Why You Need a Start Here Page on Your Website | The Copy & Content Podcast with Jon Cook, Presented by Keynote Content

Hey, it's Jon Cook with Keynote Content, thank you so much for joining me today. As I talk with different coaches, speakers, industry experts, they're saying, "I have my website, I put it together but my traffic goes to all these different pages. Whether it's going to blog articles, whether it's going to a lead magnet, whether it's going to the about page, or services page. How do I make sure that [inaudible 00:00:22] coming into my website... Is there a preferred landing spot that I want them to go?" And I recommend putting together what I call a 'Start Here' page.

And a 'Start Here' page gives you a smaller sandbox to be able to present, "Here's exactly what I want my audience, every website viewer... I would ideally like them to go to my 'Start Here' page to read about a few important details that strips away everything else that's good but maybe not as important for the first time viewer. For somebody coming to my website for the first time, how do I know I want them to read this exact section of content?"

So, on a 'Start Here' page... I'm just going to put, 'Start Here' page. I recommend putting in what I call your ... this is your cornerstone content. Initial, we talk about is, who is this for? So, I like adding in like, "What is your unique value proposition?" So, your UVP. I recommend having that towards the top of your page on your homepage and then reinforcing it in a creatively redundant way on your 'Start Here' page. And how you can do that is saying, "We work with this people by doing this so they can that. And we do this and we are the only agency or firm or organization that focuses on these unique characteristics that make us different than these other competitors or other people in our industry."

So, you start with a unique value proposition but then what I like to do is say, "We're not just saying, 'Here's the unique value proposition,'" but embed the exact core problem that you focus on with your services, with your content, whatever it might be. Focus on that exact problem and then raise or amplify the intensity of that problem. Make them know that you understand. On your 'Start Here' page, I also like to include a manifesto. And a manifesto, it doesn't have to be several thousand words, certainly not. In fact, the best manifestos that I've ever seen are ones that are about 150 to 200 words. So, aim for about 150 to 200 words for your manifesto. And it really focuses on what is your why? You're probably very familiar with [inaudible 00:02:23] start with why.

But if you have a way to articulate that why, right off the bat for somebody coming to your website, they're not looking at your services page and they're not looking at your about page or all these other different pieces. But they're looking at, what is the exact info that is most relevant to me right now on this website right here? By putting in your why in your manifesto, what it does is it [inaudible 00:02:45] a lens for how they... You want them to see the rest of the content on your website because your why, yes, it's about what motivates you but in some sense it also says what is important to them.

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Being an expert doesn't mean you automatically have an audience, especially with so much noise in the digital marketing space. You need to break through the noise and establish your message as a rising thought leader in your industry. Jon Cook has worked with over 1,100 coaches and consultants and 800 speakers to make their messages remarkably clear and compelling to the right audience, and today he wants to help you. If you want greater clarity and even better results with your message, visit workwithjoncook.com.