What areas should we focus on when designing a home page?
We are revamping our website and want to know which are the areas we can emphasis on like text, color, slider image etc. We provide finance and accounting solutions. Is it better to put a article we wrote in our font page? Your feedback will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Jun 17, 2019
Hi Pranjal
There are somethings you need to consider when revamping your website. Let us go through them one-by-one:
1) Ask yourself, "What will my target audience like to see on the home page?" If you are unable to step in their shoes, then do a quick survey to figure out the answer.
2) The purpose of a website is to assist your clients to visit your website, to remain on it, to engage with it and to convert from it. So you should select user-interface and user-experience elements that align with these motivations.
3) Study the current trends of web designing on websites like Awwwards. While you observe the different design fads, make sure you take a note of what will work for you. Don't settle for a trend for the heck of it. You always need to put your target market at the forefront and decided whether or not, they will like the aesthetics and function.
Once you are done with the basic research, then jump into the design. Here are some tips to bookmark:
CONTENT
If you are making a scrollable website then you need content to fill the space. You can add your article but it should serve a purpose. If you think the write-up will help visitors then go ahead and put it. You must structure the paragraphs and curate the written content with visual elements such as image, icons and animations.
NAVIGATION
Any menu button leading your visitors from homepage to an important web page within your sitemap should be clearly visible. The extra navigations can go under the burger menu. This is done to make sure the most significant things are highlighted for a better user-experience.
TAGLINE
Make sure you humanize your tagline so that your potential and existing clients feel connected and special. You should solve peoples’ problems than to brag about your company or services. This tagline goes in the upper portion of the homepage, usually on top of a feature image.
COLOR
The color of your website depends on how you want to brand your company. You can use online tools like Adobe Color or Coolors.co to help you derive a befitting color palette. If you want to go with the standard color scheme you can, but if you want to stand out then break the cliché palette with a bright and trendy hue.
IMAGES
Use images that deliver a message. You should also use photographs with settings that show communication between two people. Also make sure you consider factors like demography and geography to place the right visual content on your homepage. You can click your custom photos or you can buy stock images.
TYPEFACE
Even if your content is awesome, people will not want to read it if the font is unreadable. There is an entire science behind selecting the right font for your business website. You should have at least two fonts for the headings and the body text, or a typeface family with many variations of the font from thin to bold and italics. Explore other successful websites from your niche and study the fonts. Then use the one that enhances the user-interface of your site.
Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Cheers!
Jun 5, 2019
Hi, Pranjal,
You have to optimize a landing page to make a sales or get a leads for the business. Let us see that in which areas you should concentrate:
1) Write a simple expressive headline.
We have a few seconds to grab the user attention while they visit the business website. Right? Yeah! Bold and straight forwards headline is the only way to make the audience to notice what it is. So, the headline should be mention that what you offer in a short precise manner.
2) Use relevant images and videos.
If the landing page is filled with full of content might change the audience mind to bounce back. Alternatively, relevant images and video about your business product or services will tend the audience to stay on the business website and it reduces the bounce rate.
Therefore, Make use of images and videos relevant to the content in the landing page which makes more visually appealing.
3) Trust factors/testimonials.
Presently, Most of the people having the mindset to read reviews about the business to get the existing customers experience. This will create a positive impression of your business brand. So, embed the testimonial section on the landing page which boost your business growth.
4) Loading time matters.
Loading time matters a lot on the business website. Yes, nowadays the audience wants the information precisely within a short time. For instance, If your website landing page takes a long time to open then the audience will immediately bounce back.
Whatever you will work on the landing page like adding original content, image videos and other things will not matter when page loading speed is high. Optimize your landing page speed within a few seconds or else you’ll lose your customers.
5) Device compatibility.
Make sure that your landing page is compatible with various devices like desktop, smartphones, laptop, tablet, etc., because we can’t assure that audience are searching their needs on a single device only. So, optimize the landing page for all the searchable devices.
6) Add contact info.
Clearly showcase your contact information in the landing page where the audience can easily view it. You can mention your contact number, email address, skype address, WhatsApp and physical address.
This would help the landing page visitors to immediately get in touch with you. It will generate more conversions for the business.
7) Employ a strong CTA.
Call To Action (CTA) is a very important element in the landing page. Employ the CTA button in the right place of the landing page. While designing a CTA button you should consider three factors which are size, color, and content.
Moreover, It seems just like a button but it matters to get the users to take the desired action. CTA button, color should be contrasted to the background, the size will be in medium and content should be framed in the form like “sense of urgency”.
Embed the CTA button appropriately and convert the visitors into loyal customers.
Wanna know more details about designing a home page: https://www.seowarriors.info/landing-page-optimization-step-by-step-guide
Apr 30, 2018
There are loads of great answers here, but thought I'd emphasize the importance of selecting the right images for your home page. I've created a whole ebook about creating high converting websites, called "Homepage Homeruns." It includes a valuable section about creating, finding low and no-cost images, and optimizing them for search. Also, why and when to use sliders. Use the promo code - 100images - to download it free here ($9.95 value): https://gumroad.com/products/cODXW
Mar 18, 2018
The short answer is all areas. Every inch of your website is important and every area servs a purpose. That said the most important area is very likely your homepage as most visitors will start there and the most important area on the homepage is the top portion including your header or hero image, image slider with the first visuals and message the visitor see when they enter your site.
Consider it a first impression you mustake literally within seconds or you loose your chance as your visitor moved on to another site.
Now from.an SEO perspective, things are more complex and require content building, structure, tags, links, loading speed, correct code, etc
.etc.. list is long
My suggestion for the header is use strong visuals as that's what will grab the user attention first before they read the first word on your site or even header message. Think (long and hard) about the message(s) you display on the header, as the first and second messages you display will likely be the only chance you have to grab user attention.
Let them know they are in the right place and you can provide them what they need, with as little words as possible (that's the hard part).
Ppl are impatiant and don't like reading too much on initial visit to your website. You need to reassure them they got to the right place, build trust and generate a lead or sale quick.
Time is not on your side when users viat your website for the first time.
Hope that helps
Mar 16, 2018
When designing a homepage, you should pay attention to each detail, especially colors and fonts. Not so long ago while browsing for beautiful fonts for my client's landing page, I discovered this resource: https://www.templatemonster.com/fonts.php. Maybe you'll find it useful too.
May 15, 2015
Headlines and associated images.
Short intro's and be specific about what you offer. vague descriptions lead to boredom and people leave.
I would encourage you to recognise in your sales plan that your home page will not always be your landing page - depending on how you set up your sales pitch. I create specific landing pages for various campaigns and the same rules apply. Make it easy for people to see how and where you are and how to contact you.
Apr 29, 2015
I have a couple of suggestions, and I would like to implement one of them on my own first page of my web site. First, I would like to replace the slider with a video that talks about what I do and what it means for the client. And, since someone suggested that you have a way of tracking your site visitors, Google has a Google Analytics plug in for your dashboard. You can view your information there.
Apr 12, 2015
A home page should be eye catching, easy to navigate and briefly explain your business to the reader. Home pages with pop ups or too much imagery and unnecessary fluff just complicate your message and can be distracting. Your colors should include a bold color, a neutral and then a complimentary color that mesh well with your company brand colors and logo. But a home page really is an introduction and should serve as one. Make sure the menu and navigation is simple and easy for the user to explore the rest of your site. Be concise and poignant in wording and direct them to longer articles on later pages within the site. And entice your user to click on to your more in depth pages. Your home page should not include to many specifics, just an over view of your business. Like a simple profile. But a professional designer should do the layout which can give you an edge over others who do not. Hope this helps!
Apr 2, 2015
There are 4 basic things you need to answer for visitors very quickly on your home page. You've got about six seconds to make it compelling. So make it all about them rather than all about you.
1. What exactly do you do (for them)?
2. Why should they care?
3. Why should they trust you?
4.What do you want them to do next?
Apr 2, 2015
Everyone tends to forget that a website is really just another opportunity to market to your customer base. That is based upon the product and services your offer and the specialist expertise your business brings to the market segment, resulting in your businesses current success. That said, finance and accounting solutions is a huge waterfront. So your first action is to create a top fives list and narrow it down to the top three short list. Bounce that short list against your core compencies and skill set of your team. Next determine whether you can surround those top three areas with testimonials and market segment examples of use case study success. Assess current market trends that can serve as relatible interest that simulate interest, resulting in actual click-on and click-through hold time on your site. After that, the presentation ergonomics of text font, color, slider image and etc, just become generic technical activities; either as inside or farmed outsourced work plan to be completed on a project schedule.
Mar 29, 2015
1. A Headline that speaks to your clients pain
2. Sub-headline should clarify your solution for that pain
3. Make sure to have an email capture, testimonial and multiple ways of contacting you on the landing site and on each page of the website.
4. Offer something for free to qualify your visitor and start a conversation.
5. Your company name should be smaller than all of the above - the website is for the visitor not your company's ego;-)
Mar 30, 2015
Hi,
Thanks a lot !
You had highlighted very important points , which we already consider for improvement of the website.
Best Regards,
Pranjal Neog
Mar 29, 2015
The home page should have better navigation features, should give better user experience and finally the content has to be clear and concise.
While creating a web page it is important we understand things from the viewers point. Most importantly it should give them all information what exactly they want. Too much is flashy things wont really appeal all audience.
Mar 28, 2015
I took a very quick initial peek, literally 10 seconds, of your current home page. That's about 5 seconds longer than the average website visitor. What I saw was some lines of text that were kind of hard to even read over the images. My visual attention was drawn to that animation first simply because it's animated. I would seriously question the value of that slideshow on your page. What purpose does it serve? More importantly, what goal does it serve for you and how does it help your visitors?
A very high percentage of website home page slideshows serve no real purpose. People simply think that since other business websites are using them, they should too. So they get a number of images together and put some text with those and somehow think that is going to make visitors (with their short attention spans) want to click further through the site.
Here are some additional comments after spending a couple minutes on your site:
"StruFin is an Extended Enterprise Services (E2S) organization that provides a complete range of High Performance and Transformational business services to mid-tier and blue chip global organizations to help them achieve and sustain high performance standards." That's a real long mouthful of a sentence. I would suggest fine tuning aspects of that to be more succinct and connect with your market. For instance, you could have a single image (maybe something representative of the type of organizations you work with) with a large headline of, "StruFin can help your organization achieve and sustain high performance standards". The text at the bottom of the page ("At StruFin, we work hand-in-hand with you...") would also be good to fine tune for this purpose and move it higher up. Also, In order to successfully craft this opening marketing language, you need to really know WHO you're talking to. Who, at these mid-tier and blue chip global organizations would be looking for the services you provide? Be very clear on that and hone your marketing to speak to that individual.
Next, still thinking of that ideal individual who is looking for your services, what do you want them to do on your site? Browse? Learn more about your company/services? Contact you? Something even more specific? Clearly think that out and prioritize the actions (like first, second, and third) then craft everything about your home page to drive those actions. Want them to contact you? Figure out what that individual's biggest pain points and/or reason for searching for your services would be and tell them exactly how you're going to solve those issues. Instill trust in that individual that you can help them.
To review, all of these are solid tips and strategies for any website home page:
1) Have at least one goal
2) Know who your target market(s)/ideal customer(s) are
3) Craft your copy to succinctly connect with that market/customer, tell them how you can solve their major pain points, and drive their actions to reach your goal
Some other notes that might help you specifically:
Under Our Services, the two images/links go to "page not found" pages. Beyond fixing things like that, you want to make sure that imagery you use connects with your target market and makes sense with the particular service.
Seriously consider recoding the site to be mobile friendly/responsive as well. I know that's not specifically about the home page, but these days so many people are searching from tablets and mobile devices you want to ensure they have a great viewing experience when they get to your site (and that will mean stepping away from the free "Stadium" WordPress theme you're currently using). I'd also ensure that your page links are SEO friendly rather than things like, "?page_id=1489". This will help the overall site as well. Just throwing those out there!
Hope that helps.
Mar 29, 2015
Agree Sherry. Home page language needs to be simple, not talk over the potential client 'head', and say what you're selling. Then, aesthetically pleasing and invite the website's visitor to want to know more. At DirectionWorks we build websites with the user friendly "Click, Click, Buy" method.
Mar 29, 2015
Agree @Sherry, that ideal individual who is looking for your services, what do you want them to do on your site? Browse? Learn more about your company/services? Contact you? Something even more specific?
Mar 30, 2015
Hi
Hope you doing great !
Thanks a lot for your detailed feedback on the website ! We already resolved the technical issues you had highlighted ! Its great help for us because without feedback we wouldn't able to improve our website. We will reach you in future if we need any suggestion.
Best Regards,
Pranjal Neog
Mar 28, 2015
The easier way is to out yourself in the shoes of someone who has o idea about your company, or how to navigate the web. Make it simple to find things, keep the design consistent, and try not to make the user have to do alt of clicking or scrolling to find what they need. Assume that half your viewers are looking at this on a phone or tablet and therefore your navigation should be easy and flow correctly. If you need branding, or a style, hire a designer. Im always available for consults. Feel free to connect.
Mar 30, 2015
Hi,
Thank a lot !
Your thoughts will be helpful for improving our website ! Will contact you for any suggestion we required.
Regards,
Pranjal Neog
Mar 27, 2015
First of all you have to get their name and detail also a special or free give away offer. Keep it clean and when they opt in then you can put whatever you want on it.
Mar 27, 2015
I took a quick peek at your web site and overall I think the appearance is nice. I would agree with Daniel about the slider. The transition seems rough and distracting. A fade transition would be a nice improvement.
On your menu bar, under the services tab the "Finance and Accounting Outsourcing" runs off the menu bar. If you could shorten that title it would be better.
On the "Extended Enterprise Services you really need to break the text into paragraphs. It looks like a mess and makes it very hard to read.
The three photos on the home page toward the bottom under services seem to much like stock photos that don't relate to your business.
I like that the home page is not too busy but I think you don't do a good job of describing what your business really does. People will spend a very short time on a web page if something doesn't grab their attention and someone trying to find out what you do in your business is not going to get the answer very quickly.
Mar 30, 2015
Hi,
Thanks a lot !
We had gone through your feedback and very happy for highlighting the core issues which are important for us to improve .
Best Regards,
Pranjal Neog
Mar 27, 2015
Keep the front page clean and organised, too much text will scare customers off. I would just do a link to a sub-page called articles rather than a full article.
Definitely add a favicon which consists of multiple resolutions. I notice your current website does not have one and I personally find it unprofessional when a website does not have a fivicon. I would personally not change too much to the current design.
Something I would change is the way that the photo slider transfers between images. Make that into a cross-fade transition and adjust the timing so it gives a more serene and less distracting impression. In regards to the images that you use I would probably try and find pictures that either share the same colour scheme or go for grayscale or sepia images. Especially the boards holding rocks fall outside the colour scheme of the website and I personally prefer not to mix coloured and black and white images. Also remove the arrows in the slider that you can use to manually go to the next or previous slide. No one will likely use them.
Make sure that the text you place over the images is readable. The best your website has now is the "simplifying business. Together" but that one also falls way out of tune with the others and could probably be left out.
An other point I notices is that in the top left side of the page it says: /* * Print the
That does not look to organised either.
Move the menu bar away from the image slider by integrating it into the page header.
Use a vector logo instead of the PNG you use now.
You may also want to track user interaction so you know which pages people visit most and spend most time on. Then use the gathered statistics to adjust your page for optimal flow.
Mar 27, 2015
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Mar 29, 2015
I had a look at your website as well Sarvottam. One of the things I would personally change is the font. It is probably mostly a difference in taste but I would not quickly use Helvetica anywhere even though it is one of the most used fonts around. Recently I have grown very fond of the MuseoSans font which is also a sans font but has a far more serene appearance than Helvetica in my opinion.
I would also highly recommend updating the pictures to ones with a little higher resolution. The combined pictures are a nice enough idea but I would be more consistent with the placement of the picture overlap so it is in the same place (preferably right in the middle) every time.
The background is a little too busy in my opinion. I would opt for a design that has no lines, only colour planes and the use of gradients or blur to soften out the colour differences between planes.
Finally you have no favicon and I feel there is somehow too much text on the home page.
Mar 30, 2015
Hi
Thanks a lot !
Your detailed feedback is very helpful for us.We already noted the points you have highlighted, which will help us to improve the website in all direction.
Best Regards,
Pranjal Neog
Hi Aamina,
Great response! I love the advice you provide to the community. All of your answers are very detailed and specific to the scenario being presented. Keep it up!
Haley - Community Manager