Your website’s homepage is kind of like a shop window. At a glance, visitors should be able to quickly tell what kind of business you are and what they could expect if they come into your store.
A great website homepage will be enticing. It will help someone determine if you have the kinds of products or services that they are looking for.
Sounds simple… but how do you create a single page that accomplishes all that?
We will show you how to use StoryBrand methods to create an engaging homepage that pulls the right people in and gets them to dig deeper.
A Quick Recap of StoryBrand
Just to make sure we’re on the same page, let’s do a really quick high-level recap of what StoryBrand is. You start with your Brandscript — this is a document that outlines the hero’s journey with your brand.
The hero is your target customer. Their journey is all about overcoming obstacles. In the beginning, they have things they are facing that they need to conquer. Along the way, they meet you, and you have a plan for helping them.
They are faced with two choices.
- Buy your product or service and overcome the things that were holding them back and reach a happily ever after.
- Don’t buy from you and try something else that isn’t likely to work as well and won’t get them the same happy result.
Once you have that journey mapped out, it’s much easier to create your homepage for your website.
Now that we’re clear on what StoryBrand is and how it helps, let’s look at the 7 essential sections that you’ll want to include on your website homepage.
7 Essentials for a StoryBrand Homepage
Element 1: The Header
This is the first section that a visitor sees on the page. It has 3 very important questions that it must answer in 5 seconds or less.
- What do you do?
- How will it make my life better?
- How can I buy it?
For example, here’s a header section that we did for one of our clients.
It’s very clear what she’s offering, how it will make someone’s life better, and that all you have to do to buy is schedule a call.
Element 2: The Stakes
The stakes section typically comes right after the header, and it has a very important job to do. It is designed to help people understand the cost of inaction — what will happen if the visitor chooses to do nothing to solve their problem.
It is easy to put too much into this section and start moving in a negative direction, so be very careful. For example, the stakes can be a few short paragraphs and a powerful heading.
This very quickly addresses what you’re trying to do and what the downsides are of not buying their product.
Element 3: The Value Proposition
Now, you want to clearly elaborate on the reasons why someone should consider buying from you. What is the value that they get out of working with you?
In this example, The Site Group does a great job of illustrating their value quickly and succinctly.
As landscape architects, they have clearly dialed into what their customers are looking for in a project and highlighted the key features they’d want.
Element 4: The Guide
Now that you’ve talked to the hero about their problems and the value of making a decision to solve them, it’s time to introduce you as their guide. You want to quickly summarize the key elements that prove you’re the right person or company for their needs.
You also need to make this section about the visitor and not about you. We understand that might not feel intuitive, but it’s crucial.
In this example, Tann Electric does a great job of this.
They tell you that they’ve been in business for a long time, and they know what matters to you most. They are quick to respond, tackle tough challenges, and ready to help.
Element 5: Your Product and Pricing
Notice how far down we are on the page before we address what you sell or do for someone. This is intentional.
There’s an old adage in the marketing world — “People don’t buy a drill, they buy a hole.”
People are looking for a solution, like needing a hole in the wall. From there, they can be educated into the right purchase that will get them the hole they need. And only then will they buy a drill.
This is a great example of how to quickly tell someone what you do.
They make a quick list of the key services they provide and give you the option to click on each one to learn more.
Element 6: The Plan
The plan section is all about taking the mystery out of taking action. People can be afraid to take action if they aren’t sure what’s going to happen when they do.
They could be afraid that requesting a quote could lead to a lengthy sales call with a pushy salesperson. Or that book a “quick call” could turn into an hour or more of wasted time.
You can reduce their anxiety and encourage action by including a simple 3-step plan that outlines what to expect.
In this plan, Cameron Brown clearly states that you’ll contact them to get pre-approved, find a lender, and buy the home or property that you’re interested in.
Element 7: The Explanatory Paragraph or Section
Finally, the visitor reaches the end of the page and still hasn’t taken action. Something is holding them back from making that leap and taking the first step.
This section aims to resolve that — and there are a few different approaches that can work well here.
- An explanatory paragraph. You write a letter to the reader in a short few paragraphs with your wish and goal for them.
- Frequently asked questions. Think about their key objections and phrase them in a question format and answer those briefly on the page.
- Guarantees. If you have money-back or other guarantees, you can include those here in this section.
- Testimonials or case studies. Share stories of where other people like your visitor had similar problems and worked with you to solve them.
- Credentials or awards. You can display any certifications, degrees, awards, or other industry certifications that decrease the risk of working with you.
If you have several of these elements, you can disperse them throughout the page to break them out.
StoryBrand is Deceptively Complicated
These are just the brass tacks for building an excellent website using the StoryBrand method. If you’re serious about creating a homepage that draws customers in and increases sales, we’re here to help!
We can create a new homepage and website or just update your existing site. No matter what you need, we do it! From branding, building a site, and creating sales funnels, we have the expertise you need. Contact us today, and let’s get started!
