Say who you are and what you do
Often we see homepages that dive into the details of their product or service without ever giving an overview of what the company actually does. If someone lands on your homepage and has no idea who you are, they should easily be able to figure out what it is you have to offer. If they can’t quickly figure out if they’re in the right place, chances are they will leave the site. Make sure you give a clear, concise and straightforward overview of what you do.
Speak to your users
Another common mistake is filling the homepage with content that doesn’t resonate with the user. Don’t go too heavy with the marketing terms; they don’t serve much of a purpose if your user can’t understand them. Instead, talk about what problem you’re solving for the user or what benefits you can offer them and use language they understand.
Tell a Story
To keep your users engaged, be sure your content flows from one section to the next in a logical order. Think of your homepage as a story; it should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Additionally, make sure there are clear next steps for your user. Strong calls-to-action (CTAs) that bring the user deeper into the site are very helpful and will keep users engaged with your content.
Help them find what they need
Don’t make your users work too hard to find the information they need. Figure out what content users are looking for (analytics and personas come in handy here) and surface that content on the homepage. If there is similar content elsewhere on the site, be sure to link to it so users can dig deeper. For example, if you speak to one of your products on the homepage and you have a detail page for that project, be sure to give a link to that detail page.
Make it scannable
While the numbers vary greatly depending on the site, in general users won’t stay on this page for very long. Take advantage of the time they spend here by giving them content that is easy to digest. Don’t use huge chunks of text on the homepage; users are looking for scannable content like bullet points, large headings, and images. Be sure to highlight key points and make it easy to find more detailed content.
Following these guidelines will help ensure that visitors to your homepage easily understand who you are and what you have to offer.
Interested in learning more about the potential of your future home(page)? Let's Talk!
