Marketing Examined - 🔍 Here's How To Build Your Home Page

Happy Thursday, my friend.

If you didn't know, we added another newsletter to the Marketing Examined family called AI Examined.

It will cover the intersection of AI and Marketing and how to use all these tools at our fingertips to optimize your marketing.

Plus, I'll be running crazy experiments on Marketing Examined and giving you all the details.

You can one-click subscribe here.

Plus, here's one of my favorite tools right now - BearlyAI, which helps me save hours researching and writing every week

Lastly, this case study on building a Home Page is a LONG one. Make sure to hit "view entire message at the bottom.

Let's dive in.

Imagine decreasing project delays by 70%.

Sounds impossible. Like something too good to be true.

But Hawke Media did it. They did what they said couldn’t be done.

The Robin to their Batman? ClickUp.

ClickUp gave them specific tools for specific things like goal setting, tasks, and chat.

It’s like the swiss-army knife for your team.

Personally, I use it for our agency (team of 10), but it’s suited for teams of one to 1000+.

It’s not only where we house everything but how our remote team stays productive.

We use it to organize ideas, projects, feedback, dogs, goals, and reporting, which fuels our operations.

And calling it a productivity tool is an understatement.

It’s an extra employee streamlining your business and constantly connecting the dots.

If you want to learn exactly how Hawke Media decreased project delays by 70% then you can get it here.

First, a stat to set the mood:

It takes about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site and whether they’ll stay or leave.

So, the rule don’t judge a book by its cover doesn’t apply to your home page — because many times, all someone will see is the cover, which sways their next step.

And if you got someone's attention - don't screw it up, so...

Don't put a potential customer's mind on a treadmill. 

So, your home page shouldn’t be a calorie burner.

Be clear, concise, and communicate your value props thoroughly.

The less a consumer has to think about what you do, the more energy they’ll have to imagine a world with you in it.

So, the more calories you force them to burn — the more you diminish their imagination.

Earning the scrolls means earning attention.

So, your above-the-fold should have one singular goal — and that’s to earn the scroll.

It's valuable real estate.

Make it:

• Simple
• Skimmable
• Straight-Forward

Your above-the-fold's goal is to garner attention and create a spike of excitement to continue scrolling.

Where your below-the-fold earns the sale.

Here are the template/or elements of an effective above-the-fold:

• Large, bold, Skimmable Headline
• Supportive Sub-headline
• Product image, video, or GIF that supports the headline
• Social Proof
• Addresses Objections
• Call-To-Action

Let's run through each piece.

Nearly every visitor will read your headline before continuing on your site.

Make it stand out, obvious, and clear.

Here's how:

• Be large and bold
• Focus on one idea
• Have proper spacing
• Obsess with clarity

In the examples below, we’re going to cover how to write effective headlines for your home page.

The majority of people search for solutions because of specific problems.

With those problems come doubts.

Address the doubts while tackling the problem.

Position yourself as the go-to option.

You do this by narrowing your scope or niching down until you can position yourself as the #1 option.

If you do this, use your social proof to back the claim.

Tell them what it is.

And who it's for.

The easiest way to address a specific problem is by saying exactly what you do.

And letting the consumer imagine what you do, is done for them.

Take the customer's dream and put it within arm's reach.

Your headlines are the attention-grabber.

Your sub-headlines lay the foundation for your claims.

And offer more context.

Let's look at examples that will help you write a good sub-headline.

Introduce your product and how it creates the value you promise.

Your headline is the WHAT.

Your sub-headline is the HOW.

Let your benefits sell your product.

And let your features differentiate your product.

Your benefits exist to create a desired outcome.

Let them visualize it.

Make it tangible.

And then tell them how you'll do it.

Social proof makes what you say believable.

Without it, what you say is no more than a claim.

There are four frameworks to support what you say above the fold:

1. Customers

2. Timeframe

3. Press

4. Reviews

5. Notable Names

Let's take a look at each.

Share how many customers use your product or service to create instant credibility.

Share how many customers have used, signed up for, or purchased your product within a specific time frame.

Press from large, known publications solidifies the legitimacy of your product or service.

Share real reviews from real people.

If big-name customers or companies use your product, let their reputation do all the talking.

Behind every action not taken, is an objection that wasn't tackled.

Tackling objections is all about putting yourself in the shoes of a customer and identifying the small roadblocks in their head that put a halt to action.

Let's cover examples.

Objection = Not Ready For The Product Yet

Solution = Get A Free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools Account

Now, this customer becomes a part of their nurturing process.

Objection = Not Sure What The Product Does

Solution = Try SparkToro For Free w/out Creating An Account

Let the value convince the customer.

Objection = I Want To Try The Product Before I Sign Up

Solution = 1 Hour Free Recording

Let the customer use it, experience it, and love it.

Objection = I Want To Start A Free Trial But Don't Want To Add My CC Info

Solution = No credit card required.

If they love your product, it'll do all the convincing needed to get the purchase.

So, what are the must-haves on the rest of your page that earn the sale?

So, outside of having a killer above the fold.

You can earn the scroll by using an open loop.

Open loops are curiosity-inducing and tell the consumer there is more to be seen.

Right above the “fold,” they’ve placed text that would be curiosity-inducing for their ideal prospect.

How does ConvertKit help creators grow their audience?

How does ConvertKit help creators make a living?

To answer those questions, prospects need to start the scroll.

Earning the scroll turns an elevator pitch into a full-on conversation.

Muddy Bites uses an animation to draw the visitor’s attention and initiate the scroll.

Farmer's Dog uses a second headline to engage you and tell you that there is more important information below.

They scrolled.

Now, what?

It's time to educate, differentiate, share use cases, prove our claims, and answer any questions.

Let's go through it section by section.

If you're in a saturated market, it's imperative to differentiate yourself.

Personally, I like to add a section early in the scroll to differentiate a product.

So, it stays top of mind and doesn't get lost in the weeds.

Because your differentiation factor is your competitive advantage.

The better you can cement it, the better chance you have of staying top of mind when a prospect is searching around for a solution.

In the image above, Farmer's Dog illustrates why they're different, and how they're different.

This is a perfect segway to introduce the benefits behind your differentiation.

You differentiated yourself.

Now, amplify the benefits behind the differentiation.

Don't overlook how you position your benefits.

It's not enough to say what it does for the customer.

You need to take the consumer into another world.

One where their desires are reality.

Maven does a great of using its benefits to spark the imagination of a creator.

They start by identifying the desire for 99% of creators: Make a living teaching what you love.

These benefits take the creator and project them into a future where they see this as their reality.

This is why Apple's infamous "1000 songs in your pocket" headline was such a success.

Because it took the consumer into a world where they saw themselves walking their dog, at the gym, sitting outside, listening to their favorite song.

The best features are disguised as micro-benefits.

So, let's take Hugo here.

Let's disguise this feature as a benefit.

Wrong: Streamline Your Meeting Prep

Right: Save 45 Minutes A Week Streamlining Your Meeting Prep

Now, the customer knows they can streamline the meeting prep aka the feature.

And they can see a world where they save 45 minutes a week doing so.

Imagine finding a piece of furniture you love, but have no clue how to build it.

Now, what you loved is a pain in your ass.

The same goes for any product or service.

Instructions are everything.

You can't expect a consumer to know how something works.

Be their guide.

Walk them through the process step-by-step.

This is the importance of your "How-To" section.

It's meant to indicate a frictionless set-up process.

And educate the consumer on what needs to be done.

Here's what to remember to create a crystal clear how it works section:

1. The Fewer Steps = Fewer Mental Calories - Only add what is essential.

2. Use Instructional Language - Use verbs relevant to your product.

3. Add Visuals - Using visuals helps illustrate each step.

Customers buy from brands they know, like, and trust.

Social proof comes in multiple forms:

• Customer reviews & testimonials
• Insider Data
• Case Studies
• Notable Users
• UGC
• Press

Let's run through each one.

The more specific the testimonial, the better.

And if you have multiple customer personas -- then copy what Ahrefs does.

Example:

Insider data means pulling back the curtain and revealing numbers like your current customer base.

Insider data is different for every company.

ConvertKit does another great job of amplifying their social proof.

This section shares:

1. Insider Data - 428,152 Creators reaching over 253M fans

2. Notable Names - Tim Ferris, Tim McGraw, Arnold Schwarzenegger

3. Case Studies - They give the option to click out to case studies to illustrate what they do further.

Example:

Dropping notable names is like a brag bar.

You share the big names that use your product and are relevant to your audience.

These are the names that carry trust.

And make the consumer say "if X is using it then it must be good."

Example: Riverside.fm

Lastly, your brag bar.

Drop reputable press and awards that solidify your positioning.

Example: Tempo

The best social proof comes straight from your customers.

And also from their social channels.

Because it's so good they share it with their friends.

Example: Riverside.fm

Lastly, tackle any objections by adding a frequently asked questions section to your home page.

Example: MasterClass

You’ve done everything, but your homepage needs the last push over the edge.

You need a call-to-value.

This is what prompts the visitor to take your desired action after landing on your page.

Different types of CTA’s can include:

• Prompting the user to shop now
• Prompting the user to begin a free trial (common in SaaS)
• Prompting the user to opt-in for email or SMS marketing

But, instead of a CTA, we want to focus on a CTV.

So, instead of telling the customer to take action...

We remind the customer of the value on the backend of the action.

Examples: Unbounce

Okay, let's run through it again quickly...

Above The Fold:

• Large, bold, Skimmable Headline
• Supportive Sub-headline
• Product image, video, or GIF that supports the headline
• Social Proof
• Addresses Objections
• Call-To-Action

Below The Fold Section By Section:

• Differentiate Yourself
• List The Benefits
• Disguise The Features As Benefits
• Explain How It Works
• Share Ample Amounts Of Social Proof
• Add a FAQ Section
• Finalize With A Call To Value

You already know I do. And that's why I use Bearly, an AI-powered research assistant that saves you hours of work a week.

How? The desktop app supercharges your:

• Reading (instant summaries)
• Writing (auto-generated text)

And the best part is it fits right into any workflow.

You hit a keyboard shortcut and get instant access to an AI research assistant that will save you hours of work a week.

You can try it here.

Sheesh.

That was a long one. I need a nap after that.

Hope you enjoyed it!