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Author: OPRK Marketing

How to design the main page of a website

Designing the main page of a website is an important and useful, and also a very interesting process in which you can learn a lot of new things.

intuitive design

Even the name of this page – the main page – speaks for itself. It is here that the visitor not only understands where he has ended up, but also forms his impression of the company. Therefore, designing the main page of a website is an important and useful, and also a very interesting process in which you can learn a lot of new things.

The role of the main page of a website in working with the audience

Each website is a presentation of a company or a specialist, and the main goal of the site is to show this activity from the most attractive and advantageous side. It does not matter what kind of site you have – a landing page, an online store, an information site or a service site. Today we will focus on one of the key elements – the main page.

Every website owner wants as many people as possible to know about him. And not only that, everyone wants visitors to like what they see. From the very first seconds of being on the site, the visitor forms a fairly stable opinion about you – what kind of activity you conduct and how seriously you take it, how relevant and modern you are, whether you are available for feedback, etc. The first page of the site will help your visitors form the impression of you that you would like.

Of course, the main page plays the most important role on commercial sites, for those companies that sell goods or services online. The visitor’s first impression most often determines whether he will become your client. The main page is the part of the site with which you can significantly increase conversion, increase the number of applications and reduce the cost of one lead. Correctly located and designed functional elements of the main page can involve the visitor in your offer, convincing him that you are what he needs.

To achieve this goal, you should learn a little about the logic of the main page, and how they are built depending on the type of activity.

What types of main pages are there

Before creating the main page of the site, you should learn the general rules that almost all main pages follow. However, there are also some peculiarities: the focus of the site necessarily influences the appearance and content of the main page, and the site as a whole.

Services Site

service or product sell online

The main page of a services site should be such that anyone who lands on your site immediately understands their value. How to convey this? Through three main tools:

  • expertise;
  • friendliness;
  • accessibility.

Here’s what should be on the main page of a service site so that it conveys these qualities:

  • A clear catalog of services. It should be visible, with easy navigation and clear category names. Most often, such a menu is located on the left or in the center of the main page.
  • Advantages. Don’t be shy about talking about what you’re good at. While you’re being modest, others are making money. Make a block on the main page with 3-5 of your main advantages that will hook future clients: do it competently, ethically and honestly, having previously conducted work on studying the target audience.
  • Portfolio. Show people the results of the work you’ve already done, because you have something to be proud of. Do it beautifully, stylishly and presentably. You can allocate a separate page for the portfolio, a link to which will be on the main page, and put a selection of the best or latest works on the main page so that the visitor can see them right away.
  • Price list. If you indicate the prices for services right away, this will increase trust in you as a professional. You don’t “hide” or try to confuse a person, but immediately and honestly tell how much your work costs. It is better to make prices a separate section with a mandatory link on the main page. If there are few services, prices can be indicated directly on the service boxes, along with a preview image.
  • Contacts. A person who glanced at your main page and became interested in your services should be able to contact you immediately. Indicate your phone number, address, email – preferably right in the site header.

Online store

how to open online shop?

Selling goods on the Internet is the most popular type of business that can be done online. There is a special type of website for this – online stores, where the main page is both a showcase, and an advertisement, and the first step to communication with a future buyer.

What to place on the main page of an online store so that this communication is successful?

  • Product catalog with search by categories and filters. In the case of products, it is very important that a person can easily and quickly find what he needs. Even if the visitor does not yet know exactly what he is looking for, such a search can help him decide. The product category catalog menu is usually placed on the left side of the main page of the site.
  • A selection of popular or seasonal products. This will make those products more accessible that you can earn more on, what people are looking for. Such a block can be made on the left under the catalog or a separate slider in the center.
  • Promotions and special offers. Of course, there should be a separate page for promotions, but the main page must necessarily display current promotions that may interest visitors right now and will help increase sales. It makes sense to make a promotional block in the central part of the page, in the form of a slider or a tile of 2-4 bars.
  • Feedback. You need to give the client the opportunity to contact you already here, when he is on the main page. Online chat is one of the most useful and selling tools for online stores.
  • Reviews. Yes, right here on the main page, you can place a slider with reviews from satisfied customers, so that those who have just come to your site immediately grasp your demand.
  • Contacts. The address of the main office or showroom, phone number and email – all this should be right in the header of the site.

Landing

personal landing page

The peculiarity of a landing is that it presents a single unique selling proposition (USP). This could be a special complex product, a super-service or a training course, but the offer is essentially only one, and a single-page landing site is dedicated to it. In fact, such a site is entirely one main page, but it can be scrolled. Therefore, we will consider the first screen as the main page of the landing.

  • Presentation of a trade offer. It is important to show a product or service in as much detail, profitably and vividly as possible. The description should answer the visitor’s “pains” from the first seconds and demonstrate a willingness to address these pains. We recommend accompanying this part with a bright, capacious title, for example, a provocative question.
  • Illustration of your offer. Of course, there should be a good photo and video where you can see the details from all sides.
  • Navigation button “Learn more”. The rest of the landing page reveals all the other details of the trade offer — prices, conditions, options, etc. The “Learn more” button leads to these details and answers to questions.
  • Feedback button. This should be an obvious and accessible step that the client can take towards you. “Order a call back”, “Make a calculation”, “Book”, “Ask a question” — provide people with options for quickly contacting you.
  • Target action button. “Order”, “Buy”, “Leave a request”. The call to action should already be on the main landing page screen. From experience, such a lead magnet works very effectively.

Informational site

world business letters

There are sites that do not have a direct purpose to sell, but exist so that visitors can get the necessary useful information on a topic. Most often, these are sites of government organizations and municipal structures, cultural sites, charitable foundations, etc. Despite the fact that there are no commercial goals here, people come to these sites to learn something. The main page of an informational site is the first step to the audience.

What should be placed here:

  • Logo and name of the organization. There is no need to explain here — it should be obvious on the main page of the site what kind of organization it is and what it does.
  • Description. Let the visitor understand from the first seconds what useful information he can find on this site. Information can be divided into areas and categories, make a menu or clickable plates.
  • Address and contacts. It is important to demonstrate accessibility and openness. Place contact information in the header of the site, and do not forget to make a separate section “Contacts” with a map, additional phone numbers and other means of communication (phone numbers of different departments or heads of departments), and place a link to this section in the header.
  • Feedback. People come to the site for information, and you need to give them the opportunity to supplement this information if they have questions. It would be logical to make a feedback form or a link to it on the main page.
  • Reporting block. Photo reports from events, completed work are posted here.
  • Announcement of events. The audience interested in your organization’s activities should have an idea of ​​what you do and what you plan to do. This will help you gain public recognition, trust, and popularity.

What’s common

On any website, the home page should contain the main elements that give meaning and attract the targeted attention of visitors:

  • Presentation and description;
  • Contacts;
  • Feedback

Other elements may vary depending on the type of site, but most commercial sites will also have these elements on their home pages:

  • catalog of goods or services;
  • application or order form.
design the main page

Important! Give the visitor the opportunity to easily perform the actions you expect from them. If you make the main page welcoming and competent, then people will immediately have the right mood, and your business will become more profitable thanks to this.

What will be superfluous

The main page is a fairly capacious element of the site, but do not forget that an overloaded and uninformative page is a red light for visitors.

Try to avoid the following elements on the main page:

⛔ A complete catalog of goods and services.

It is still better to make it in the form of a clickable menu, and not post your entire range at once on the main page.

⛔ Large text descriptions.

This looks unfriendly and tires the visitor from the first seconds, even if it seems to you that these texts are very important and useful.

⛔ Too many advantages or good reviews.

It is better to limit yourself to 3-5 such elements on the main page, in the case of reviews – make a switching slider if the visitor wants to see more of them. Boasting is a sign of low professionalism and unethicality, and you shouldn’t give that impression. It’s always better to show, not tell: prove your expertise with a portfolio, complete information, and feedback.

⛔ Low-quality images.

Illustrations, visual elements, photos, and videos — all of this should be of good quality and “be friends” with each other.

How to place elements on the main page

When you already know what will be on the main page of your site, it remains to decide how to place it all. We will give you some recommendations that will help you do this in the best possible way.

  1. Think about usability. The main page should be ergonomic, convenient and intuitive. Its layout and appearance are something that should be thought out at the prototyping stage. To do this, you will need to study your competitors’ websites, form an image of the target audience and determine the corporate style of your company. This will help you make the main page clear, convenient, accessible and visually pleasing.
  2. Focus on what is important. If you have a commercial site, do not hesitate to emphasize the advantages of your USP. The main page is what should catch and hold the visitor’s attention so that he becomes a client.
  3. Make the navigation convenient and clear. The navigation logic on the main page should be built in such a way as to lead the visitor to the target action that you need. How exactly the main page is built depends on the type of site, but ergonomics are very important. Give the visitor the opportunity to find all the necessary sections and buttons at once, intuitively.
  4. Fewer words – more action. Do not overload the main page with texts! A person has just visited you, and the last thing he wants is to get involved in the text masses that are all over the main page. He came here not to read, but to satisfy his needs, so brevity, meaning and conciseness are your friends.
  5. Adapt the page for mobile devices. The main page of your site should open and be read correctly not only from a computer, but also from smartphones and tablets. Think about how the main elements and menu will be located in the mobile version, what can be shortened, what can be moved or hidden. Remember about ergonomics – the mobile version should be as convenient, beautiful and understandable as the main one.
  6. Think about the visitor! Your main page should not only be a demonstration of your company, but also the first friendly gesture towards a future client. Friendliness and willingness to help, a positive emotional attitude, understanding and responsiveness – this is what a visitor to your site should feel to become your loyal client. Try to convey this in headings, descriptions, illustrations – competently, ethically and kindly.

Website dev is a labor-intensive and delicate process if you are aiming for a quality result. SEO improvements are constantly needed, as this area is developing rapidly. We can help you analyse and improve your online business

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