While it’s by no means the only important page, the home page is where visitors often enter your site. And, if it’s not doing its job, it’s where they exit. The online environment is constantly evolving. Here are a few home page tips to help businesses achieve their online goals.
Say clearly what your company does, who it’s relevant for and
how it’s different
On www.pebble.uk.com, the box at the top explains that Pebble works for entrepreneurs and small businesses, dealing with the tasks normally allocated to the office manager or PA in a large company. We added links to Pebble’s big benefits – that clients can pay by the hour/day/month and that the standards of service are exceptionally high.
Make sure the homepage focuses on user goals as well as
business goals
Whilst the business focus for www.chamonixallyear.com is on selling accommodation, information on ski lessons and airport transfers are equally important to the user – we made sure they could access this information easily on the home page.
Help the user towards their purchase decision
Take a look at www.longleat.co.uk. “Buy Tickets” is 1 of 3 choices in the navigation, we added an extra link to the area, emphasised the online discount, and directed users – via a “Find it Fast” section – to other information (like ticket prices) that might help them make their purchase decision. Online tickets sales were up within weeks of launch and the site is showing a clear return on investment.
Show with examples rather than telling through a description
On the site we designed for Louis Kennedy www.louiskennedy.com, we chose familiar examples of campaigns created by Louis Kennedy (like Pudsey Bear for Children in Need) to raise money for good causes. If your site sells products, this might translate into showing an example from each product group.
Make sure the most important tasks/messages are visible
without scrolling
On www.realcoachingco.com the key message is that the company offers a free coaching session. This is backed up by a softer sell; signing up to the newsletter. Both these messages are clearly visible at the top of the page.
