How to Design a Home Page of a Web Site
Not a day goes by that I don’t bump into a web site that has a poorly designed home page. Each one of these pages represent a significant missed opportunity because the home page is critical to the success of the full web site. It gives the first impression and it will need to make an big impact on visitors very quickly. The following post will give a few ideas about how to design an effective home page of a web site.
Simplicity is the Key
Think of your website like a retail location with dozens of visitors walking by the front window. Your home page is similar in nature to the display window. If someone visits your home page and leaves without clicking a link this is like someone walking by your window and not coming in.
An effective window display is simple and specific. It captures the attention of prospective clients quickly and easily. As you walk through a mall notice the displays that capture your attention, and notice the ones you walk past. Most likely the ones you walk past either don’t communicate well or they’re not relevant to you personally.
As you begin to develop your home page put a list of key word phrases together – a list of words and statements someone would type into Google/Yahoo/MSN to find your site. These ideas will form the foundation on which you’ll build your entire web site, especially the home page.
You’ll want to incorporate these ideas into the design as well as the copy over an over again. Put these statements right up front on the web page along with some strong visuals. Don’t put too many words on your home page (remember, it’s just like a window display). The goal is to engage a visitor, not tell them everything you do right up front.
Think about how you’d like people to “walk” through your site – create specific “sections” so people can find what they need right up front so they don’t have to “hunt around.” Think about what action your visitors should take and help guide them from the home page, to some interesting content, to some deeper ideas, and then to an action step.
Take a look at how our website is set up (www.sinatraco.com). You’ll notice three specific services across the top (Website Design & Development, Marketing Services & Branding, and Ecommerce), and very few words. We’ve also added some links down the left side for easy access to key information.
Also notice that we have many services, and few of them are listed on the home page. The key is to keep your home page simple and uncluttered, while providing some specific entry points. Visitors can see right up front some samples of our work and some testimonials and not much more. As people dive deeper into the site they’ll gain access to more and more information that will help to meet their needs.
Our goal is to have visitors fill out the “Free Consultation” form so we have a button on every page that leads to this form. We provide many links to interesting content found in this blog. Our hope is people will read this blog and gain a sense of what we’re about, how we approach web design, and acquire some helpful ideas that may impact their business in a positive way.
Conclusion
I think the most important element of any home page is simplicity and focus. Let people know who you are and what you’re about right up front (with as few words as possible) and then provide a few specific entry points into the site. Too many choices on the home page will often lead to confusion, which will lead to visitors bouncing to a different site. Check your web logs to see what percentage of people are only viewing your home page. If more than 50% of your visitors ”bounce” off your home page you may want to consider redesigning your site and making it more specific and simple.
If you have any questions feel free to fill out our form: http://sinatraco.com/consult.html