Your website’s homepage acts as the digital front door to your online presence, making its design and layout critical for success. But do you know exactly what elements are necessary for an effective homepage design?
A quick glance at the homepages of our client websites reveals a consistent layout among them, and this is no mere coincidence. These sites incorporate key elements that are vital for creating an engaging and user-friendly homepage.
Crafting the perfect homepage involves integrating elements that not only please search engines like Google but also cater to the needs and preferences of your website visitors.
In the realm of homepage web design, the saying “judging a book by its cover” holds true. Visitors often make quick judgments about a website based on its homepage, making it crucial to make a positive impression from the start.
The homepage typically serves as the gateway to a website, attracting the majority of its traffic. Understanding that visitors form quick judgments about your site within milliseconds underscores the importance of optimising your homepage design for instant appeal.
Your website’s homepage design and layout are essential to your site’s success, so this means including all the key elements from the start.
Following is what you should include:
Web Design Conventions That Actually Need to Be Followed
It’s important to stick with simple and familiar design elements that have become standard in web design to avoid confusing users.
Ensure that common web design practices are in place, like clicking on the company logo to return to the homepage or having a contact link in the top-right corner.
Poor design can breed mistrust among users, especially given the increasing importance of digital platforms. With first impressions being 94% design-related, your website essentially serves as your storefront in the online world.
The six website sections that attract the most attention from viewers include:
- Your company’s logo: We prioritise branding to ensure your brand is solid, serving as the foundation for everything we build.
- Your main navigation menu: This allows users to easily explore your website, depending on its style.
- Your search box: Especially crucial in e-commerce, the search function should be prominently placed on your homepage.
- Your website’s main image: Users typically spend up to five seconds viewing the first image, usually above the fold.
- Your written content: Visitors also spend about 5 seconds evaluating your copywriting, tone, and messaging.
- Your footer: Surprisingly, users even take into account the content at the bottom of your site when forming their impression of your brand!
Ensure that you have covered each of these points for maximum return.
