Visitors decide within 3-5 seconds of coming onto your website whether they want to stick around. Your homepage should be clean and easy to read, so it can captivate the attention of your audience. 

Here are my 3 top tips to help freshen up your homepage..

1. Remove large paragraphs

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is overloading their homepage with large paragraphs. It's overwhelming and can cause visitors to leave.

Most people don't have the time or energy to read through it all. So break these paragraphs down as much as you can. Website usability expert Steve Krug says "Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what's left."

Use call-to-action buttons such as 'Read More' or 'Book now' to take your visitors to another page of your website. 

If your homepage includes testimonials, break the wording down to one or two short sentences. You don't have to use the full quote as a majority of people won't read past four lines.

2. Make a short mission statement

A mission statement is a short statement that explains why your organisation exists, what the overall goal is, what product or service you provide and your primary customers or market.

Most mission statements are between one and three sentences and never exceed 100 words. Try to aim for a single sentence as this can leave a lasting impression of your brand.

3. Reduce Navigation links

Your navigation bar should be simple, clear and easy-to-use. It's the backbone of your website and helps direct your audience to where they need to go. 

Limit your navigation links down to 7 or fewer with the most important link shown first.

Always pay attention to the amount of detail on your website. What really needs to be there? What can be reduced? These three simple steps will improve engagement and help connect your audience with your brand.