Chapter 7

Clearly, the home page on any site is the page which is most commonly visited and therefore all content displayed on the homepage is what the most exposure. This does not mean that a home page should be cluttered with as much content as possible. The designer should carefully choose which elements and information will be of most interest to the end user. That information is put on the home page while useful links will direct the user to all of the other content.

Avoid placing large elements on a home page if they do not enhance the user’s experience. Everything on a page should work toward increasing usability and enhancing the user’s understanding of the site. If a large element is not serving a purpose, then it actually weakens the design.

The author of the text loosely compares a home page to the front window of a store inside a mall. Its function is to give the user a glimpse of what they may find inside. The home page should identify who you are, what you do, what you may be able to provide to the user, and it should clearly establish that personality discussed in previous chapters. All a user has to do to quickly leave your site is click the back button. The home page is responsible for keeping them there.

Anticipate what users will be looking for when they come to the home page and make those elements or that information dominant in the visual hierarchy. This makes the users experience fast and convenient and will increase the likelihood of their return to your site.

Highlight new additions to your website on the home page. If there are never any changes to a site, why should the user return? Notify them of the changes right up front but do so in an organized fashion and avoid creating too much clutter on the home page.