The website homepage is like the front cover of your company portfolio and when it comes to e-commerce, everyone will judge your book by its cover.

Let’s face it, almost any visitor entering your website would visit the homepage at least once. You have got to make the page elaborately interactive but also add the necessary elements that will help to enhance the business value of your website.

There are three things that a homepage design is responsible for. These are –

• Attracting and captivating the visitors’ attention
• Educating visitors about your brand identity
• Encouraging visitors to visit the other pages of the website

Elements that Make a Website’s Homepage

A website’s homepage design should have the following elements –

#1 – A Clear Value Proposition

In other words the ‘who’ and ‘what’. Most of the visitors entering a website would like to check this out first. If they are unable to understand what your website is all about, then they are not likely to stick around.

So what should the value proposition of your website include?

• A company introduction can include a tagline as well as a brief run down on what offer and can do for the customer.
• A clear path to the service pages that your brand is going to offer

#2 – Optimized for Multiple Devices

In the world of technology where everything has become mobile, not having a mobile optimized homepage will cause your business to lag behind. Mobile Optimization helps to ensure that a website can be properly accessed no matter from which device one may enter.

A website is mobile optimized when it enables easy navigation and is free from design clusters like the flash banners, pop-ups, animations and other kinds of unnecessary elements. Of course, one needs to implement the best practices in order to maintain a mobile-optimized website.

#3 – Intuitive Navigations

So you want your visitor to land on your homepage and look around your website without being confused? Make sure that you are following an intuitive navigation system. A website’s homepage should have easy navigations that can be easily understood by even the first-time visitor.

If a certain page on your website receives the highest number of traffic, then make the web page easily accessible by bringing it to the forefront.

#4 – The Right Color

Colors can influence visitor attention psychologically. When you are choosing a color for your website, try to choose a shade that matches the brand identity. Often, the wrong color choice can send visitors scurrying away and again, it depends on a lot on how a color can make a website communicate effectively with its clients.

Avoid incorporating too many colors on your website’s homepage.  Here is a small guide that might come handy when you are deciding to choose a color for your website -

• Try keeping bold colors at bay
• Welcome white space element (the color white helps to maintain a color balance)
• Do not try to overcomplicate the color scheme

#5 - The Right Font

Fonts can create the same psychological impact as colors do. So, when you are choosing a font type for your website, make sure that it fits the nature of your business.

Understand the product and the service that you are going to deal with online and build a brand identity around it. Also, you will have to understand when it will be more appropriate to use elaborate fonts and when it would be wise to just stick to simplicity.

It’s nice to consult with a professional web designer expert first before you head on to choosing a font type. Do avoid using too many different fonts on your homepage in order to keep the uniformity flowing. Do some proper research first if you are new to web design and do not know which one would best suit your business taste.

#6 – Bold Images

Words are not just enough when you are talking about online website design. People feel more engaged when there are interesting and bold images to browse about. This is all the truer when we take e-commerce in our discussion.

However, there are many websites that tend to use stock images in their web design. Stock image can get your work done but it is one of the five components that should be removed from the website. Nevertheless, a genuine image of your brand will help to keep visitors more engaged.

It is advisable that you hire a professional photographer to get your brand products and services shot. Use these high-quality images in your web design.

The above-mentioned points can be useful and will help you in designing a great homepage. Before you begin designing the homepage of your website, try visiting other websites to learn how they have used the different elements on their web page. Here are a few website references mentioned below that you would like to take a look at -

Some of the Best Website Homepages to Get Inspired By and Why They are Brilliant

1. Airbnb

Scroll from top to bottom and appealing pictures are the first things that you will get to notice when you visit the Airbnb website. 

Speaking of the use of text, less is more seems to be appropriate here to speak of. When you take into consideration the kind of service that the company offers, the decision to use fewer texts and more images seems to be just apt.

Another point that is worth mentioning is the smart placement of different elements. Notice that the search box has been placed right at the center and not in the top right corner like other websites.

Next, is an explanation of how the service works and what kind of benefits can people earn by joining the Airbnb team.

2. Freshbooks

Freshbooks homepage is easy to consume. The website homepage is a good example of how to make a lengthy web page look more engaging. From the compelling introduction urging visitors to join to the content breakdown explaining how the service works, reading the content feels like reading some story.

The great way the CTA buttons have been positioned. This indicates that the company is confident and clear when it wants visitors to convert when they arrive on the homepage.

The style of copy used like for example the ‘Try it Free for 30 Days’ beside the Call to Action makes the overall message very compelling.

3. Mint

Mint has a homepage with a simple design and a strong straightforward headline.

The homepage design gives off an easy going vibe thus making a visitor feel confident about the product that is known for handling financial information.

It is also known for using a simple, direct and compelling Call-to-Action buttons.

• You can look up on the internet to see how other websites have designed their homepages. There are plenty of examples that you are sure to get.

Conclusion

In addition to the points discussed above, the basic things that need to be kept in mind is how useful the homepage stands out in the eyes of the users. It should have a clear-cut approach in conveying the message of your business.  Does your website homepage have all the elements that we have just discussed here? If is one another element that you would like to add, what would that be?

Image Courtesy: pixabay.com