By: Jonathan Sobczynski

Importance of HomepagesA Homepage is the company’s “Face to the

World”

Most important page on a Website

Make the Site's Purpose Clear: Explain Who You Are and What You Do

#1: Include a One-Sentence TaglineSummerizes what the site/company does

Used to attract new customers

Extremely helpful if your company's marketing slogan is bad.

Make the Site's Purpose Clear: Explain Who You Are and What You Do

2. Write a Window Title with Good Visibility in Search Engines and Bookmark Lists

Begin the “Title Tag” with the Company’s Name

Then have a brief description of site

Make the Site's Purpose Clear: Explain Who You Are and What You Do

3. Group all Corporate Information in One Distinct Area

Create a section dedicated solely for business information

Best way to link users to more in-depth infoImportant if the site hopes to support

recruiting (ie: investor relations, public relations)

Help Users Find What They Need4. Emphasize the Site's Top High-

Priority TasksOffer users a main starting point in the siteTell the users the main 1-4 tasks they will

undertake when visiting your site.

Help Users Find What They Need5. Include a Search Input BoxSearch Box is extremely important to any big

websiteUsers usually scan the homepage looking for

“the little box where I can type”Make the box at least 27 characters wide to

accommodate multiple words

Reveal Site Content6. Show Examples of Real Site Content

Don’t just use the Homepage as just a maskShow some of your company’s best or most

recent work

Show off your company and be proud of it

Reveal Site Content7. Begin Link Names with the Most

Important KeywordLinks are action items on a homepageStart a link with a relevant wordMost common violation is starting links with

the company name

Reveal Site Content8. Offer Easy Access to Recent Homepage

FeaturesUsers will often remember articles,

products, etc. that were featured prominently on the homepage

Keep a short list of recent figures on the homepage

Also supplement it with a permanent link to other archives in homepage

Use Visual Design to Enhance, not Define, Interaction Design

9. Don't Over-Format Critical Content, Such as Navigation Areas

Homepage items do not require elaborate illustrations, boxes, and colors.

Focus on the parts of the homepage that looks more likely to be useful

Use Visual Design to Enhance, not Define, Interaction Design

10. Use Meaningful GraphicsDon't decorate the page with fancy artImages are powerful communicators when

they show items of interest to usersIt is best to show photos of real people

actually connected to the topic