Part V: Creating Your Home Page
The home page -- meaning the page people will see when they type in the domain name of your site -- is most often the page that will have the greatest impact in determining the overall success of your site. A good home page instantly does a two things:
1) Conveys your brand image. What kind of impression do you want people to have of your company? Think back to the brainstorming session -- what are the values you want your home page to convey?
2) Explains what you do. This is fundamental to having a usable web site. The bluntly titled WebSitesThatSuck.com makes a valid point in stating that visitors to your web site should understand what it is that you are doing -- what is the story behind your company -- within four seconds. The site also has some other points worth considering -- go check it out.
And of course, keep in mind the issue of trust -- it is the #1 issue you need to address to get your visitors to believe in the value of what you are offering.
Layouts for Your Home Page
Given its importance, how you layout your home page is extremely important, and can be a factor that affects the profitability of your site immensely. Below are some common layout themes that have been used for home pages:
Portal Layout. Perhaps the most common home page layout strategy is to have the home page serve as a "portal" to the rest of the site by offering snippets of what the rest of the site offers, with any main offerings being especially emphasized. Portal layouts are designed to quickly explain what the firm offers, and to allow users to choose what area of the site they feel is most important to them. Consider some examples:
Target. The home page of mass retailer Target includes short segments documenting what the firm offers, and highlights offerings that the firm is promoting extra heavily. Essentially, it allows the user to scan all the sections of Target's store and choose which one is most appropriate for him/her.
Yahoo. Yahoo's home page is perhaps the quintessential example of a portal; it allows users to access a wide array of Yahoo's remarkably diverse offering through a single page. Such a home page immediately conveys to the user that Yahoo has quite a bit to offer, and allows the user to choose the section that is most personally relevant.
Empty Layout. The empty page layout is one that favors aesthetics over any other characteristic. Such a look involves a home page that is just an image; the design is often sparse, and is used primarily as a gateway to additional pages. Check it out:
MoneyGarden. MoneyGarden, an online currency brokerage firm, has a very sparse look on their home page. Such a look lacks a hard selling approach and can be confusing to users unfamiliar with the company, but can create a favorable impression as it often allows for a slicker design.
Illuminations. Illuminations, an organization dedicated to improve the teaching of mathematics in schools around the world, has a very sparse design on their home page. Aside from a navigation bar at the top, the body of hte page consists only of an image supported by some decorative marketing copy.
Explanation Layout. As we've already noted, having a home page that clearly explains what you do should be an objective you consider pursuing diligently. For some firms -- such those that are in highly innovative industries, or have highly complex products -- explaining what you provide can be a task that is especially difficult. As a result, some firms need home pages that address this very topic. Consider:
Friendster. Social networking web site Friendster was perhaps the first site of its kind to reach mass popularity. While word of mouth did most of the work, having a site that clearly explained what was going on definitely helped users understand its offering. The home page of the site attempts to make it clear what exactly the site offers.
Kurzweil CyberArt Technologies. Among the 100+ creations of famed inventor Ray Kurzweil is Aaron, a software application that creates original art. Like most of what Kurzweil does, the invention is pretty revolutionary -- and hence requires some understanding. As a result, the home page is copy dedicated towards explaining exactly how this software application works.
Spend some time thinking of what kind of a layout you want on your home page. These are all just guidelines; if you feel none of them will work for your business, try scouring the web for other options, or brainstorming to create one that is perfect for you.
1) Conveys your brand image. What kind of impression do you want people to have of your company? Think back to the brainstorming session -- what are the values you want your home page to convey?
2) Explains what you do. This is fundamental to having a usable web site. The bluntly titled WebSitesThatSuck.com makes a valid point in stating that visitors to your web site should understand what it is that you are doing -- what is the story behind your company -- within four seconds. The site also has some other points worth considering -- go check it out.
And of course, keep in mind the issue of trust -- it is the #1 issue you need to address to get your visitors to believe in the value of what you are offering.
Layouts for Your Home Page
Given its importance, how you layout your home page is extremely important, and can be a factor that affects the profitability of your site immensely. Below are some common layout themes that have been used for home pages:
Portal Layout. Perhaps the most common home page layout strategy is to have the home page serve as a "portal" to the rest of the site by offering snippets of what the rest of the site offers, with any main offerings being especially emphasized. Portal layouts are designed to quickly explain what the firm offers, and to allow users to choose what area of the site they feel is most important to them. Consider some examples:
Target. The home page of mass retailer Target includes short segments documenting what the firm offers, and highlights offerings that the firm is promoting extra heavily. Essentially, it allows the user to scan all the sections of Target's store and choose which one is most appropriate for him/her.
Yahoo. Yahoo's home page is perhaps the quintessential example of a portal; it allows users to access a wide array of Yahoo's remarkably diverse offering through a single page. Such a home page immediately conveys to the user that Yahoo has quite a bit to offer, and allows the user to choose the section that is most personally relevant.
Empty Layout. The empty page layout is one that favors aesthetics over any other characteristic. Such a look involves a home page that is just an image; the design is often sparse, and is used primarily as a gateway to additional pages. Check it out:
MoneyGarden. MoneyGarden, an online currency brokerage firm, has a very sparse look on their home page. Such a look lacks a hard selling approach and can be confusing to users unfamiliar with the company, but can create a favorable impression as it often allows for a slicker design.
Illuminations. Illuminations, an organization dedicated to improve the teaching of mathematics in schools around the world, has a very sparse design on their home page. Aside from a navigation bar at the top, the body of hte page consists only of an image supported by some decorative marketing copy.
Explanation Layout. As we've already noted, having a home page that clearly explains what you do should be an objective you consider pursuing diligently. For some firms -- such those that are in highly innovative industries, or have highly complex products -- explaining what you provide can be a task that is especially difficult. As a result, some firms need home pages that address this very topic. Consider:
Friendster. Social networking web site Friendster was perhaps the first site of its kind to reach mass popularity. While word of mouth did most of the work, having a site that clearly explained what was going on definitely helped users understand its offering. The home page of the site attempts to make it clear what exactly the site offers.
Kurzweil CyberArt Technologies. Among the 100+ creations of famed inventor Ray Kurzweil is Aaron, a software application that creates original art. Like most of what Kurzweil does, the invention is pretty revolutionary -- and hence requires some understanding. As a result, the home page is copy dedicated towards explaining exactly how this software application works.
Spend some time thinking of what kind of a layout you want on your home page. These are all just guidelines; if you feel none of them will work for your business, try scouring the web for other options, or brainstorming to create one that is perfect for you.
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