They distract from your copy and don't do anything to improve the sales power of your homepage. Get rid of outbound links. If you don't want people leaving your site, then don't provide them with an opportunity to do so. As simple as that. Put up testimonials.
Testimonials are very important credibility builders.
Keep re-working your copy. Your homepage copy will be a work in progress. It will take up to several weeks to get it right. You must constantly read through it and make adjustments, each time making it tighter and tighter. Do NOT write about yourself or your company on your homepage.