Home Page Optimization - Carousels, Slideshows and Banners

Published every Monday by Punchmark’s Digital Marketing Director

Let's talk home page carousels and slide shows for one #marketingminute. They've come up a few times in conversation, and there are a couple things to keep in mind and how to use them best!

Longer, technical post incoming!

First, on average carousels receive between 1-5% of all clicks on a home page. This has been fairly well documented since the mid 2010s. Great for branding and information, not great for clicks, so be strategic with messaging!

Second, maybe 85-90% of those clicks are only on the first slide in a home page banner. The more slides, the fewer clicks every slide after the first one will have.

Third, home page carousels may impact your SEO negatively, particular with how your home page ranks. The number of large images in the carousel will slow down your home page, and other technical issues may impact things too (like more than one H1 on a page).

So how should you use carousels effectively this holiday season?

1 - Aim for one slide only, two max. What's the primary message you want home page visitors (3 or 4 out of every 10 visitors to your website) to see and know about your store this holiday season?

2 - Link that banner to a seasonal category or a seasonal gift guide. Showcase the category or products you want visitors to see and shop. (Avoid linking to all jewelry, be more strategic.)

3 - Make sure the text and link are key phrase appropriate. "Shop STORE NAME Holiday Guide". "Shop Christmas Jewelry Under $500". "Shop Holiday Jewelry Gifts". Google does see those things, sees the key phrases you are using, and rewards that.

(by the way, if you would like a Holiday Gift Guide landing page for your website, let us know)

4 - Make sure the image used in the banner is 1-2mb in file size MAX. Keep the file size light for faster loads.

5 - On average, set your banner timer for 25-30 seconds. You don't want visitors lingering on the banner, you want them shopping.

Newer Punchmark websites with Premium and Expert themes feature the pagebuilder banner:

Do you have any other tips and optimizations you've learned from managing your website and marketing?