How to Write Copy (Words) For Your Squarespace Website’s Homepage
No matter what you are using your website for, you need to crush your homepage. According to Google Webmaster, all sites need to “give visitors the information they're looking for [by] provid[ing] high-quality content on your pages, especially your homepage. This is the single most important thing to do.”
So what are the essential sections of a Squarespace website landing page or homepage? (By the way: they are the same thing. If people land on your homepage, it’s a landing page.)
Mind. Blown.
Here are the 6 essential sections of a landing page or homepage of a website:
Let’s break these down so you can create them for your website. By the way, I have a free fillable guide that you can download in the description box to keep everything super clear and organized. I totally suggest you use that.
How To Write The One-Liner and Hero Section Of Your Homepage
Studies show that when someone lands on your website you have about 6 seconds to help them know exactly what you do. You need a one-liner.
This is a clear way to say what you do or the problem that you solve right away. If people are not clear you can help them, they will leave.
You see tons of websites that say things like:
“Great people doing great work.”
OR
“Helping you solve your complex problems.”
OR
“It’s time to begin to change your life.”
Here is the rule: If your one-liner can be applied to a different industry then it is too vague and needs to be more specific.
Can your one-liner also be applied to a church, a restaurant or a gym? If so, then you need to narrow it down.
Here is a simple equation:
Who you help + Where you help them + How you help them + The benefit you bring
For example:
“Helping dads in the Atlanta area lose weight to feel like themselves again.”
Or how about this one:
“Coaching business owners on the west coast to grow their company without burning out.”
Now, obviously, if you are not geographically bound you can leave out a location.
Here is Squarespace School’s one-liner:
“Helping everyday people grow their business and tell their story with an awesome Squarespace website.”
It cannot be overstated how much you need to nail this. This is your elevator pitch, the thing you put on your email signature—it’s everything.
Writing The Problem Section of Your Homepage
The problem section of your website is so important because it makes what you do valuable and interesting. The best stories have a problem, the best websites also state the customer's problem. This is also super helpful because it makes your customer feel understood.
The 3 types of problems you should describe are the physical, emotional and philosophical problems.
The physical problem usually comes down to things like time, money and energy.
You don’t have the time to take your clothes to the dry cleaner every day and traditional dry cleaning is expensive. It’s exhausting to steam and iron your clothes when you just want to hang out with your family.
The emotional problem is how these physical problems make you feel. You feel frustrated paying so much money, you feel tired from your long day at work, you feel anxious that you are not giving your family the time and attention they deserve.
Last, is the philosophical problem. Here, you state your beliefs: It shouldn’t be so hard to have wrinkle-free clean clothes for work every day. OR, you believe you should feel confident and clean at the start of each workweek.
On Squarespace School, we state:
“You Want to Create a Website,
But There Is a Problem…
You are not a professional designer and you don’t code.
You don’t have $15K to pay a web designer for something that will break in a year.
You don’t have the time or money to go to “website school.” (Remember that $15K thing?)”
When people feel like you truly understand their problem, they are more likely to trust you for a solution.
Writing The Steps Section Of Your Home Page
Here you want to show how you will help your customer solve their problem. It’s okay if these steps are simplified. They need to be. It should seem easy to do business with you.
Even the most simple products have steps. If you look at a microwave popcorn package, it says:
Step 1: Remove from package.
Step 2: Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Wait to cool and enjoy.
I know what you're thinking. That’s fine for popcorn, but my business is way more complicated than that.
To you, my friend, I say… exactly.
If a simple product has steps, then your complicated product or service definitely NEEDS steps.
Having steps—no more than three—makes doing business seem much simpler. It allows people to visualize the process it will take to do business with you. The more simple you make your steps, the easier it will seem for the customer.
Here Are Our Steps:
Use our FREE guide to organize your website plan to ensure you have the essentials. No admission costs. No secret fees.
Learn the fundamentals of Squarespace web design through fun videos and checklists. No code is needed. No boring content.
Put your new skills to work by designing a one-of-a-kind website for your business or for clients. No grades. No test
Most businesses struggle to make their steps simple enough. Remember, people do not go to landing pages to read. They skim. It needs to be very easy for the reader to understand the sequence of buying your product or service.
Writing The Expert and Empathy Section Of Your Home Page
This section has two goals. Show people you know what you are talking about and show them that you understand their struggle. You can do this in a few different ways.
To show authority, you can display logos of brands you have worked with, and mention where your product or service has been featured.
Show testimonials or briefly explain your credentials.
“Clint is a marketing genius on many accounts, but his knowledge of Squarespace and Local SEO was instrumental in getting our startup website launched.”
— JR Ricker | Towneeapp.com
To build empathy, revisit the struggle your customer has experienced, or any of the problems from the previous section in different wording.
For Squarespace School we said:
“I was a teacher and wanted to create a website.”
This shows I have experience teaching, plus authority. (Actually, I have a master’s in teaching, but I am not trying to brag!)
“I tried everything. WordPress. Wix. Even a Google website.
Yes…there are Google websites, and mine was embarrassing.”
(This revisits the struggle.)
“I discovered Squarespace and became obsessed.
I spent a ton of money and time on courses.”
(Again, showing authority.)
“I learned so much, but I knew it could be simpler and way more fun.
So I created a FREE way to help people build amazing one-of-a-kind Squarespace websites.
It’s my way of doing a little good in the world.”
I’m not crying, you're crying.
Writing The Call to Action Section Of Your Homepage
Next, you want to call them to action. What do you want your visitor to do? Do you want them to schedule a call, fill out a form, opt-in for your free fillable guide or lead magnet? Start a free course? Live chat?
Whatever you want them to do, you have to tell them in no more than two steps. People will do what you tell them, but you have to explicitly tell them. All I want people to do is to start one of my free courses, so that’s what I tell them to do.
Writing The Imagine Section Of Your Homepage
Last is the imagine section. Here, you want your customer to be able to visualize how they will feel after doing business with you.
Here is an example I did for a dry cleaner client:
“Imagine having all your clothes for the week crisp and smelling fresh before you go to bed on Sunday.
You’ll be able to sleep in a little bit longer and take a few more bites of your breakfast because it will take so much less time to get ready. Here’s to slower mornings and long weekends.”
Notice I use words like “crisp” and “fresh” and things we can relate to, like sleeping in and chewing our breakfast. These help the reader imagine they are in that moment. They can see it.
For Squarespace School, we said:
“Imagine…
Never having to rely on a costly, time-consuming developer again.
Being proud to show off and send people to your website.
Turning a side hustle into a main hustle that you love.”
Chills, right? Just me?
If you want some help going through your homepage, then schedule a free web design consultation and I’ll go through it with you live and one-on-one.
Written by Clint Mally