Designing a Home Page

Craig Borysowich (Chief Technology Tactician)

The home page is the first page that is downloaded when a Web site's domain name is typed by a user. It is generally the page that can be directly accessed from any other page on the site.

Purpose

The home page often has one or more of the following uses:

· grab the attention of the visitor to the site,

· provide site navigational support,

· identify the organization owning the site through graphics or text,

· highlight what's new on the site,

· provide users with a feedback link or contact point.

Approaches

There are a variety of approaches to meeting the needs of the home page including:

· Highlight and provide direct links to as much of the site content as possible.

· Keep the home page simple and provide links only to the site's main sections.

· Provide a cover page or graphical image similar to a magazine cover to set the tone but not provide much information.

· Split the home page into a series of multiple entry pages tailored to the needs of each audience (e.g., new users versus repeat users).

Issues

There is no one absolutely correct way to design a home page. The designer needs to balance style and content. Some issues to keep in mind include:

· Size of the browser window is limited and can easily be overcrowded if too many functions are included in the home page.

· Large graphic files may be compelling and attention-grabbing to new users but repeat users who want to navigate directly to an area on the site may not wait for them to load.

· Presenting too much information on the home page confuses and overwhelms the target audience.

· Limiting the site to one home page removes the possibility of designing pages that are customized to particular audiences.

· Promotional billboards that change frequently are useful to support marketing campaigns.