The homepage of your website is a significant part of marketing your business. For a lot of businesses, the homepage is the first thing a potential customer sees. So to make a good first impression, there are a few essential features to include.
Logo and Branding
As we've discussed many times before, establishing your brand is important right off the bat. The more the customer sees your logo and connects it with your business, the more recognizable you become to that customer. And being recognized is the first step to gaining trust and building a business relationship. So make sure your homepage clearly shows your logo and includes design elements within your brand.
Strong Headline
The headline of your homepage should be a short, but strong statement giving the reader a clear understanding of what your business has to offer. This should be the first thing they read when entering your site, so we recommend using large type and isolating the headline from other elements in the site that might distract from it.
Easy Navigation
When visiting a website, no one wants to spend too much time digging for the information they're looking for. That's why a clear, easy menu is essential. The navigation to your website should be intuitive and make sense to your visitor. If you have several subpages listed, make sure your dropdown menus are legible and easy to find.
Dynamic Imagery
Too often we see homepage designs rely on words rather than imagery to communicate. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words! So using dynamic, customized photography or graphics on your homepage makes more of a statement than a paragraph of text. And your visitors are more likely to notice an image than read a block of text.
Call to Action
So you've got your visitor's attention, now what? Give them something to do. Make it clear what the next step is, whether it's contacting you, scheduling an appointment, or placing an order. You never want your customer to hit a dead end. So make your CTA easy and noticable with a prominent button, phone number, or simple form to fill out.
Overall, when building a homepage, it's important to think from the perspective of the customer. 2nd Story would love to work with you to understand the customer journey and create a strong, effective website. So if you're ready to rethink your web design, contact us. Let's take your website to the next level!