Correct Homepage Building

Each of us must have heard the saying “Don't judge a book by its cover”. The sentence might seem relevant in the real world, but, ironically, the parallel reality - the World Wide Web – complies with different laws. The incredible progress of Internet technologies has had an outstanding impact on our life – it has shortened the distances, accelerated processes, made us less patient. Why suffer, if the choice is huge and the alternative is just a click away?

Nowadays, when a great deal of business activity is being conducted on the Internet, and every solid business strives to maintain influential online presence, the furious competition forces us to invent more effective ways for recruiting customers. Similar to a downtown store owner luring passers-by with a smart and creatively crafted signboard, webmasters invest substantial resources in the concept of their websites' homepages. Hundreds of researches on the topic have been made and documented during the the last decade. Based on the aforementioned collective experience, in the following paragraphs, I will elaborate upon proper homepage construction, its principles, DOs and DON'Ts, pros and contras.

Building Homepage – What's a Must?

One of the crucial things on a homepage is identification. Have you ever been to a party, where there was not a single person you knew? Do you remember that awkward feeling? Protect your visitors from this unpleasant experience, let them understand instantly where they are. Put your company name and logo in the most prominent place in the upper section of your homepage, add a short phrase that would concisely summarize your company's activity. Next, concentrate the main message your website is meant to convey in the upper third – evidently, the most conspicuous area on your homepage. Keep in mind that your visitor is by default an impatient type – if he doesn't find the signs of what he has been seeking for at a first glance, he will most probably leave for good. Suppose, you have managed to attract the visitor's attention and made him linger on your homepage – now it's time to provide him with smart and clear navigation system, don't let him wander from link to link in attempts to find what he came for. Make sure your menus are well-ordered and comprehensible. Finally, help your visitor become a lead – provide tools for contacting the site owner, such as a contact form, an online chat, contact details etc.

Building Homepage – What's Recommended?

As the points listed in the previous section are of the utmost importance, the following features are aimed at improving the visitor's browsing experience and strengthening your homepage. Consider them when you're engaged in building a homepage. First and foremost, while building your homepage, try to keep it as simple and clear as possible. Simplicity and aestheticism may not only convey the feeling of stability, tranquility and professionalism, but also serve as a neutral background for the relevant content. The content of the homepage must be concise, precise and straight to the point. Don't let the visitor get lost among walls of irrelevant text, expose him to only the most important information. If you still feel the need to share your life story with visitors, do it in the “About” section – those who care will get there and read it. Strengthen your content with expressions that constitute a call to action, forcing a potential customer to do whatever you want – fill out a form, enter the store, sign up as a member etc. Display additional contact details – phone number, snail mail address, e-mail. This can help build trust between the customer and the site owner and create confidence.

Building Homepage – What to Avoid?

Now you know what is recommended, while building the homepage. So what is not recommended, you might ask? The answer is practically everything that might create obstacles on the visitor's way to becoming a customer. Many unsophisticated newbies think that placing an animated intro before the homepage is kind of “cool”, but you should consider the fact that the intro is just another several seconds that hinder the visitor before he even begins understanding what your site is all about. Of course, if you insist on the intro, make sure it does not distract the visitor, but enhances his desire to come on in. Be careful with selecting colors, fonts and animations. Consult with a website design expert that will assist you in creating an attractive homepage. Try to avoid multiple colors, bright and intense colors, fonts of different types and sizes on one page, moving elements and animations. All these may distract the visitor and interrupt his concentration on the major goal. Also, they could get in the way of your SEO efforts.

Building Homepage – Never Do This!

Putting it in plain words, never make your visitor wait purposelessly or feel uncomfortable. Following the previous paragraph, if you do have an animated intro, never force the visitor to watch it all over again, each time he enters your site. Always equip it with the “skip” link. Forget it once - your guest will enjoy the intro for the first time, and next time you'll find him at a competing website. Returning to long waiting time, never overload your website in general and your homepage in particular with heavy contents that may prolong the site's loading time. All images must be fitted to the approved standards. If you think that a background tune might work well with your website (which is not recommendable at all, unless your website deals with music directly), never leave the visitor without the ''stop” button. Imagine a visitor who enters your website from an office full of co-workers, while his speakers are by mistake on full volume. Instead of looking for the button that stops the music, he will most probably click the one he knows well – close tab – and will never return again.

Invest thought and creativity in your homepage, plan it in advance, receive feedback from your friends and relatives, create a successful virtual business card for your enterprise and your efforts will return hundredfold.