Having an effective homepage is one of the best practices for managing your company’s website. A homepage serves as the front door of your website. You should design your homepage to feature the public's most requested information and services and to serve as a top-level directory to access the primary sections of your website.
• The homepage is the main tool for sending your visitors in the right direction.
• Companies websites need to focus on helping the public find the services and information they want and need most.
• Research shows that more than half of all web users evaluate websites based on homepages alone. If you have an ineffective homepage, many visitors will immediately be turned off and may never come back to your site.
• Web visitors want fast, efficient service. On homepages, they expect to find what they’re looking for with little or no scrolling.
• Web users are impatient. They don’t want to be distracted by text or graphics that don’t help them find what they want or that increase download time.
• Even if your website is targeted to specialized audiences, your homepage needs to communicate basic information to the general public.
• Assess Audience Needs: There are many ways to determine how to organize and design your homepage, based on audience needs:
- Customer satisfaction surveys;
- Focus groups;
- Email, phone calls, letters, and other contact with the public;
- Talking with intended audiences;
- Talking with other web content managers; and,
- Analyzing web reports, including search terms and statistics.
• Read more about assessing your audience's needs
• Test with Users: Usability testing can help you organize your homepage in the most effective way.
• Most Requested Information: The most requested information should be featured prominently, including online services and forms used by the public.
• Photos and Graphics: Homepages should not feature photos of executives or employees of your organization. Those photos may be appropriate on the "About Us" or "News" page.
• Be Clear about the Purpose: Even if the public is not the primary intended audience of your website, the homepage should provide an easy-to-identify section where the purpose of the website and the value to citizens is explained in terms they understand.
- Your company’s strategic plan and annual performance plans
- Descriptions of your company organizational structure, mission and statutory authority
- Information made available under the Freedom of Information Act
Provided to you by Roberto Espinoza and Patricia Espinoza at: CPC Computer Consultants, Inc.
www.cpccci.com
www.cpcwebsolutions.com
www.cpcwebdevelopment.com