Practical Sales Training™ > How to Connect With Your Buyer > Start Here Domain
Start Here Domain
When a new buyer lands on your website, they often have no idea where to start. Your menu has ten options. The homepage has three different messages. They click around for a few seconds, then leave. A Start Here Domain solves that problem.
It is a single page, usually at yourwebsite.com/start, that acts as a front door for new visitors. New visitors learn who you are, what you do, and what to do next, before they get lost.
A Start Here Domain is a simple, easy-to-share link. It helps new buyers and followers understand your offer and how to take the first step with you.
What Is a Start Here Domain?
Most businesses grow their websites over time. New products get added. Old pages stay up. Blog posts pile in. The result is a site that makes sense to the person who built it. But anyone arriving for the first time feels confused and lost.
A Start Here page cuts through that noise. Because it targets someone who knows nothing about you, it does not assume any prior knowledge. It leads them in, explains the key things clearly, and gives them a clear next action. That is all it needs to do.
Give someone a single link to share and they will share it. Hand them your whole website instead, and they tend not to bother. A Start Here Domain is built for sharing, so it travels further than a homepage ever would.
Why Does a Start Here Domain Work?
Confusion is one of the main reasons buyers do not convert. When a buyer cannot quickly understand what you do or what to do next, they leave. A Start Here Domain removes that confusion at the point of first contact, before it has a chance to cost you the sale.
There is also a sharing advantage. When someone wants to refer you, they need something quick and easy to pass on. A homepage is often too complex. A Start Here page is a clean, single link that anyone can share with confidence. Because it is designed to make a good first impression, it does the introduction work for you.
It also works as a focus tool for you as well as for buyers. Building the page forces you to get clear on what your main offer actually is. When you cannot fit it on one short page, you know your message needs more work.
How Can You Use a Start Here Domain?
Think about the main things you offer and the main problems you solve. Aim for three or four. More than that and the page starts to feel like a menu. That is the very problem you were trying to fix. Each entry should describe a situation the buyer is in, not just a product name.
Set Up a Simple URL
Once you have the content, set up a simple URL. Something like yourwebsite.com/start or yourwebsite.com/start-here. Short, memorable, and easy to say out loud. Then use it. Put it in your email footer. Say it in videos. Share it when someone asks what you do.
Keep the Structure Simple
The page should do three things well. Tell buyers who you are in a sentence. Show them the two or three ways they can work with you. Give each option a clear next step. That is the whole structure. You can use my own page as an example of how to set it out.
Lead With Problems, Not Products
Frame each option around a problem, not a product name. Listing your products by name assumes the buyer already knows what they need. Instead, describe the situation they are in and let them self-select. When the language matches their reality, they find what they need in seconds.
When a Start Here Domain Works Best
A Start Here Domain works best when you have more than one product or service. It also earns its place when your offer is hard to explain in a single sentence. Either way, the page reduces confusion at the first point of contact.
It also works well for anyone building an audience across multiple platforms. A podcast listener, a social media follower, and a newsletter subscriber may all be at different stages. So a Start Here page gives all of them a clear entry point, regardless of how they found you.
It is also useful for anyone who does a lot of networking or speaking. When you mention your Start Here URL in a talk or in conversation, people can find you easily without having to search. Because the URL is simple and predictable, it sticks in the memory.
When a Start Here Domain Becomes Dangerous
The main risk is building a Start Here page that is too long or too detailed. If it takes five minutes to read, it has become a brochure. Keep it short. Three to four options, one sentence each, one clear call to action per option. The page should take under a minute to read.
There is also a risk of making it product-led rather than problem-led. Listing your products by name assumes the buyer already knows what they need. Instead, lead with the situation the buyer is in. Frame each option around a problem, not a product name.
Common Start Here Domain Mistakes
Building It and Not Sharing It
The most common mistake is building the page and never sharing it. A Start Here Domain only works when people can find it. Use it as your default link whenever someone asks what you do. Add it to your social bio, email signature, and anywhere someone might want to know more.
Letting It Go Out of Date
A second mistake is letting the page go out of date. If the options no longer reflect what you offer, it creates confusion rather than clarity. So review it every few months and keep it current. An outdated Start Here page is worse than no page at all, because it actively misleads the buyer.
Making It Too Long
A Start Here page that runs to six or seven options has lost its purpose. The whole point is to reduce choice, not replicate it. If you find yourself adding more and more entries, stop and ask which two or three are truly the most important. Cut the rest. Clarity always beats completeness here.
Start Here Domain – An Example
My own page at clearsalesmessage.com/start lists three clear situations a buyer might be in. Got a specific selling issue? Not sure what to say or do to sell? Find it hard to communicate your offer? Each links to the right product or programme. Because the language matches what buyers actually think, visitors know where to go straight away.
That is the point of a Start Here Domain. Remove the friction. Help new buyers find the right door. The easier you make it to get started, the more people will.
Simplifying Touch Points
Making it easy for people to interact with you and buy from you is crucial, and so easy to miss. Here are 9 ways you can make it easier for people to contact you:
- Catchall email – Never miss an email by ensuring that [email protected] gets delivered.
- Memorable phone number – If you want people to call you, make it easy for them to remember your number.
- Simple Email Address – Make it easy for people to email you by having “obvious” email addresses.
- Freephone / Freepost – If you want people to call or write to you, making it free removes all barriers.
- Simplified URL – Using a domain that is easy to read, write, speak, spell, and remember makes life easier for your buyer.
- Start here domain – Make it easy for new buyers and clients to know how to interact with you.
- Misspelt domain – If there is a common misspelling of your name, it makes sense to own that .com domain too.
- DM Word – Make it easy for people to direct message you by giving them a keyword to use.
- QR Codes – Make it easy for people in the real world to find you online.
See Also
