The Dos and Don’ts When Designing Homepage
By Sam Nguyen
In this article, we’ll explore the pivotal role of a homepage as the digital face of your business, catering to web developers, expanding business owners, and ambitious start-ups alike.
Key Takeaways
5 types of homepage layouts
- Bold Design: For Ecommerce Sites: Tailor your design to ecommerce stores, inviting seamless shopping experiences with impactful visuals and compelling calls to action.
- Informative Layout: Service Providers’ Pick: Opt for an informative layout that empowers service providers to present their expertise clearly, building credibility and trust.
- Brand-Centric Layout: For Mobile & Style Brands: Capture the essence of your brand for mobile users and style-focused businesses, making an instant emotional impact.
- Visually-Rich Design: For Artists & Designers: Craft a layout centered on visuals, allowing photographers and designers to showcase their work and creative vision.
- Balanced Visuals & Text: For Food & Restaurant Sites: Embrace a balanced layout that tantalizes taste buds with enticing visuals and informative descriptions, perfect for culinary ventures.
Why Your Homepage Design Matters
Your homepage is more than just a digital welcome mat; it’s the face of your business in the vast realm of the internet. Whether you are a seasoned web developer, an ambitious business owner, or a daring start-up, understanding the profound impact of a thoughtfully designed homepage is key to achieving online triumph.
Here is why you should take it seriously:
Helps Inform Your Target Audience
Imagine your homepage as a compelling narrative that instantly communicates what your business is all about. For dedicated web developers, this means you must craft an interface that masterfully weaves together visuals, content, and functionality. It’s the portal through which visitors learn your story, your offerings, and how they can benefit – all in mere moments.
For a business owner seeking expansion or a start-up aiming high, a well-designed homepage becomes the initial handshake that resonates with your audience’s needs.
Improves Brand Awareness
Your homepage is your canvas to paint the essence of your business’s brand. It is where colors, typography, and imagery converge to etch an indelible impression and the opportunity to create an emotional connection that lingers.
A carefully curated homepage not only reflects your brand’s values but also reinforces them in the minds of your visitors. As a start-up, consider it your unveiling – a chance to forge a unique identity that sticks.
Leads to a Boost in Website Conversions
Every click that lands on your homepage lies the potential for conversion. Web developers’ coding acumen contributes to seamless navigation, responsive design, and swift load times, translating to heightened user satisfaction.
A user-friendly homepage is a catalyst for business owners aiming for growth to turn curious browsers into engaged customers. A strategic design ensures start-ups invite those first-time visitors to take a step further – signing up, making a purchase, or reaching out.
It’s where the magic of conversion unfolds.
Allows Users to Navigate Your Site
Your expertise as web developer in crafting intuitive layouts and user-friendly interfaces keeps visitors engaged and exploration seamless.
For business owners charting new territories, a well-structured homepage paves the way for easy navigation, helping users effortlessly discover the wealth of offerings beyond the entrance. Start-ups should consider your homepage a guiding light, directing users deeper into your story, making each interaction purposeful.
Elements to Include When Designing Homepage
A homepage is more than just a digital portal – it’s a captivating gateway that represents your business in the vast online landscape. Mastering the art of integrating these below crucial features can make all the difference in crafting an impactful and effective homepage design.
- Headlines: The Art of Intrigue
Headlines are your brushstrokes of intrigue. Craft them to encapsulate the essence of your brand or message, instantly capturing attention. For business owners and start-ups, headlines serve as the digital billboard, conveying your core value proposition succinctly, igniting curiosity, and prompting visitors to explore further.
The right headline can spark an emotional connection, encouraging users to delve deeper into your offerings.
Dropbox does exactly this when it introduces itself as a cloud service providing a shared workspace and storage.
- Sub-headlines: Guiding the Narrative
Sub-headlines offer depth to your storytelling. They act as signposts that guide visitors through your digital narrative. Business owners and start-ups should pay attention to these sub-headlines. They complement headlines, elaborating on key points and encouraging engagement by revealing the details that make your offerings compelling.
Sub-headlines provide the roadmap, leading visitors to discover the specific benefits and solutions your business provides.
Masterclass’s sub-headlines provide insight into what their users would get from their services with an eye-catching headline.
- Primary Call-to-Action: Nudging Action with Precision
The primary call-to-action (CTA) is the key to interaction. It’s the button that beckons users to take the desired step – be it signing up, making a purchase, or engaging further.
For business owners and start-ups, the primary CTA is your digital handshake, inviting visitors to journey deeper into your offerings, converting their curiosity into action. A strategically placed CTA can be the catalyst that transforms casual visitors into enthusiastic customers.
Evernote‘s homepage prominently features a large green “Sign Up” button above the fold, immediately drawing the user’s attention to take the desired action of creating a new account.
- Logo and Branding: Establishing Identity
A well-placed logo is the business’s digital signature. Seamlessly integrate it to establish brand identity and recognition.
Your business logo is the visual representation of your business’s values and mission. Placing it prominently on your homepage ensures that visitors immediately connect with your brand, building trust and familiarity. A strong logo presence creates a sense of legitimacy, reassuring visitors of your professionalism.
Netflix‘s bold red logo and simple, image-focused layout anchor the homepage, instantly establishing brand recognition and aligning with its video streaming identity.
- Supporting Image: Visual Appeal and Storytelling
Images amplify the emotional resonance of your design. They breathe life into your content, creating an immediate visual connection. Business owners and start-ups choose images that align with their brand identity and message.
These supporting images are powerful storytellers, invoking emotions and immersing visitors in your narrative. A well-chosen image can evoke a powerful emotional response, making your brand more relatable and memorable.
A24 Films‘ homepage features striking, cinematic images from its movies that immediately set the mood and draw viewers into the stories and aesthetics of its brand.
- Benefits: Showcasing Solutions and Value
Benefits weave into the fabric of your design. They are the pivotal points that communicate the value your business brings to users.
Business owners and start-ups present benefits and illuminate how their offerings address pain points and enhance lives.
These benefits resonate with your target audience, making your brand an integral part of their solutions. Benefits showcase the transformational impact your products or services can have, giving visitors a reason to engage further.
Kind Snacks‘ homepage prominently displays the benefits of their products and offers – “healthy & tasty, wholesome snacks” – allowing visitors to quickly understand what the brand offers. As you enter the homepage, there will be a pop-up giving a limited-time offer for first-time visitors.
- Navigation: Guiding Seamless Exploration
Navigation is your user experience symphony. Craft a menu that simplifies the user’s journey, ensuring smooth navigation through your digital ecosystem.
Business owners and start-ups should keep in mind that intuitive navigation empowers visitors to explore your offerings effortlessly, enhancing engagement and retention.
A well-structured navigation menu enables visitors to navigate your website with ease, leading them to the information they seek without frustration.
Telerik by Progress‘s homepage navigation is clear and intuitive, with distinct sections and fast loading time, allowing visitors to easily find what they need from the site.
- Value/Trust Indicators: Building Credibility
Trust indicators fortify your design with credibility. They are the visual proofs that assure visitors of your business’s worthiness.
By showcasing customer testimonials, awards, or certifications, business owners and start-ups will easily establish trust and credibility, strengthening the bond between your brand and your audience.
Trust indicators provide social proof, assuring visitors that your business is reputable and trustworthy, encouraging them to take action.
Mint‘s homepage prominently displays credibility-building details like “Over 20 million users” and “Finance expert-approved” to highlight their large user base and expertise in financial management.
Top 5 Homepage Layouts for Design Inspiration
You understand that the homepage is a digital storefront, offering the first glimpse into your business’s world. The layout you choose for your homepage plays a pivotal role in presenting your brand identity.
Bold Design: For Ecommerce Sites
The Bold layout embraces a visually impactful approach, showcasing prominent imagery and strategic call-to-action elements. It’s a fitting choice for businesses engaged in online retail.
Web developers can utilize this layout to create a vibrant shopping experience, while business owners and start-ups can leverage its dynamic appeal to captivate potential customers and guide them through a seamless purchasing journey.
Template recommendations:
Informative Layout: Service Providers’ Pick
The Informative layout focuses on presenting essential information in a clear and structured manner. This layout is particularly well-suited for service-oriented businesses.
Web developers can craft sections that efficiently convey key details, while business owners and start-ups can use them to highlight their expertise, offerings, and how they cater to their customers’ needs, building trust and credibility.
Template recommendations:
Brand-Centric Layout: For Mobile & Style Brands
The Brand Statement layout prioritizes concise messaging and captivating visuals, making it suitable for businesses catering to mobile users or those in the fashion and lifestyle sector. Its simplicity and elegance create an immediate impact.
Web developers will need to tweak this layout for mobile responsiveness, while business owners and start-ups can utilize it to make a strong first impression and communicate their brand’s essence effectively across platforms.
Template recommendations:
Visually-Rich Design: For Artists & Designers
The Visual-focused layout places imagery at the forefront, making it an ideal choice for creative professionals like photographers and designers.
Web developers need to design a platform that beautifully showcases visual portfolios, while business owners and start-ups can leverage this layout to let their work speak for itself, fostering a deep connection with visitors who appreciate artistry and creativity.
Template recommendations:
Balanced Visuals & Text: For Food & Restaurant Sites
The Balanced layout strikes a harmonious blend of captivating visuals and informative text, making it well-suited for businesses in the culinary world.
Web developers can construct a page that whets appetites, while business owners and start-ups can utilize this layout to showcase delectable dishes, describe culinary offerings, and evoke a sense of taste and experience that resonates with visitors.
Template recommendations:
What to Avoid When Designing Homepage
Avoid Clutter: A Barrier to Engagement
Web developers’ prowess lies in orchestrating visual harmony. Overwhelming clutter impedes this symphony, overwhelming visitors with a chaotic visual experience.
Business owners and start-ups should envision your homepage as a canvas where each element plays a vital role. Embrace a clean design that guides attention to the core message, fostering engagement and resonance.
Avoid Feature Overload
Web developers’ artistry is what shapes a balanced homepage. A lengthy inventory of features risks diluting your message.
Business owners and start-ups should consider this an opportunity to present a curated selection of features that truly define your brand. Quality over quantity ensures visitors grasp your distinct offerings.
Avoid Technical Jargon
Web developers’ code should speak a universal language, but your homepage demands clarity.
For business owners and start-ups, this means shunning industry jargon that alienates visitors. Employ language that resonates, inviting connection and understanding, thus fostering a genuine relationship.
Keep Font Styles Consistent
Typography finesse is a design cornerstone. In the quest for distinction, avoid fonts that sacrifice legibility. Coherence in font choices across a business’s homepage cultivates a visual identity that embodies professionalism and trustworthiness.
Ensure Mobile-Friendly Design
Responsive design should be the top priority in the time when everyone has at least one smartphone in their hand. A homepage that isn’t mobile-optimized is a missed opportunity to engage an expanding mobile audience.
Business owners and start-ups should recognize that seamless navigation across devices is pivotal, ensuring your brand message reaches all corners of the digital landscape.
Exploring the “Above The Fold” Homepage Concept
In the digital landscape, the concept of “above-the-fold” refers to the portion of a webpage visible without scrolling—akin to the top half of a folded newspaper. For web designers, this space is paramount; it’s the canvas for first impressions, dictating the initial user experience and setting the tone for the site’s aesthetic and functionality.
For businesses, especially those transitioning online from brick-and-mortar, the above-the-fold section is their virtual storefront. It’s where they showcase prime offers, essential services, or the brand’s ethos—a digital handshake to potential clients or customers.
For startups, with only moments to convey innovation and value, this space becomes a platform to succinctly communicate their unique proposition and drive engagement. Thus, optimizing above-the-fold design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a strategic endeavor crucial for captivating and converting website visitors right from the homepage.
Bottom Line: Homepage Design
Crafting a meticulously designed homepage layout is the cornerstone of a successful online presence, serving as the digital face of your business and a reflection of your brand’s identity, appealing to web developers, business owners seeking expansion, and start-ups aiming to establish a distinct digital footprint.
