Today, I’m going to share the biggest mistake I made when I started WanderWeb.
But first, allow me to set the scene….
by telling you about the most important piece of copy in all of your digital marketing arsenal.
Your hero message.
What is a hero message?
A website’s hero message is the one or two-sentence section above the fold on your website’s landing (or home) page.
Typically made up of a large header, a clarifying sentence or two (slightly smaller in size), and a call to action that asks your prospect to do something on your site, such as view a product demonstration video or contact you to learn more.
The only purpose of this message is to attract your users’ attention and keep them on your site long enough to entice them to take the next step. Seriously, that’s it.
A hero message has one job- to get the viewer to the next action.
We accomplish this by crafting a hero that is eye-catching and relevant. If it’s not, we risk losing your visitors before they’ve even arrived at your core content or product offering.
Your homepage’s hero message should clearly define your offer and instantly compel readers. Attention spans are short (5 seconds at most!) they click away to your competitor’s website.
Think of your hero message as the “greeting” for people who walk into your digital store. Like a sign on a brick-and-mortar store or an executive elevator pitch, you’ve got to get this right.
Your hero message should explain the following (in under 5 seconds):
- Who you are as a company (your industry or niche)
- What you do (a summary or your product offering or services)
- Why the visitor should care about your offer (how it can help them or make their life easier)
Bonus points if you use searchable keywords
Your hero message should NOT BE cryptic, vague, or overly clever (see below for my example).
Here’s an example of a great hero message- It is clear, defines the offer, shows unique value, and includes keywords ?. There is also a clear call to action.
So… back to my grave hero misstep…
When I was first starting my business, after much (much) thought, I decided on what I thought was a brilliant tagline:
“We help interesting people do interesting things.”
The response: “Cool. So, what is it that you do?”
Fast forward a few years (and a lot of learning), and we’ve settled on:
“We create expertly designed websites that make your business easier and more profitable.”
To which people respond: “Cool, tell me about it!”
How effective is YOUR homepage’s hero message?
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