How Important is Your Web Site's Home Page?
Let me start by saying your home page is the most important page of you web site. However, it may not be as important as you think. Many times, a small business puts almost all of their energy and thought into a fantastic home page, and ends up ignoring sub pages.
Most search engines index web pages individually. This means the homepage is not the only entry point for a user. That said, what can you do to help your first-time visitors navigate their way around your site?
- Navigation: Have a link to your home page on every page in your web site. If a user lands on one of your sub pages and likes what they see – they will be looking for the top level next. Can they find it?
- Clickable Banner: Lately, there is a trend to have the banner or logo of web pages clickable, sending users directly to the home page. It’s becoming intuitive to users. Even if you have a link to the home page, make your banner/logo clickable to the home page.
- Contact Info: Have a contact link - and better yet, complete contact information -on every page.
- Frame-less: Aargh! As a user, I can’t stand a site designed in frames for several reasons. First, if I want to bookmark or share a sub page of your site, I can’t because you’ve used frames. Same said for sites designed completely in Flash. One thing to remember when using frames and flash: Looks great, Less traffic.
Your home page is the web address on your business cards, brochures, adverts and email signatures (though that’s another strategy to discuss later). It is important. Just don’t neglect the importance of your other web pages.
So…aside from your home page, which page on your web site is the one you want visitors to see most?
Additional Reading:
- Biggest Mistakes in Web Design, 1999-2015 by Vincent Flanders
- Web Analysis, Behavioral Targeting and Advertising by Anil Batra
Comments