Every website home page should have these 5 elements

Every website home page should have these 5 elements

Stop and take a moment to look at your website’s home page. What do you see? You might answer with a list that includes your company name, logo, page tabs, and images. What else do you see on your home page? I’m asking you to look closely because you may be missing a key element or two that could immediately improve your customer experience. Although the appearance of a home page should be unique and stand apart from the competition, there are certain features that all businesses should use in order to build up customer engagement and enhance their brand.

Does your home page include these items?

Clear navigation direction

Your home page may look pleasing to the eye, but how easy is it for viewers to find what they are looking for? Important information, such as page tabs or buttons, should be near the top or “above the fold” of the page and have clear titles such as “Contact”, “FAQs”, etc. Keep navigational tabs close together, whether that be in a straight line or blocked in one area. If you’re unsure about the layout, ask others to give their opinions. If they think the home page is confusing, then chances are many others are thinking the same thing.

Calls to action

What do you want customers to do when they reach your home page? Give them a push by guiding them to the answers they are searching for. Add buttons labeled “learn more” to direct them to your services. Include forms that visitors can immediately fill out such as consultation requests, email updates, and e-newsletter subscriptions. Customer engagement is critical for home page success. Instant and clear calls to action are key.

Contact information

Sometimes businesses will only put contact information on a contact page. It may not be the biggest flaw of a home page, but it can take away viewers’ trust and hurt first impressions. I cannot say how many times I have gone to a website and became instantly annoyed that a phone number or address was not on the home page. I realize it only takes a second to go to the contact page, but we cannot deny that we want to see that kind of information upfront. 

This also goes for social media links. Do not hide your social media icons on a page people may never view! Your customers will click to view your social media pages if they see it on the home page.

Easy to skim overview

If your home page has a company overview that is many paragraphs long, chances are your customers are ignoring the information. Keep your overview to a minimum, with a combination of a mission statement and introduction. Bullet points are great for this because they stand out and deliver concise information. Think of your business summary as an elevator pitch, but with a little longer of an elevator ride to include an additional line or two of information.

Add some bells and whistles

Home pages made up of just text and buttons are basic and boring. Get creative and add some visuals to get customers looking. Add a slideshow of images and headers featuring your services or staff. Create a welcoming video that introduces your business, but please don’t let it autorun.

Have a blog? Run your blog’s feed on your homepage to show viewers you’re staying up to date on the conversations in your industry. Want to build credibility? Feature testimonials from your clients that change as the page is refreshed.

Take a look at your website home page again. What do you see, or not see now? Never stop working to improve your customers’ online experience. Keep in mind that you don’t want to overwhelm the visitor either. All of these suggestions can improve your home page, but if you try to add them all, then you run the risk of adding to the confusion of your visitors.

If you like some of these ideas and need help decided what is the best fit for your business and website, we are here to provide that help. Our programmers and designers want your website to be a profitable investment. Give us a call at 910-452-6345 or get in touch with us by filling out our contact form. 

Updated: 10/26/2023

Categorised in: Getting Creative

This post was written by admin