“Having fun, being interactive and keeping the attention of your user is pivotal in the success of a small business website.”
First impressions can make or break a website. It is essential to the success of a website that the homepage not only grabs, but keeps the attention of the visitor. Often, a small business will make the mistake of putting as much information as they can on their homepage; this only overwhelms and confuses the user. Here are some tips on creating an innovative and interesting homepage that will keep your visitors coming back!
CONTENT
Keeping in mind that the homepage is the gateway to your entire site, placing only relevant information there is necessary. The content must be short and simple so that the visitor can quickly browse each topic and understand what they would find if they traveled farther into the site. To avoid verbose clutter ensure that long descriptions and paragraphs are broken up into shorter points or bullets to make quick browsing a snap.
DESIGN
Design is ever-changing and having a current and interactive site will entice your visitors to return. The homepage is an opportunity to create an image for your company and try new things. Try adding an image to your site that will sit beside the name of your company during search engine results. As well, if you are active with social media create a live feed from your social media activity to your website.
Brand consistency is an important way to create an effective marketing identity for your small business. Selecting the colour scheme, theme, logo and design should be done very carefully as they need to reflect your product or service while remaining consistent across all platforms of your brand identity.
USABILITY
Using clearly defined headings across the top or side of your website not only organizes topics but aides the user in finding information quickly. As a main marketing tool the homepage is a chance to self promote the best attributes of your small business. By placing your featured products or services above the fold the user can see exactly what your business is made of in a matter of moments with no effort to search. Also, ensuring your site requires minimal scrolling allows the user to focus on your message rather then continually searching for relevant information.
Having fun, being interactive and keeping the attention of your user is pivotal in the success of a small business website.
