The (almost) perfect home page: What’s on it?

We’ve all been there. We click through to a company’s website looking for specific information, and ugh, our eyes are assaulted with a cluttered mess of text and images. Sometimes it’s even flashing at us. Or there’s music.

Fortunately, most of these questionable design choices of the 90s and 00s have disappeared from the web. However, some bad habits persist, and they stand in the way of creating an appealing, user-friendly website that is a pleasure to visit.

A key part of your inbound marketing strategy is your website. So how do you give your customer a truly awesome start – an (almost) perfect home page? Read on.

Who are you? Tell them.

First impressions are key. When someone lands on your website, they are usually looking for something. And they’re curious. But they’re also quick to judge. You have just seconds to tip the balance in your favour.

First, let them know that they’ve come to the right place. Your branding should be clear, obvious, and noticeable. However, resist the temptation to make your logo the main focus of the page. It should never overpower or overwhelm (or be animated!). People are usually coming to your site to learn more about what you offer. Give them peace of mind that they came to the right place and let them get on with it.

Also, for consistency, it’s good practice to keep your logo in the same page location throughout your company’s website. It reminds visitors where they are.

Who are you? Tell them more.

Branding is key, but your home page is also about showing your personality. You already know that you’re an awesome company. So how do you let that play out without trumpeting your own horn too much?

Let your content – the images, text, and other pieces of information – speak for you. Infuse it with your company’s flavour.

Determine your voice and use this to convey your message. For example, if you offer legal services your voice will be more professional; if you’re in healthcare, your voice might be more conversational and nurturing. A Content Marketing specialist can help with this.

Where are you? Let them know.

Have you ever gone to a company’s webpage and spent several minutes trying to find an address or phone number? Of course you have. It’s probably one of the more common complaints about websites.

Make it clear – very clear – how people can contact you. If you operate a business with a physical location make sure your address is on the home page. Include a map (or link to a map) if possible. Store hours are also important.

Provide as many contact options as possible. There should be no excuse for why potential customers can’t reach you. Include phone numbers, your social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest) and an email address or link to a contact form.

If your home page space is limited, have a very noticeable “Contact” link or button that clicks through to a page with all of your contact details.

Keep in mind that customers might be using their phone to find you – just another good reason to have your contact information on your home page.

Make it very easy to find stuff

People visiting your website are usually looking for something. You can provide a great showroom window with branding and content, but you’ll also want to make sure that potential customers can find out even more about the products or services that you provide.

Great home pages always have a search box – one that is prominently featured (generally near the top) and large enough to see. This is often the customer’s gateway into the heart of your business. Make it obvious.

That said, the navigation of your site also needs to be extremely easy-to-use. Make it intuitive. Use simple, clear titles for the pages: About, Products, Services, FAQ, etc. This isn’t the time to be cute or clever. Let potential customers know exactly where they’re going to end up.

Give them an overall great experience

An almost perfect home page delivers a great experience: it looks good, offers enough information, is easy-to-search, and makes your company look awesome.

Here are some other tips to make the trip to your website a great one:

• Make buttons and Call to Actions stand out. Place them above the fold (non-scrolling) area wherever possible.
• Make links and actionable areas stand out – usually with colour, image or underline
• Kill the clutter. Have balance between text and image. Don’t underestimate the value of white space. It lets your content breathe.
• Make every destination a one-click experience. As with flashing graphics, users get irritated by extra clicks or incorrect search results. Allow them to get where they’re going – fast.

Is it possible to create a perfect home page? Maybe not. But if the overall experience is rewarding and the information is clear and easy-to-find, almost perfect is a pretty great place to be.
 

Image: Sarah Reid, on Flickr

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