It’s been established that your company not only needs a website, but a great website. What exactly does that mean? For one thing, it is more than just writing some words and adding some pictures. Your site needs to be functional, and we want it to be fantastic. The homepage is the front door to all the cool details that make up the rest of your website, so shouldn’t it be as amazing as possible? Yeah we think so.
Homepage: The Welcome Mat of the Web
Remember when you were a kid and went trick or treating on Halloween? On one side of the street there would be this run down house. It probably had an unmowed lawn, chipped paint, maybe even some broken windows. All of your intuition told you that you were not going to get the best candy from whoever lived there, so you didn’t go to the door. But on the other side of the street was this other house. It had a beautifully landscaped lawn, an inviting pathway leading to a peaceful porch, beautiful lighting visible through pristine windows, and the color of the front door made the whole house pop. It stood out, and you knew you’d likely score a full size snickers by ringing the doorbell. Think of your homepage in comparison to these two houses. You want people ringing your doorbell, be the nice house.
When someone lands on your website from a search engine, (another major goal you should have), you want them to go inside for more. Grab their attention without being overbearing. The trends of homepages today are so different than they were just a few years ago. Modern home pages have a refreshing quality to them, as well as a simple creative appeal. What are some specific elements of that kind of homepage?
1. Clear Branding
You know how I keep saying that your homepage is like the front door to your house? Think of your brand representation as one of those really cool door knockers some people have. The logo for your company should be represented clearly making it a focal point, but not overwhelming to the eye. If you are including a tagline, be sure that it is directly to the heart of your mission.
2. Homepage Website Copy
Text used to be the primary focus of websites. It’s not so true anymore, but the words are still very important. I know, I’m the writer so I’m supposed to feel that way. Seriously though, the wording and style of the text of your entire site, especially on the homepage, can help you establish the identity of your company. Keep things simple, so you don’t overwhelm your visitors with excessive reading material. That’s what blogs are for!
3. Thoughtful Design
Back in the day websites were all about flash and spectacle. Not so anymore. The design of your homepage should be carried out delicately. Yes, you want to express your creative side, but don’t overdo it. Use color combinations that blend nicely and don’t use too many graphics. The modern web crawler tends to gravitate towards the “less is more” kind of design.
4. Website Navigation
Page layout and easy navigability is crucial to the success of your site. The main function of a homepage is to direct users around your site, so it is important that your guests can do so with ease. Clearly mark the difference between the choices, and have a good sense of what lies beneath the links. The main navigation area should reveal the most important content of the site so that users have an idea what they will find. Here are some basic, but essential, do’s and don’ts for smooth navigation:
The main navigation area should be in a prominent place. Next to the main body of the page is a good call, or directly underneath it.
Group similar navigation items are next to each other.
Icons should be used in navigation only if they help users in recognizing a group of items.
5. Social Media Connection
A great way to establish credibility and diverse web presence is to include links to your social media accounts on your homepage. Sharing cons to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, at the footer of your homepage, (and throughout your site), will allow your audience to easily share your site’s content. It probably won’t hurt your search rankings either.
Remember that your homepage is the first impression that you give to your audience. You are letting the world know that your company is successful and the rest of your site is going to be awesome. Our team here at Logic Web Media has over a 15 year history of creating professional, streamlined websites. The home pages we’ve created have not only generated visitors who knock on the front door, but come in and have some coffee too!