The Importance of the Homepage of Your Website
We do not say it often enough: the homepage is the most important page of your website. Since it is the front door to your site, it is often the first page visitors will see. In an instant, they will decide if it is a credible website that will answer their needs or not. You then have to add all relevant information that explains what your site is about and use attractive visuals that will represent yourself and draw attention. You must take the time to create this website page if you want to be successful and look professional.
When someone visits your website but leaves it quickly without taking any action, this increases your bounce rate. The bounce rate is one of the elements analyzed by Google when it indexes your site. The more the number of visitors that do not take any action on your website is high, the more it tells search engines that your site did not meet the needs. It then damages the global indexing of your website. Since the homepage is often the first visited page, you must make sure that they stay on your site, and you answer their potential needs. See the homepage like a map that tells your visitors where they can find the wanted information on your site. Send them to the right place and answer their questions.
A Summary of Your Website
What content should you put on your homepage? You need to add texts and pictures, but not too much. Everything is a matter of balance; you also need to keep enough content on the other pages. Your homepage should be the summary of your site like a book’s back cover. What do you say when you present your projects to others? How are you different? What are your values? Your visitors should want to visit the other sections of your site. Consequently, do not forget to add a section for each page on your homepage with a button that invites people to discover more. It is also important to mention that you should put the important information at the top of the page since it is more viewed than the bottom.
For example, if you create a website for your restaurant, we should be able to see what type of food is served at a glance. Do you own a pizzeria, an Italian restaurant, or a sushi bar? Your homepage should answer this question quickly. Then, add a link to the menu and a contact form to take reservations.
Some Tips When Creating Your Website Homepage
Since it can be stressful to create the perfect homepage, here are some things to consider during the creation process.
When you create a website, you must make sure that the final result represents you well. One way to do this is to design a strong brand image. Your branding is more than just having a logo. It includes your color palette, fonts, but also your values and what you want to convey. Consequently, you should put all the elements of your brand image on your homepage. Therefore, you will get some credibility and stand out from other websites.
A picture is worth a thousand words. As a result, if it is a pixelized image or a visual element with poor quality, this will hurt your credibility, especially if it is on your homepage. Did you know that you have access to a free image library on WebSelf? There are also image banks that can help you find the right pictures for your site. On another note, one of the actual trends for homepages is to use one picture for that page.
Once your homepage is created, do not forget to see how it appears on mobile devices. It is especially vital since websites are more and more visited that way. To do it, go on the editor, and click on the phone icon located top right. If needed, you can create a different homepage for mobile devices.
Simple designs are trendy. It is then essential not to overload your homepage. Each element you add has a visual weight, in addition to a digital weight. The more you will add pictures of texts, the more your webpage will be heavy; this will harm its loading speed. Loading speed is also an element that is analyzed by Google when it indexes your site.
Besides being the basis of your website, the homepage is the most important place for your indexing. You then need to optimize it for search engines if you want your site to be on the first page of results. First, you should have a main title (H1). To do it, click on the title of your choice and check the box Main title of the page. Then, fill the title tag and meta description of your homepage by clicking on the PAGES tab located left, on the gear icon, and SEO.
If you do not know where to start, WebSelf has tools to help you create the perfect homepage that will answer your visitors' needs. First, we have many website templates with different homepages that can inspire you. Otherwise, you can find section templates for homepages by clicking on the SECTION tab, and add a section template, homepage. You will only need to change the pictures and texts for yours.
In conclusion, if you want to have a successful website, you need to take the time to create a credible and professional homepage. Show your colors and present yourself; it is how you can stand out. Once it is done, do not forget to create your about us page to tell your story and reveal your team.