Your website’s home page will most likely be the most visited page on your entire site (unless you have a viral blog post). It’s the first impression of you, your work, and your business. Which means it needs to be an organized, inviting space where all visitors can be guided to the next best step for them, depending on where they’re at in their journey. When it comes to the copy or words you use on your home page, there is a very specific flow to follow to make sure its doing its job, especially for a service-based business. Today, I’m going to share with you my very own signature home page flow that I created specifically for coaches, practitioners, and experts.
“The home page of your website is arguably the most important page in your entire site…and because of this, it’s really the first impression of not just your website but you and your business and your work.” – Shawn Mynar
“The quality of your homepage and what is on it really is the differentiator between someone who glances at it and someone that stays and dives deeper into your website.” – Shawn Mynar
“It’s the words that will be a deciding factor between, do I keep reading down the page or do I find something page.” – Shawn Mynar
“The goals of your home page is to immediately connect with your visitors and let them know that they are in the right place, keep them engaged down the page and guide them to the next best step for them.” – Shawn Mynar
“Every visitor that is going to come to your page is different and we need to account for every single type of visitor that is going to be on your home page.” – Shawn Mynar
Website That Works Masterclass – shawnmynar.com/webclass
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE:
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your website’s homepage will most likely be the most visited page on your entire site. It’s the first impression of you, your work and your business, which means it needs to be an organized inviting space where all visitors can be guided to the next best step for them, depending on where they’re at in their journey. When it comes to the copy or words you use on your homepage, there’s a very specific flow to follow to make sure it’s doing its job, especially as a service based business. So today, I’m going to share with you my very own a signature homepage flow that I created specifically for coaches, practitioners and experts. Let’s dive in.
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Hey there, I’m Shawn Mynar, and this is unstuck entrepreneur. I’m a former nutritionist who turned a struggling stressful nutrition practice into a thriving freedom build online business, where I work from home in my sweatpants while reaching and helping 1000s of people all at the same time. Now I am obsessed with showing other heart centered coaches, practitioners and solopreneurs how to build a business and life they love. Consider this podcast your safe space to learn both the inner work and practical strategies required to build the impactful profitable business of your dreams, no hustle, grind, or long hours required. That’s right hustle culture. not welcome here. Let’s get into today’s session.
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Hey, Hey there friends. Welcome back to the unstuck entrepreneur Podcast. I’m Shawn, your host here on the show. And as always so grateful to have you checking out this episode and for your support of the show. We are in the second episode of the website that works series that I’m doing here. On the podcast, we started last episode talking all about how to know if your website needs a refresh. Or if you don’t have a website yet what you need to make sure to include so that it doesn’t need a refresh like six months a year down the road. That was in the last episode, Episode 193. And then here we are today talking all about your homepage, specifically. And then we have a few more episodes coming up over the next few weeks. That will be more about your about page and other things that you need to make sure you include in your website to get people to actually visit it. So that’s coming up in this entire series that we’re doing. And this is all in kind of a celebration of a few things. First of all, a free masterclass that I have just put out it’s going on now over at Shawn mynar.com/web class. This you guys this masterclass is so helpful for you. If you have a business and you have a website and hey, you know what, if you have a business, you should probably have a website. So I am breaking down I’m taking you behind the scenes, I’m showing you everything that I include, on my homepage, why I included it, why it’s important, what you should consider when you’re building your website, I’m doing it all for free for you. And it is going to help you so so much because Take it from me take it from everyone else who has had to go back and redo their website not that fun. So if you can get it right and do it right the first time or even the second time if you need to refresh your website, one that you already have up, this will take all the guesswork out of it and make it so that you now have a website that lasts for years and years to come and is a really hands off part of your business which is huge. That’s what we’re here to do. We are here to make things a little easier, make things a little more simple in this service based business that you have. So be sure to go save your spot find a time that works for you Shawnmynar.com/web class and take this seriously block out this time as like make my business easier time and show up and be there and and be present and take notes and it will change so much for you. So that’s going on and then also on top of that another thing to celebrate is the release of my right your website bundle. I will just tell you right now you’re going to get a super special deal on that if you attend the masterclass This is my oh my gosh, so much heart and soul has gone into this over the past few months. So much creativity. It was such a release for me but it really is essentially me as a copywriter as a train a copywriter. Writing as much of your website as I can for you while you
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Who still put in your own messaging your own brand voice to really make it your own and make it unique and special, and stand out from everyone else in the crowd. That is the goal here is really a mash up of copywriting and professional copywriting with your own brand voice, your own messaging, bringing them together to write you a really professional, engaging, attractive, organized website. So that is what right your website bundle does for you for the four main pages of your website homepage, about page services page, and contact page. And it’s all together in a bundle it takes it just makes DIY in your website. So dang easy, like so much easier than it would be if you’re just staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what the heck to put on your website, which I know I’ve been there. It’s very challenging writer’s block is real, especially when it comes to this really important piece of your business. And this thing that kind of lives on lives out into the world. And new people are hopefully coming to it every day and really deciding, is this person worth my time? Or do I need to leave and go find someone else? Big Deal your website is? So making sure it says the right things. It does the right things and it has that flow and is organized will do all that for you together. So you can learn more about that directly at Shawnmynar.com/website. Although like I said, Insider’s tip, you’re gonna get a very, very, very good deal on that if you had to the masterclass first, so you can go check it out and see what’s out. But hey, if you like deals if you like, discounts, which who doesn’t? Then check out that masterclass and Oh, really give you a more behind the scenes look at it, too. Okay, so Shawn mynar.com/website and Shawnmynar.com/web class for the free masterclass going on now. Okay, let’s dive into your homepage today. Like I mentioned last week, and we’ll continue to say this is important stuff. If you have a website up right now that’s published, that’s just kind of in the back ground of your business, not doing a whole lot, not really getting a whole lot of traffic or not getting that traffic to do anything beyond, just check out your website quickly. And then leave good information for you. Also good information if you don’t have a website yet. But you know, it’s something that you need in your business. And maybe it’s something that you’ve kind of been putting off, just keeping on that to do list for some day. And that someday just keeps getting pushed further and further away. Now at the time, just get it done. And get it off your to do list and have it actually working for you have this like home base of your business out into the world. Let’s get it done. Okay. And so what you’re going to learn today will help you do that and make it so much easier for you to do that. So obviously, the homepage of your website is arguably the most important page on your entire site, unless you maybe have this like blog post that has gone viral and it’s getting like 1000s of views every day. But even those people, a lot of them are going to go over to your homepage, from that blog post that originally got them to your site. That place where people most often go. And most often people will come into your website is through your homepage. And because of this, it’s really the first impression of not just your website, but you and your business and your work like really super important stuff to consider when you think about it that way. Because the quality of your homepage and what is on it really is the differentiator between someone who glances happens upon your website glances at it. And then x is out and goes to the next thing on the Google search or, you know, keeps looking. And someone that stays and dives deeper into your website goes to that blog post goes to check out your podcast goes to check out your about page or what you have for your services. Big difference and it all comes down to what’s on that homepage and how it makes them feel. Not just what how it looks. Yeah, your design is great. Your colors are great, your fonts are great, but also how it makes them feel and the words your copy is what will help with that as well.
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will guide those feelings, those emotions. So that’s what we’re going to break down today. Your homepage is not a billboard of all the different things that you have going on. Unless you are a celebrity, and everyone that is going to your website already knows you. Cool use it as a billboard, that’s great. But most of us are not celebrities. And so having a home page that is just a billboard of all of your things, doesn’t do anything to connect with these people who do not know you yet, when you can remind yourself that your entire website, really, but most importantly, your homepage is not about you at all, it will make a huge difference. And then you have the chance to really connect with the people that are coming on to your site, they need to know they’re in the right place. First and foremost, the very first thing right away within the first few words, they need to know they’re in the right place. They need to feel seen, heard and understood. And if they don’t feel that right away, they’re gone. They’re not going to bother moving on reading your about page or in your blog posting what you do for coaching, because they don’t feel like they’re in the right spot. They don’t feel welcome. They don’t feel invited. They feel like there’s something better out there for me, and they’re gone for good. And believe it or not, this is all happening within the first few seconds of someone being on your homepage, like I said those first few words. And yes, back to the design. Yes, it is important that it’s clean, that it is inviting that it looks good that it’s organized. But it’s the words that will be the deciding factor between do I keep reading down the page, do I keep going or do I find something else. And so if that first section of your homepage, which is called the hero, if that is a very connective point for them, then they’ll keep reading to the next section and to the next section and to the next section. And then if at any point things go off the rails, then they’re gone. But as long as you stay in this flow, you keep them in this flow, then you have built this connection with them as they’re going through your page. And you’ve gotten them hooked to keep going into your website further and get to know you more and get to know your work more. And hey, guess what become a paying client or at minimum, sign up for your free offer sign up for your freebie that then gets you email list subscriber and they become a lead, which then becomes a paying client down the road. Okay, so the goal of your homepage, make sure you remember this is to immediately connect with your visitors, and let them know that they are in the right place, keep them engaged on the page throughout that experience, and guide them to the next best step for them. That is the goal. Those three goals really have your homepage. Now, the tricky thing that almost nobody is considering that I want to change the game on, I want to make more well known I want to really put it out there is that on your homepage, you really in your whole website. But let’s specifically talk about the homepage today, every visitor that comes to your page is going to be different, we have all different kinds of visitors, every single one of us is very different. And we need to account for every single type of visitor that is going to be on your homepage. There are people coming at all different stages of their journey. There are people who don’t even know they have a problem. Or people who know they have a problem but really don’t know if there’s a solution to their problem. And they’re out there looking. They’re googling they’re searching, they’re wondering, I have this problem what do I do about it and then there’s people way on the other side who already know you like you trust you believe in you want to work with you. And they just need to find out how they know about your offers, they know about your services, and they’re just looking for more information. And then there’s a bunch of people in between those two extremes that we need to account for. So different levels of awareness from the problem to the solution. And then there’s also people with different personalities of course we all have very different personalities and specifically when it comes to your website, different decision making styles. So I’m just going to let you know right now this is extremely important to everything you create in your business and accounting for these different decision making styles. And I’m gonna go over that in much more detail in the masterclass friends you need to know this information. It will be a game changer for your entire business by
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I’m showing you in detail over on the masterclass. So make sure you check it out, take the time, take notes, absorb it, apply it, and let it change your entire business. But anyway, taking all of this into account, just knowing how many different types of people are coming to your homepage, and being able to associate and be inviting to every single one of those people, because the second that you focus too much on one type of person, and then don’t consider the other type of person, then you’ve excluded someone, you’ve excluded someone or if someone doesn’t know about the solution to their problem, but just knows they had a problem. If you move too fast, or too far forward for them, without them knowing they’re in the right place first, then they’re gonna go find someone else who’s talking about the problem better, right? So we have to be this inclusive space, your website needs to be this inclusive space for every single type of person coming to your site in order to make it actually work for your business. Because otherwise, it’s just going to be this boomerang effect where people come in, they see what you have written, they check out you know, this kind of blob boring, basic website, and they they’re out because someone else is talking about it better. And now that client that would have been a perfect fit for you to work with is gone. And we do not want that we are going to change that here. And now. So anyway, I took all of this knowledge, and I put it into a signature website flow for every page of your website. But we’re just going to focus on the homepage today, I put it into this flow. This framework, I guess you could call it that makes sure with 100% certainty that your website is an inclusive space for every type of visitor that you have knocking on your door. That is the main point with this so that you have this warm, inviting, welcoming, inclusive home on the internet. That’s what we’re doing here, I’m going to break down this entire flow. If you want to see it in action, which I encourage you to do, I’m actually showing you how this looks on my own homepage. Over in the master class, it will make a lot more sense, especially for you visual learners, it will make a lot more sense when you see it in action. So be sure to again, save your spot for the master class at a time that works for you. But I did want to just talk about it here for those that are more auditory listeners. And for those of you who just want to take notes, and you think you can really grasp it with just the notes that you have and apply it to your website. Okay, so my signature framework for your homepage has 10 sections. And let me just briefly also remind you, I think you already know this, but let me remind you, this is specifically for the coaching type business that coach practitioner, expert consultant, service based business model, where essentially you and your help is what you are selling that is specifically for this it is obviously a very different framework for someone who has, you know, an Etsy shop or for someone who has a brick and mortar type business different. This is specifically for the type of business that you have. And based on everything that I know about these types of businesses, everything I know about those types of clients, and what they need to hear and what they need to understand before they are ready to make a decision.
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Sorry, all of that, let’s get into this, the 10 sections. Number one, like we already talked about the hero section. So this is all about catching that initial attention, sparking the curiosity and making it clear what the rest of the page is going to be about. We have like, like I said, those couple seconds, 2.6 seconds to make that first conscious impression of your website. And to let these people know that they are in the right place. Your hero section has to do that. And it has to do that very succinctly. in as few words as possible. It needs to be really catchy, it needs to be really clear. It cannot be cutesy or clever. That is not what we’re doing here because that creates confusion that makes people work too hard to understand what you’re saying and if this website is the right space for them. Clear, clear, clear, clear, concise, catchy, those things to really make this person say in those 2.6 seconds, make them say, Ah, they’re talking to me. This is for me. Let them see themselves in your words. So in a hero section
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There will be that headline like a very obvious big bold headline as few words as possible and that really get the point across. So it’s a really great space for like punchy types of words and phrases and sentences. And then under that, you’ll have a sub headline, which is a little smaller design wise still stands out, though not like body copy, small, but sub headline little smaller. And this gives more clarity and context to that headline. So it can be a little bit longer, but it’s really more direct and clear about what the rest of the page is going to be about. And then you have a call to action, you must have a call to action in your hero section for those people who are either spontaneous decision makers and just want to go to the next thing, which there are people that are definitely like that, and also the people who are coming to your website that already know like and trust you their solution, they’re aware of your solution, they know they want to work with you, they just need to go to your services page so they can check out and there are those people that are going to visit your website as well. So call to action, very important. And also an image of you, preferably since you and your services are the selling point are the focal point of your business. section number two of your website is what I call real talk. This is where we have a moment of just pure connection, there is nothing else going on, there is no other motive or anything that you have to do in this section, except connect with your visitor, every single visitor. And the way we do that is to really bring to life, their problem in a very real way. That’s why I call it real talk, just like we’re in front of our friends. And we know that there’s a problem they’re dealing with, and we’re just chatting it out with them. But when you do this, it builds that you get me factor the quote unquote, you get me factor that I love to talk about, because as soon as they feel like, oh my gosh, this person gets me they understand they know how I’m feeling right now they know this problem I’m experiencing in this struggle I’m having it immediately increases that desire for not even a solution, but your solution. So we have to have that moment of real talk right away. Then we move on to just a one liner, I call it the magic wand moment. This is Section three, there’s a lot of magic one moments that go on throughout your entire website. They’re just these big, bold cross heads, they go across your entire website. And they are very punchy, strong, powerful one liners that clearly connect what you do with what they want what your visitor your dream client really wants. So this is your chance to express the value of your work in one clear, succinct line that really grabs attention. And this is not talking about your offer, or your product or your group coaching program or anything like that. This is talking about what you do, how you deeply help people, and what can change in their life, what their life looks like what the experience is like, when they have that when they go through that process. That is all happening in one very clear, punchy line, then we move it down and go to section number four, which is the path. This is really the place to start talking about and sharing your services what you do. So there’s a couple of different ways that you can do it, you can either talk about the specific areas you work on with clients, like for example, if you take one on one clients in a coaching package, then you can really use this space to talk about maybe the three steps that you take people through the 33 things that you primarily work on with people. So you’re giving this a little bit of a glimpse into the process of what it would be like to work with you and what you focus on. Or if you have different types of products, like maybe you do offer a one on one services, but you also have a course you will have a program, you have an ebook, you have a workshop, you have these other paid offers, then you can talk about the different paid offers and the different ways people can work with you. Okay, but this is where you get to showcase your work. And not just in this way of like here’s what I have to offer here’s what to do but in a in a way and providing context providing descriptions of why it’s important why you include
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Would it what it will look like to go through that with you what they can expect and what they’ll experience. So a lot more of the touchy feely part of why you do what you do, why you offer what you offer, along with, you know, really showcasing those offers. Then we move on to the fifth section, which is the first pass of social proof, potentially, there’s an optional one a little higher up that I’ll talk about in the masterclass. But this one is a non negotiable social proof number one, in Section five, you will use client testimonials or stats of your work to show proof of what’s possible when people take your path. So you just got done talking about this path that you will take people on either through your one on one work, and the process or the different offers that you have. And now you just need to provide proof of that. So anytime you are having social proof on any page of anything that you create, you know, testimonials, or results, or stats or anything like that, you are proving what you just said, so you just made this case for the path that you take people on through your work. And now you’re backing it up with social proof, either through client testimonials, or stats of your work. Okay, and then we move on to Section six, which is just now introducing yourself, this is the intro. And
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a lot of people, I think, put their intro a little too high up on their homepage, and it just doesn’t have the same resonance. When it’s too soon as it does when it’s a little further down, you’re paid. And you’ve already got the buy in. So you already had the chance for that real talk. You already kind of took them on this like little mini journey of what could happen, what their life could look like what a results they could experience if they go down your path. And only now are they asking, well, who is this person? Why didn’t Why should I trust this person? I mean, it all sounds great. But who am I even talking to right now or reading about right now. And then that intro section becomes that much more powerful, because now you’ve given them a reason to care. If your about section, your intro sections too high up, they don’t care about you yet, they haven’t given them a reason to care. So they will breeze by it. Or they will just like that will totally disconnect them from your website, and they’ll leave. Okay, so now, now that we’re past all of that the intro section has power. And obviously, in your intersection, you’re just basically taking a few sentences, just very briefly, showing that you’re a real person who can help them. You’re building rapport, you’re building trust, you’re creating that sense of likability. So a very brief description of what you do, why you do it, and why it matters to them. So your intersection, yes, it’s about you, but only as it relates to them. And it is short for now, because you have an entire page to talk more about yourself. And your intersection will include a call to action to go to that about page and learn more about you for those that are ready. Next, we move on to the dream feature crosshead. So this is another just one liner, going all the way across your page, very bold, very punchy, really draws attention for everyone to read. And this is reminding your visitors of what they want, why they want it, what’s possible for them, and coaching them to take the next best step to start that path to go down that road. This is your opportunity to paint a very clear picture of their desire of them living their desire of what will happen when they get there. And when you do that gives them hope. And when they have hope. They want to take action. So you have one very punchy, clear, bold spot on your website, your homepage more specifically to do that. And then we move on. This is section number eight, where we have another place for social proof again, proving what we just said. So now you’re going to use client testimonials at proof that that dream future is possible because other people like them have done it to not to where those client testimonials are just so so important. Now we are at section
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And nine, which is what I call the easy, yes, this is showcasing the easiest way possible for your visitors to get started toward their dream future. And for most of us, that’s going to be our freebies, very low barrier to entry, it’s free, all you have to do is put in your email address, and you can get started down this path. So the thing in this easy yes section is to, again, really treat your freebies as a place to show what’s possible to show what will happen with just taking that one next step with this freebie, and this is really good for those people who are skeptical, which a lot of people that come to your website are going to be. But if you do the right thing, if you say the right thing, when it comes to your freebie, and let them know that this mini transformation can happen just in this one step, then that skepticism fades a little. And they feel comfortable, at least making this easy, yes, and they become a lead. So this is a great spot to showcase your freebies. And again to say the right things, prop them up in the right way to make them an extremely desirable first step for your visitors. And then last section, section 10. This is optional. If you have other platforms, this is your chance to shout them out. So I call this the platform shout out, you’re going to use this section almost as like a directory of any other places that visitors could check out. So maybe they’re not even ready to say this easy yes to your freebie. But they would read a blog post, or maybe they would go check out a podcast episode. Or maybe they could follow you on Instagram. This is your spot to get that last little buy in for the very skeptical people who just aren’t ready to take any other action yet. So your platform shout out can like I just mentioned, talk about some blog posts that you have talked about some podcast episodes you have and guide people over to subscribing to your podcast, a YouTube channel, your social media pages, any other platforms that you think would be important for your visitors to No, and this is where we really, you know, if we’re getting this cold traffic onto your website, which you should be from Google searches from Pinter searches. And then they’re they’re taking the time to read everything to go down your page, which they will because you’ve set it up appropriately. And there is a specific flow that is organized and inclusive of every single type of person. Then, when they get to the bottom, and they’re ready to take some sort of action. This is how you get more subscribers on your email list. This is how you get more followers on your social media channels. This is how you get more listeners on your podcast, more readers of your blog, because your homepage has done its job. And those are the 10 sections of your entire inclusive, organized homepage. Not I know it may seem like it’s a lot but it really is not. Most of this stuff is very short. I mean, that’s one really important thing too, about your homepage. Is it just not having a ton of unnecessary words, say what you need to say and then move on. And so much of this is just big, bold, punchy statements versus a ton of needless words. Right? So like I said, you’re going to see this in action. On my website. In particular, I’m going to walk you through it, and why I include things when I include them based on people’s different decision making styles and where they’re at in their journey. So their level of awareness from their problem to the solution. I break all of that down in the masterclass you’re going to want to check it out. Trust me, it is huge. It will change the game for you. So again, Shawnmynar.com/web class for that. And if you’re like, oh my gosh, wow, I really see how I need to organize my homepage better. But I have no idea how to do this. I have no idea how to write all of these sections. Hey, I’ve done it for you. Let’s DIY your website together. That is exactly what we do in the write your website bundle. Every single section is laid out for you in the way that I just did with the 10 sections of your homepage. But then I also give you so many hundreds of different prompts that you will fill in the blank on with your messaging and your brand voice to write this for you
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In a matter of hours, okay, so I know this might seem overwhelming. But don’t worry, that’s why I’m here. That’s why I created the write your website bundle, let’s do it together, let’s get it written, get it out into the world and actually working, okay, so I hope mainly that you are seeing how important it is to give your website a little bit more thought than you potentially have or did in the past. And then it really isn’t something that you can just throw up and get out into the world and never think about again, because it’s not doing anything that was like a total waste of time, if that’s what you did, even if you did only spend a few hours getting something up in air quotes. That still it’s not doing anything and what would happen, what would change for you and your business and your ability to attract clients without having to always be trying things on social media and doing this and doing that. And all these things we tried to do to get clients if your website was actually working, because it was actually drawing in people it was actually bringing in new visitors and keeping them there and keeping them engaged and showing them what’s possible, showing them their next step on their journey. Like it can just be so much more such a bigger part of your business that’s essentially hands off, if you just take the time now to do it. Right and to really understand what needs to happen, what needs to be included, what needs to be left off and make it work for you the first time. Okay, so that is what we’re doing in this series. That’s what we’re doing over on the masterclass and of course in the right your website bundle and I will leave it at that for this episode. All you have to do now is go save your spot. Find a time that works for you for the masterclass and let’s keep this conversation going. Okay, Shawnmynar.com/web class, you can find the link in the show notes that will take you right there. And until next time, take care
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