Your Other Homepage

Technically when we say homepage, we actually mean the first page you see on your website. When we say your landing page, it’s actually refering to your other main pages or the top page of every sub-category/level.

For instance, if I had a button called Categories and when you click on it or place your mouse cursor over it, it drops down several other options. The Categories link when clicked on brings you to your landing page for that parent link.

Some people don’t have a landing page for their parent link because it doesn’t benefit their website. However, when some people do use their landing pages, some don’t use it beneficially.

I’m going to try and address something that I feel is a good topic to discuss on after reading the Forrester Research newsletter.

Users who begin site visits on lower-level pages — like landing pages — need to know that they’ve arrived in the right place and to see evidence that they can complete their goals. To support these users, site managers should consistently apply design principles that orient users and help them quickly identify the best path to their goals.

So we need to apply some simple design principles to our landing pages. It doesn’t mean you need to differentiate the landing pages using different colors. Few of the simpler methods to solve this:

• Maintain the logo position OR
• Make sure the title of the company and the page is present OR
• Content needs to be explanatory by the first paragraph OR
• Content needs to stand out though not as much as the logo.
• And etc..

You don’t need to use such drastic measures to make sure visitors know that is your website. Don’t need to have a huge mascot right beside your content chanting your name. All you need is to follow the simple principles that sometimes doesn’t even require an extra design.

Looking at human behaviour regarding this issue. Let’s use someone searching for simple steps to make their website better. He or she types in their query into Google and so happen to finds either my weblog or another website. They click on the link from Google that leads them here and later they’ll quickly scan through the content.

Once they’re done, whether or not it fulfilled their goal, you have only 60 seconds of their attention to communicate who you are and what your company might be doing.

So if you’re running a large website, e-commerce shop or any website, have your landing pages been effective enough lately?

Comments

Have something to say? Leave a comment