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It is not enough to attract visitors to a website. You also have to do all you can to convince them to stay. Since most people land on a site’s homepage, it is paramount that this part of the site is as well-designed as possible. The best-designed homepage is going to capture attention and make a person want to come back, which is what every single business wants. Grab and hold attention with the following tips.
Choose Design Based On Target Audience
Even before design work starts, it is important to know as much as possible about the target audience. This is because the information will help create a design that is aligned with the marketing strategy and that is exactly what the visitor expects. For instance, when designing a homepage for a shop selling items for teenagers, you can go for something that is youthful and colorful. However, if the shop sells items for corporate use, such an approach would not be a good idea.
Simplify Homepage Design
Cluttered design is not that great at holding attention so it should almost always not be present on the homepage. The focal point needs to be the intended message, service or product. When you choose a design template that is built around one thing and then the other elements added support it, distractions are limited. When cluttering with different design elements that are not needed, people get distracted and can easily just leave since they do not see the intended focus.
Streamlined Content
The homepage has to allow the visitor to quickly figure out what the business can do to help. Streamlining content is equally as important as simplifying homepage design. The text that is added has to be straight to the intended point and as clear as possible.
Generally, the homepage is not where you want to add long text paragraphs. This overwhelms visitors. Focus on the addition of attention-grabbing, short headlines that entice visitors and instantly stand out. The goal is always to make the visitor want to learn more about something. When people learn something from your content, you get more brand mentions, which in turn, naturally increases search engine ranking.
Use Very Strong Visuals
Every good web designer knows that graphics and images manage to easily capture attention. This happens much faster than when using text. Since the success of a home page relies on attention, impactful visuals need to be seen as necessary additions. Videos or hero graphics work well since they can increase interest and support the overall message.
Add Dynamic Content
Homepage engagement can be increased through the inclusion of sections like blog posts, updates, news and dynamic content in general. Such frequently updated sections will encourage the visitor to come back to see when new content is added. Also, this is highly preferred by Google as the search engine wants to see sites that are often updated. If the homepage never changes, it is seen as having lower importance. Adding dynamic content signals that the site offers valuable data.
Add A Call-To-Action
Last but not least, adding a really good call-to-action is mandatory for proper homepage design. The CTA has to be chosen based on the intended goal and designed to perfectly match everything else. Usually, this means you have to work with the marketing team to determine the best possible CTA to be added.
