When you enter someone’s home, you can be a bit critical and judgmental – determining if it feels welcoming, dated and more. The same is true for website visitors on an even greater scale because they can easily click to leave. As soon as visitors land on your homepage, they start assessing multiple factors - forming an immediate impression. The quality of your homepage is crucial in capturing their attention, guiding them through your site, forming a positive brand impression and ultimately driving conversions. If it fails to do so, users will quickly bounce. Let’s explore four key principles for creating an effective, engaging, and results-driven homepage.
Principle 1: Hierarchy is King
In today’s digital age, website users are moving faster than ever when searching and absorbing information on the web. It is said that it can take only .05 seconds for a user to formulate an opinion about a website which means first impressions are paramount. Starting from the top, a hero banner must engage and resonate with its viewers through compelling visuals while effectively introducing your brand, delivering value and encouraging engagement above the fold. The fold, a term from the newspaper era, refers to the visible area of a page before scrolling. While the term "above the fold" is generally considered outdated as people are accustomed to scrolling, the core of its principles still hold true in today's web standards. The foundation of this concept is to present the most crucial information within view, regardless of the user's screen size; secondly (but importantly), to hint at additional content further down the page with a design that entices users to scroll and explore beyond the initial visible view. Strategically guiding users further down the page can drive valuable ROI by showcasing key value propositions in the lower sections.
Research shows that the percentage of viewing time spent on screens below the fold has increased incrementally over the past 15 years. This metric is believed to be based on users becoming more conditioned to scroll for more content on websites and social platforms alike in conjunction with designers and web developers working to improve user experience and the way we interact with websites.
Principle 2: Ensure Visual Identity and Easy Redirect Back to the Homepage
Your homepage should be designed as a vessel that introduces and promotes your business, institution or organization. It also stands as an identifiable benchmark for users throughout their journey. The key of a successful homepage is to present your business purpose, goals and to establish brand trust and familiarity while showcasing your competitive advantage. It is crucial for the first visual impression of your website to introduce and establish your identity and act as a steppingstone towards conversions.
Users have become accustomed to finding the logo in the top-left corner, where it serves as a reliable link back to the homepage. This location has become an intuitive standard, and deviation from it can cause unnecessary confusion. Such changes can disrupt navigation and increase bounce rates as users may struggle to orient themselves. To avoid alienating users and maintain a seamless user-friendly experience, it is crucial to keep the logo in its familiar top-left position on desktop.
Principle 3: Navigate and Drive to Action
Effective navigation is essential for sites with many products and pages. Navigation should be clear, use intuitive language, and always remain easily accessible, ensuring users don't feel lost. A well-organized, clutter-free menu with logical grouping and clear labels makes navigation seamless. The scalability of these navigation labels is also important as the site grows and changes. Key categories should be prioritized, and a strong search function helps users find pages quickly. The design must be responsive across devices, and consistency throughout the site keeps the experience predictable. Ultimately, good navigation allows users to easily find content and navigate the site smoothly.
The homepage serves as a starting point for users, guiding them toward solutions and conversion. It is crucial to convey value and encourage action in a clear and concise manner. One effective way to do this is by speaking your visitors' language—avoiding technical jargon and complex language. Instead, focus on offering solutions that align with their needs. By understanding your audiences, you can better provide what they are looking for.
Principle 4: Keep it Simple
It is important to remember that users are creatures of habit and comfort. While your homepage should be engaging and feature plenty of actionable links and content, it is essential not to overwhelm or confuse visitors. Innovation is vital, but when it comes to web design, it is crucial to follow familiar conventions that users expect. The goal is to introduce your brand clearly, not distract with flashy elements. While tools like motion, video, and animation can enhance engagement, they must be used in moderation to avoid overshadowing the content, disorienting the user or creating accessibility issues. Before adding in fanciful features under the guise of innovation, always pause and ask, "How will this benefit the user experience?".
Ready to redesign your home page and perhaps your full site?
Now that we've covered the key principles behind an effective and compelling homepage, we’re ready to put them into action when you are. With a solid understanding of design, user behavior, and engagement, we can create websites that are not only visually appealing but also intuitive and user-friendly. By focusing on simplicity and the needs of the user, we can craft homepages that effectively introduce brand purpose, offer value through products and solutions, build lasting connections with consumers and ultimately drive conversion. Let’s talk about your home page redesign needs, or full site redesign needs.