All websites have a homepage. It is the most important page of your site. It acts as the main gateway to the entire site. Most of your prospective customers will enter through it. Its vital to get it right. You dont want them to just turn around and go away again.
Take a moment to clear your mind. Now go and look at your homepage and take a minute to evaluate it. Does it work for your prospective customers?
Most will arrive at your homepage and quickly scan through the content. If they are interested in what they read and see they'll typically decide to click on a link that takes them to another page where they'll find more information. As they make that decision they'll be asking things like:
What do they do?
Do they look professional?
Whats in it for me?
Do i have the problem they describe?
Are they talking directly to me?
How can i get it?
Alternatively, if the homepage hasnt interested them immediately then they'll leave just as quickly as they arrived, unlikely to return.
Your homepage is the gateway to your website and plays a critical part in the prospects visit. First impressions count. The success of your site depends on your homepage. Now, before we look at what a homepage should be, lets look at what it shouldnt be.
It should not be a false homepage requiring you to click a link to get to the real homepage. It shouldnt be a page that fails to direct the prospect to further action. It shouldnt contain any content that doesnt serve an immediate and clear purpose. It should never read like a dull brochure, that does nothing to motivate prospects to seek more information or buy immediately.
What a homepage should be. It should have a clear message. It should be a dynamic page that instantly conveys a sense of what you do, how you do it, who you are, how you do business, etc. It should start to describe the direct benefits that prospective customers get by buying your product or service. It should create prospect interest and make them eager to find out more. It should provide direction and clearly marked links to get them there. It should focus entirely on serving the needs of your prospective customers and removing their anxieties.
The purpose of your website is to sell your products and services to your prospects. To be effective your homepage must meet the needs of your prospects exactly and provide answers to their questions. To do this you must know what your prospects want and how they want it. If you dont already know, find out. Ask them!
Also, spend some time looking at other homepages learning what works and what doesnt. Are there features and styles that you could adopt on your site?
Once you have these answers design your entire homepage around them. Spend some time getting it right and both you and your prospects will benefit. Dont settle for second best unless you want your website to fail as a result of being ineffective.
When you've done it. Take a moment to clear your mind. Now go and look at your homepage once again and take a minute to re-evaluate it. Does it work for your prospective customers now?
Good luck!
About The Author
Peter Simmons is editor of the DYNAMIQ EZINE. GET MAXIMUM RESULTS FROM YOUR WEBSITE! Increase your traffic, prospect conversions, sales, profits, referrals and more... START GETTING RESULTS RIGHT NOW with your $129 WEBSITE EVALUATION ABSOLUTELY FREE at http://www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine or email me anytime at mailto:peter@dynamiq.co.uk
In this article I will give advice and tips of... Read More
Have you put a lot of effort, time, and money... Read More
When creating an e-cover the what's the first thought that... Read More
Do you remember playing with the jack-in-the-box toy as a... Read More
The .htaccess file is a control file located in your... Read More
I'm not a professional web site designer and openly admit... Read More
In cascading style sheets you can specify how your web... Read More
It has been said that the best online sales copy... Read More
Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini... Read More
There are often many mistakes encountered when creating a webpage... Read More
Are you serious about get this website done fast and... Read More
Web Site Awards are given from other sites to reward... Read More
Are you going to design or redesign new website or... Read More
The effective design is this one, which is maximum simplified,... Read More
These days, it seems that everyone has a website. Unfortunately,... Read More
Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More
There is no doubt that reprint articles can serve lots... Read More
I ask myself that question about once a month.My website... Read More
If you are designing a web site for which the... Read More
When I purchase something from a web site I first... Read More
Most of us know that we need to advertise our... Read More
A professionally presented business website is a powerful and essential... Read More
Any design on a web application involves the effective input... Read More
The way you design your web site affects your visitors'... Read More
If one more business owner tells me their website sucks... Read More
Don't mess with those links! When you're designing your site,... Read More
You know... Before purchasing your product a person comes to... Read More
Here is a quick list of components that make a... Read More
What do the key words represent?Key words - these are... Read More
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More
Designing a website is hard job, and requires you to... Read More
Persons engaged in website design, here's a scoop for you!... Read More
As an online Entrepreneur you require a successful website.One that... Read More
Imagine spinning someone around so profoundly and for so long... Read More
If you are anything like me, your website is a... Read More
With an increasing number of employment portals emerging, it is... Read More
A website should firstly be searched out by visitors before... Read More
So your web site's online and you've got high rankings... Read More
The internet is full of web design companies pleading for... Read More
Do know your audienceIt's important to know your audience. If... Read More
Well, a logo for your business. Why is it important?... Read More
Once, I attempted to create a favicon (the little graphic... Read More
Flash is a powerful technology that can help you create... Read More
Getting traffic to your website is not the only factor... Read More
It starts off simply; a few HTML pages, a few... Read More
When you begin the design of your Web site, one... Read More
QUESTION: My business is very small, just me and... Read More
Making a poorly designed website is one of the easiest... Read More
Hire a designer or a programmer for your website is... Read More
Whether a business has just got off the ground or... Read More
Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More
I can't figure out people who have products or information... Read More
Home PageHome page should clearly indicate what the site is... Read More
Don't mess with those links! When you're designing your site,... Read More
So your web site's online and you've got high rankings... Read More
Regardless whether you manage a small business, charitable organization, or... Read More
If you are familiar with my work, then you have... Read More
A highly effective website will always reflect its highly effective... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
If there's one thing that I've learnt so far, it's... Read More
You just created a new web site but want to... Read More
Creating an appealing, functional, and effective Web site is much... Read More
If you're not getting a lot of traffic to your... Read More
The Internet is a relatively new medium. What works for... Read More
Web design is a very competitive area and there is... Read More
Writing for your web site is not the same as... Read More
Web Design |