Today’s generation of Internet users are lucky. With a previously unseen level of emphasis on web design, coupled with better knowledge of how websites should work, neither you, me or anyone will ever have to experience hilarious, badly-designed websites such as these.
One glance at the homepages of these now-defunct websites and you know they’re ancient, outdated and abandoned. You instantly know there’s something wrong with the UI, the layout, colors and the text. You can just imagine how awkward and confusing it must have been to navigate these pages. It’s as if design was still a foreign concept back then!
So if homepages are the front door of a company, meant to make a good first impression on customers, today’s Internet users won’t be impressed your website looks like it got stuck in a time machine.
The Old Homepage
A lot has definitely changed in web design over the years, especially on how we treat the homepage. Rand Fishkin of Moz.com made an excellent thesis on the main differences of homepage design then and now.
The old way of homepage design was too SEO-centric. Because the homepage ranked better than all the other pages of a website, that’s where developers crammed the keywords in, and for a while that kind of tactic worked, at least for the search engines. The overall result however was a rather text-crowded homepage that overwhelmed visitors.
The New Homepage Design
Nowadays, as both people and search engines get better at understanding what users are looking for, the trend in homepage design has moved away from the worries and details of SEO, and instead focuses on the user. A contributing factor to this user-friendly attitude is the rise of touchscreen devices—whether that be smartphones, tablets, or hybrids.
More people are online now than ever before and they’re using the Internet in unprecedented ways. You have to reach out to these people (especially your target customers) through a great homepage that’s created for them and their needs, and not for the search engines. Only by making your homepage simple, clear, and easy to access can you make a good first impression.
So What Makes a Homepage Perfect?
In the ever-changing landscape of the Internet, there are no hard rules for designing the perfect homepage. What used to work and look brilliant in the past may be ineffective and unsightly today.
Again, the rise of touchscreen devices has helped shaped the various web trends we’re seeing today. These trends—flat design, mixed typography, minimal text, large hero image, card/tile-based layout, HTML 5, etc—in turn contribute to a fantastic user experience.
So essentially, a great homepage should strive for a great UX. Give your homepage a signature style that’s memorable to users, but never lose sight of functionality because ultimately that’s what users are after. Follow these tips to make it happen:
Design with mobile in mind.
- In this age of smartphones and tablets, responsive design is simply a must.
- Design your homepage by considering the screen real estate of various devices, small or big, and making sure the user experience is always great.
- Easy navigation.
Keep Your Focus.
- Make sure the homepage gives your visitors a clear idea of what your website is all about.
- Convince your visitors that they need your product or service, and differentiate yourself from your competitors.
- At the end of the day, what’s your website’s call to action? Whether it’s Buy, Install, Download, Subscribe, make sure visitors can easily access that crucial button.
Trim the Fat.
- Don’t drown your visitors in wordy paragraphs.
- If you can tell you website’s purpose in a few lines, go for it.
- If you can condense your point into a memorable slogan, even better.
- And no need to cram keywords.
Say it with Visuals.
- Welcome your visitors with a large hero image with a rotating set of well-taken photos.
- Embed a short video—what your website is all about, how it all started, how to use your service, etc.
- Use slider banners too.
- As Fishkin says, “Keep that experience compelling to draw the eye down.” (Bold letters, ours.)
Test, Test, Test
- Finally, get valuable feedback from people from all walks of life, especially the average Internet user.
- Test some more, and redesign until you get it right.
There you have it! Our top tips for creating the perfect homepage! How you choose to apply them will depend on your own website’s requirements and purpose, so keep them in mind and try them out! Like we said before, there are no rules set in stone when it comes to designing, just guidelines that will ensure your design isn’t a complete disaster! If you aren’t sure how to make the most of your homepage, give us a shout! We’d be happy to help you design your website.