no plays or strategies in place to make those informed decisions, your team is in a whole lot of trouble the longer the game continues. QBs have to get in the mind of the defense and predict the right plays to call.
Your homepage needs to make the right connections in the right places to the other pages on your site. It’s not enough to have your pages randomly listed on your homepage with no reasoning. You need to get in the minds of your potential customers and ask the right questions.
What do they want to see first?
What service are they most likely looking for?
What’s the likeliest next step they will take?
This is what sets your homepage and, ultimately, your website apart from your competitors. Great calls to action and optimized keywords can make a major difference in making your site feel cohesive. The better your homepage is at making the right connections, the more your audience will be intrigued by what comes next.
Consistency is an attribute of every great QB. When the leader of the team is consistent, the rest of the players should follow suit. That is what leads to incredible teams. Even if the QB or a supporting player has a big personality, when it comes to game day, they are wearing the same uniform and playing for the good of the team.
Your homepage does not need to be a showy graphic design fest with a million custom animations while your other pages are boring and drab. It’s important that your website stays consistent. Every page should be on the same page (pun intended). While the homepage should stand out as the face of the site, it still needs to be consistent in its design and content to the rest of the site. The last thing you want is for your visitors to have to reorient themselves to content flow, navigation, etc., on every page of the site.
So, let’s just lay the analogy to the side for a moment. Your website is a big deal for the branding and growth of your business. The most important aspect of that website is your homepage. It needs to represent your story, point to the services you offer, and ultimately offer opportunities for growth in a place where your audience can easily find it.
At The Marketing Squad, each site we work on includes a wireframing stage where we sit down and ask the question, “How can this homepage lead people to what matters most?”
Even though you may not see it as a priority, the design, functionality, and user-friendliness of your website matters. If you let your audience get lost, then you’ll lose your audience. The homepage is where you get them started on the right track.
If you’re looking to create a website that can effectively tell your story and help grow your business, let’s set up a time to connect.
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