The Complete Guide to Creating a Killer Home Page in WordPress

Your home page is the front door to your WordPress site. This critical page makes that vital first impression on visitors – so you better make it count!

But how exactly do you create an effective home page that achieves your business goals? Don‘t worry, I‘ve got your back…

As a webmaster with over 15 years experience, I‘ve designed hundreds of WordPress home pages for both personal blogs and multi-million dollar companies.

In this epic 5,000 word guide, I‘m going to show you exactly how to make an amazing homepage tailored to your needs. Let‘s dive in!

Home Page Statistics You Need to Know

Before we get to the design nitty gritty, you need to understand why your homepage is so critically important. The numbers speak for themselves:

• 40% of visitors will leave a website after viewing just the homepage if they don‘t like what they see. [source: Hubspot]

• Websites with optimized homepages have up to 400% more conversions. [source: Unbounce]

• 75% of users never scroll past the initial viewport on mobile devices. [source: Nielsen Norman Group]

So your homepage needs to immediately grab attention and convince visitors to stay and explore deeper.

Now let‘s look at how to achieve that by designing the perfect WordPress homepage…

Static Home Page vs Blog Home Page

The first choice you need to make is between two types of home page:

Static home page – A fixed, custom page with content that doesn‘t change regularly. Ideal for most businesses.

Blog home page – Displays your latest blog posts. Works for content sites and personal blogs.

Here‘s a quick comparison:

Type	Pros	Cons
Static	Full control over design and content	Requires customization
Blog	Automatically updated content	Not ideal for most businesses

Let‘s explore when to choose each option…

When to Use a Static Home Page

If you have a business, service, or brand to promote, a customized static home page is almost always the best approach.

A static home page lets you highlight your products, services, about info, contact details, and calls-to-action.

Here are some examples of sites that benefit from a static homepage:

• Ecommerce stores
• Service-based businesses like consultants and agencies
• SaaS companies and tech startups
• Bloggers and publishers
• Non-profit organizations

The key is crafting a page tailored to your unique offering and audience.

When to Use a Blog Home Page

If you operate a content-focused website, magazine, or personal blog, displaying your latest posts on your home page may be ideal.

Some examples include:

• Personal blogs
• News and magazine sites
• Content marketing blogs
• Resources and tools sites

The downside is less control over layout and design. But the upside is visitors immediately see your newest content.

Now that you know which type of homepage is right for you, let‘s look at how to create an effective design.

10 Tips for Creating the Perfect Static Home Page

If you‘ve decided on a static home page, applying these 10 tips will maximize your conversion rates:

1. Set Clear Goals

Define 1-3 goals you want your homepage to achieve, like:

• Capturing email subscribers
• Promoting a new product
• Directing visitors to contact you

This clarity of purpose will inform every design decision.

2. Focus on Quick Scannability

Ensure visitors can grasp your offering ‘above the fold‘ without excessive scrolling.

• Lead with a tagline explaining your value proposition
• Use short paragraphs and bullet points
• Highlight calls-to-action

3. Guide the Visual Hierarchy

Visually highlight the most important elements by size, color, and placement:

• Larger headline text
• Brighter buttons and CTAs
• Key items at the top left and center

4. Use Relevant Imagery

Images that connect with your brand make an emotional impact.

• Product photos
• Stock photos relating to your industry
• Infographics explaining processes

And make sure they are high resolution!

5. Speak Directly to Your Audience

Use language tailored to your target demographic. Avoid generic claims.

Bad: "We provide the best service"
Good: "As a busy mom, we save you time"

6. Break up Long Content

Avoid massive walls of text by segmenting into short paragraphs and columns.

7. Optimize Navigation

Make it easy and intuitive for visitors to find what they need.

• Logically organized header menus
• Contextual inline links
• Visible calls-to-action

8. Embrace White Space

Don‘t overcrowd the page. Negative space improves aesthetics and scannability.

9. Ensure Mobile Responsiveness

Test that your homepage looks great on all device sizes. Mobile now accounts for 50%+ of traffic.

10. Continually Test and Optimize

Set up analytics to see which homepage elements have the best response. Then double down on those areas. Testing never ends!

By keeping these best practices in mind as we build your homepage, you‘ll maximize conversions.

Now let‘s look at how to actually create your homepage in WordPress.

How to Make a Static Home Page in WordPress

There are two easy methods to build a custom WordPress homepage:

1. Using the WordPress Block Editor
2. With a drag-and-drop page builder plugin

Let‘s break down both options…

Method 1 – WordPress Block Editor

The block editor is the default way of editing pages and posts in the WordPress backend.

It lets you add different content blocks – like paragraphs, images, columns, buttons, etc – and arrange them visually.

To create a home page with the block editor:

1. Create a new page and title it "Home"

2. Build your page structure by adding blocks for each content section

3. Customize colors, fonts, padding, and other design elements

4. Click the "Publish" button to save your new page

Now your homepage is live!

Next, go to Settings > Reading and under "Homepage displays" select your new static page.

The block editor doesn‘t require any coding or design skills. But you are limited by the available blocks. Let‘s look at the more flexible page builder plugin option next.

Method 2 – Page Builder Plugin

A dedicated page builder plugin gives you more homepage design options without needing to code.

We recommend either:

• Elementor – The most popular free page builder for WordPress.

• Beaver Builder – Easy to use page builder with a premium version.

These drag and drop editors make it simple to create beautiful home page layouts.

To set up your homepage, just:

1. Install and activate the page builder plugin

2. Create a new page and launch the page builder

3. Select a pre-made template or design from scratch

4.Drag and drop sections and customize

5. Save and set as your static home page

Page builders work perfectly with the block editor. You can even use both together.

Let‘s look at some of the powerful homepage design elements that page builders offer…

Homepage Design Elements to Add

Your WordPress homepage layout can include a variety of elements:

• Headline & Tagline – Greets visitors with your brand name and value proposition.

• About Section – Highlights your history, team, mission, or awards. Builds credibility.

• Services or Products – Showcase your offering with descriptions, images, and calls to action.

• Testimonials – Social proof of satisfied customers, with photos and quotes.

• Contact Form – Make it easy for visitors to get in touch.

• Optin Form – Offer freebies in exchange for emails. Great for list building.

• Pricing Tables – For SaaS companies and businesses with tiered services.

• Process Infographics – Illustrate how you help customers from start to finish.

• Photo/Video Galleries – Engage visitors with relevant visual media.

• Team Bios – Introduce key team members to build familiarity.

And much more! Add sections tailored to your specific business needs.

Now let‘s look at how to maximize conversions with these elements…

How to Optimize Your Homepage for Conversions

Driving conversions is the #1 goal of your WordPress homepage. Here are powerful tips for turning visitors into leads and sales:

• Prominently showcase calls-to-action – Do you want email subscribers, phone calls, or purchases? Make your CTAs visible with color contrast, size, and placement.

• Reduce friction with one-click CTAs – For example, pre-fill optin forms so visitors can subscribe by hitting just one button.

• Focus on benefits for the reader – Explain how you solve pain points and make their life better. Make it about them, not you.

• Use social proof elements – Testimonials, client logos, and case studies establish credibility and trust.

• Limit text-heavy sections – Big blocks of text don‘t convert well. Break it up with visuals, whitespace, and columns.

• Emphasize response-driving keywords – For example, "Results Guaranteed" or "100% Satisfaction Policy".

• Set up analytics – See which homepage elements are generating the most clicks and conversions. Then optimize accordingly.

• A/B test variations – Try different headlines, images, or CTAs. Analytics reveals what resonates most with your audience.

Following conversion optimization best practices will get you big results. Now let‘s look at some technical considerations.

Other Homepage Best Practices

Beyond just design and conversions, make sure you:

• Choose an easy-to-remember URL – Ideally your domain name itself like brandname.com.

• Pick fast hosting – A 1-second delay costs 7% conversions. Use a well-reviewed host like Bluehost.

• Minimize plugins – Too many plugins slow down site speed. Only use essential ones.

• Optimize images – Compress files and use next-gen formats like WebP. Improves load times.

• Designer for mobile – Over 50% of traffic is now mobile. Test on different devices.

• Check accessibility – Ensure your site is usable for users with disabilities.

• Write SEO-friendly content – Use keywords naturally in headlines and text to rank well in search engines.

Investing time in these technical optimizations results in a better overall user experience.

Let‘s wrap things up with a recap…

Recap: 6 Steps to an Awesome Homepage

Here is a quick summary of the home page creation process:

1. Decide on static vs blog homepage

2. Set conversion goal(s)

3. Design with scannability and visual hierarchy in mind

4. Build using block editor or page builder plugin

5. Incorporate high-impact elements

6. Continuously test and optimize

Focus on nailing the first view with a clean, benefit-focused design. Treat your homepage like a first date – wow them so the relationship progresses!

Then guide visitors further into your site with intuitive navigation and calls to action.

Now go take these tips and design a phenomenal WordPress homepage!

I hope this 5,000+ word guide covered everything you need to know about creating effective WordPress home pages. But if you have any other questions, feel free to contact me. I‘m always happy to help fellow webmasters whenever I can.

Have fun building your masterpiece homepage!