As much as it pains me to say this, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to, “WTF should I put on my Start Here page?”

I get this question all the time, and people are always looking for a quick answer. They want me to give them a formula of exactly what your Start Here page needs to have and where to put it.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer here, and the designers that give you a list of elements without first asking about your revenue model, are — well — wrong.

What you put on your Start Here page depends entirely on what your business model is, and how you make money.

Common online business models:

• Ecommerce
• Digital downloads
• Courses
• Membership site
• Advertising (I’m including affiliates in here)
• Services

If you’re in ecommerce, your Start Here page should feature your latest products and your most popular products.

If you’re selling digital downloads, you should feature at least one of them on your Start Here page as well.

If you’re making money from ads as your primary revenue stream, then your Start Here page should feature some kickass blog posts. Sites funded by advertising only make real money when traffic goes up. You do this by having kickass content that people want to share out.

Now when it comes to courses, membership sites, or services, it’s a bit different, and that’s because of the level of commitment required by your audience is higher.

Courses are traditionally more expensive than digital downloads or products, which is a higher level of commitment.

Membership sites — while can usually be cancelled after a month — have an associated mental commitment with it. Before someone purchases the first month, they’re generally trying to decide if they are “just going to give it a try” or if they’re in it over the long term.

And services also have a higher commitment, usually associated with the higher cost, and level of 1:1 interaction required. While you, the service provider, may be doing the work, the client still needs to be present.

For these last three — courses, membership sites, and services — you should use your Start Here page to draw them deeper into your business so you can build the Know Like Trust factor.

Good things to include for these 3 models:

• A Call To Action
• Blog Posts
• A brief bit about you

If you have multiple lead magnets that funnel people into different products, you can include them on your Start Here page, and if you do, you’ll likely see an increase in conversion rates from cold traffic.

Join me in the Designerless Launch Pad and ask me your questions about your Start Here page!