Build A Perfect

Home Page

Your Web site's home page is the most important page on

your site. A lot of graphics may look pretty, but it could be
keeping visitors away. Read this article to find out what
should and shouldn't go on your home page.

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Build A Perfect Home Page

Your Web site's home page is the starting point for most of your site's visitors. This makes
your home page the most important page on your entire site. Welcome visitors with a virtual
handshake they'll remember and make a good first impression.

Key Resources:

• See Info-Tech's feature "Web Design Best Practices Guide" for a

complete look at how to create a winning Web site.

Home Page Design Action Plan:

1. Weigh In: Each graphic, button, and snippet of code increases the size of your
page and can become a barrier to the 84% of users that use a 56Kbps or slower
connection. To see what we mean, compare Google's lightweight 12KB home
page with Nickelodeon's 638KB monster. Byte Level Research found that the
average weight of the top 300 Web sites was 91 KB. This is too heavy.

• Jupiter Media Metrix recommends that your home page weigh no more
than 40-50KB. This makes for a download time of 8-10 seconds over a
56Kbps modem.

• Set a page weight limit and enforce it. Shrink or delete graphics and
eliminate extraneous code to stay within your limit.

2. Set the Tone: Your home page should be a microcosm of the rest of your site in
terms of visual style, tone, and format. The decisions you make for this page
should act as a `tutorial' for what visitors can expect from the rest of your site,
making subsequent pages easier for visitors to use.

3. Eliminate Plug-Ins: If your home page requires plug-ins to be viewed, you

might be slamming the front door in a visitor's face. Flash, for example, can be
an effective add-on if used wisely, but always offer an HTML-only version for
easy access.

4. Offer "Must Have" Info, and Cut the Rest: Key information must be posted
on or accessible from your home page. Highlighting special promotions is a
good idea, but a site visitor counter is an amateurish space waster. Always
assess the business value of adding any elements to your home page beyond the
following:

• Company name and mission statement and/or an introductory hook.

• Clear and annotated links to other key pages, including company contact
information, products and services page, and so on.

• Link to Webmaster e-mail for comments and questions.

• Date of last page update to indicate currency.

• Site search function.

• Links to copyright and privacy policies.

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5. Test Via Public Channels: Chances are your in-house connections are
significantly faster than those used by the general public. Test download times
through a public ISP, such as AOL.

Bottom Line: Think about your company's home page like a cover to a book. The best book
jackets are clear and concise while still visually arresting. When in doubt, "less is more."

Want to Know More?

• Read Business 2.0's "Slim Down That Homepage" for more on page size
issues.

• Also see ZDNet E-Commerce's "Home page best practices" for a good
evaluation of top Web sites and evaluation criteria from Creative Good.
Many of the sites have been re-engineered since the evaluation, but old
screenshots make it clear what Creative Good is talking about.

• Also check the University of Virginia's "HTML Page Design" tips.

Sources: Business 2.0 Article, University of Virginia Web Site, ZDNet E-Commerce Article

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