Typically, more than half of the visitors on your site arrive through the homepage.
Think about that for a second...over 50%...
Don't let that traffic go to waste.
You should do everything you can to optimize your homepage and turn this traffic into revenue. A crucial way of converting visitors is to use social proof so people are convinced to do business with you. According to Optin Monster, social proof can boost conversions by up to 70%.
Let us explore the eight ways you can show authority to your audience on the most important page on your site: the homepage.
1. Showcase popular blogs you’ve been featured on
A-list blogs can be extremely influential. Especially if they're featured on high authority sites.
Jacob McMillen, a marketing copywriter features his best blogs on the top half of his homepage.
By so doing, he boosts his prospects confidence in his brand.
If the big dogs in the industry trust him enough to publish his work, surely he must be good enough to do a great job for his prospects. Right? So go ahead and brag about the sites you’ve been featured on!
You can even use the logos of the guest sites you’ve been featured on to create an "as seen on" graphic that’s part of your header. This is how marketing specialist Peter Sandeen does it on his site. This underlines his authority as soon as visitors land on his site.
2. Display your amazing results in numbers
Another powerful way of using social proof is to let the numbers do the talking.
Display the amazing results your brand has achieved through analytics. When you show numbers, your claims are no longer just words, but an undeniable fact.
Sam Ovens, a business consultant does a great job with displaying figures on his site.
By seeing these impressive figures, visitors can tell Ovens is the real deal and more likely to enroll in his program.
3. Show testimonials of authority figures in your niche
Displaying testimonials from thrilled customers raving about you and what you do is powerful.
Displaying testimonials from influencers in your niche is 10x more powerful. Data from influencer marketing platform MuseFind shows that 92% of consumers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or celebrity endorsement.
Aaron Orendorff, of Iconcontent and Editor In Chief of Shopify, uses endorsements from authority figures effectively on his homepage. With backing from the best of the best in his niche, people are twice as likely to hire him.
4. Point to well-known brands in your space that you’ve worked with
This offers a huge marketing opportunity if you know how to take advantage of it. Basecamp, a widely popular project management software company proudly displays heavyweight brands that are using their platform.
5. Exhibit any industry awards you’ve won
Everyone loves a winner.
People gravitate towards them and that's why you should proudly display your industry awards.
Vertical Response, an email marketing company, does a great job of showing their credibility.
6. Display any relevant certifications you may have
A certificate speaks shows authority in a specific discipline. The good news is some these certifications are free. All it takes is to study and pass the exam.
For instance, to become Google AdWords certified, you must take the Google AdWords Fundamentals exam plus an additional exam on search, display, shopping, or video advertising. Kristi Hines, a freelance writer plasters her numerous certifications on the homepage to emphasize her authority.
7. Include testimonials, ratings, and reviews from satisfied customers
According to OptinMonster, product reviews are 12x more trusted than product descriptions and sales copy. Not only that. Other studies show nearly 70% of online consumers look at a product review prior to making a purchase.
Used strategically, testimonials can boost conversions in a big way. Freshbooks, a popular invoice and accounting software company for small businesses use business owners’ testimonials effectively on their site to push conversion.
The testimonials clearly show the value FreshBooks provides and makes site visitors more likely to consider them as an accounting solution.
8. Display your media mentions
Has your brand been mentioned by a major media outlet?
Then take advantage of your moment in the spotlight. Make a big deal about it.
Markhor, a high-quality leather shoe company does a great job of this by quoting press mentions.
By quoting positive things said about them by Business Insider, Fast Company, and Tech Crunch, Markhor shows their prospects that they’re a highly respected.
Spark sales with social proof
There you have it. Eight ways you can use social proof on your homepage so you generate more sales.
1. List popular blogs you’ve been featured on
2. Display strong analytics
3. Impress visitors with testimonials
4. Make reference to big customers you’ve served
5. Proudly display industry awards
6. Showcase relevant certifications
7. Display customer testimonials and reviews
8. Point to media mentions
How do you use social proof on your homepage? Let us know in the comments!
on
This was such a fantastic article I was compelled to share it across ALL platforms.
I knew to add many of your suggestions to Capture Pages. But, I never thought of adding them to my About page. Thanks for the tremendous value!