[intro] When you have completed this Guide, you will be able to produce the text that needs to go onto the homepage of your EKM online shop to best depict your brand, your ethos and your Products. [/intro]

Why should I add text to my Homepage?

There are lots of reasons that you need to add text to your homepage. The most important of these would be to deliver a good customer experience. Customers need to know what your EKM online shop is about - what it sells, why they need these Products and why this shop/company is different from the rest. In the case of visually impaired customers, text on the homepage is essential as without this, the programs used to ‘translate’ online shops and websites into audio content can only read the alt text of Design Images, menu contents, Webpage titles and basic details. Having some basic text on your homepage allows sight-impaired customers to quickly ascertain what your EKM online shop is all about. As with all text on your EKM online shop, you need to add homepage text for not just human visitors but for search engines too, as these also ‘read’ the text and it helps them decide where to display your shop in search engine results.

How much text do I need? 

You don’t need to have a lot of text on the homepage, but you need to have enough to illustrate why customers should purchase from your EKM online shop, including keywords that refer to your most popular Products and the overall ethos of your business. Around 100-200 words is enough. When you are writing text for your homepage, remember that you are writing for different people:

  • New customers;
  • Returning customers;
  • Search engines.

Search engines are listed last of all as it’s important that within your homepage text that you write for human consumption. You should use keywords of course, but be careful not to ‘over-egg the pudding’ and use too many - this text must be comfortable and natural to read - too many keywords can make the text sound too ‘forced’ and unnatural which can put customers off.

[tips] Do

  1. Be clear and concise;
  2. If a customer needs to take action on your EKM online shop - such as by creating an account or using a discount code, remind them to do so;
  3. Give your text a headline if possible - ‘About Us’ or ‘Welcome to my Shop’ is very basic and not very original, whereas something that encapsulates the ethos of your EKM online shop can deliver a lot more impact;
  4. Use unique text. Don’t be tempted to copy it from elsewhere -your homepage text must be unique to you and your brand;
  5. Communicate the value of your Products if you can - why should customers choose to shop with you rather than go elsewhere?
  6. Use your personality - try to ensure that your homepage text does not sound too ‘stuffy’ or ‘flat’.

Don’t

  1. Use CAPITAL LETTERS, bold, italic or different coloured fonts. This can make your EKM online shop look unprofessional;
  2. Use terms like ‘buy now’, ‘sale’ and ‘cheapest’ as these can ‘lower the tone’ of your shop. Instead use ‘discounts’, ‘promotions’ and ‘affordable’ - these words have more positive connotations;
  3. Use images in place of homepage text;
  4. Use excessively decorative fonts as they can be quite difficult to read and upset the design on your EKM online shop;
  5. If you also retail your Products on an auction site, don’t refer to this in your homepage text - you’re supposed to be encouraging customers to shop on your online shop, not find you on a different platform entirely;
  6. Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar.[/tips]

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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Ecommerce Expert or the Customer Support Team, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions Board. If you have a non-account specific question to ask the EKM Team, join us in EKM Community. If you need some inspiration for your EKM online shop, listen to our podcast on iTunes and Spotify.[/contact]