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 http://www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Websites, there's literally billions of them out there in cyber-space.... Read More
There is no doubt that reprint articles can serve lots... Read More
Navigation must be simple. Since it's the backbone of your... Read More
Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons ? will they match... Read More
When I surf the Net, I often see web sites... Read More
No, that's not the real question. The real question is... Read More
Why your site should be developed with CSS and semantic... Read More
10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have ...__ all short... Read More
Not all links are created equal.While all of your links... Read More
1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More
1. Loading time:try to be below 20kbless number of imagesspecify... Read More
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities... Read More
The top ten fonts for website design might change in... Read More
Out there in the WWW there are thousands sites using... Read More
If you have a web site to which people pay... Read More
There are many companies who build websites, all of which... Read More
The Basics You have a flourishing business ? everything is... Read More
Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More
In retailing there is a saying that sales are made... Read More
I want to give you a free web page template... Read More
Just what is web copy? Some people think that web... Read More
The internet is full of web design companies pleading for... Read More
Sooner or later every small or medium business owner realizes... Read More
We would all like to have the best looking website,... Read More
We've all seen and read product testimonials. They're a very... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we... Read More
Good websites stand out from the masses of boring, hard... Read More
There are two important reasons to build your website from... Read More
Contrary to the beliefs of some, advertising for web and... Read More
Geared Up with a website and lots of energy to... Read More
Websites, there are literally billions of them out there in... Read More
When I surf the Net, I often see web sites... Read More
"It's good.""You've done a nice job.""I don't like it."At some... Read More
Seeing is believing.One trick to increase your visibility as well... Read More
So, what's in a website design anyway? And, how do... Read More
To create your own great banner, you only need five... Read More
Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a... Read More
FIRST IMPRESSIONS. First impressions often leave lasting impressions. Impressions... Read More
Even if you're not an accomplished webmaster you can still... Read More
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes of... Read More
If you've just finished building your new website (or revamping... Read More
This is my second article on maximising web site viewability.... Read More
Remember the famous line from the movie Field of Dreams,... Read More
Should Generating Revenue From A Website Be The Prime Motivator?... Read More
You may not believe it, but people still judge things... Read More
A picture is worth a thousand words.And it still is... Read More
Writing for your web site is not the same as... Read More
If you are designing a web site for which the... Read More
Making a poorly designed website is one of the easiest... Read More
QUESTION: We promote our web site in all our... Read More
Web Design |