In the latest AITOMoviny, we asked how you view the importance of the homepage. You surprised us. The results were exactly 50:50. Half of you think the homepage isn’t the most important thing – and you’re right, it really isn’t.
The homepage is a non-selling business card
Fewer and fewer customers are visiting homepages. Ondřej Ilinčev, one of the leading Czech design experts, states that in 2003 an average
went to the homepage, whereas in 2009 this figure had fallen to just 19%. In our experience, most companies focus primarily on the appearance of the homepage
.
“Yet this is complete nonsense. Most customers arrive
at the website via a search engine or a click-through advert
. In both cases, however, a click is more likely to take them to a product page or a category page. The homepage serves more as a business card. But nobody is going to make a purchase based on a nice business card,” points out Tomáš Odl.
The homepage tells people what you do
Above all, the homepage should let the user know who you are, what you offer, and where they can buy the service or product. Its design also has its own rules and is influenced by trends.
The homepage is meant to grab attention, much like a shop window in a high street store, but it’s the product pages and their copy that actually make the sale; you can think of these as the shelves and the sales assistant. It is the text or the sales assistant who explains the benefits of the product.
Most users treat the homepage as a hub. They quickly move on to the product or service that appeals to them specifically.
Guide users away as quickly as possible
We are observing another trend. The homepage is gradually ceasing to fulfil conversion goals (i.e. submitting an order, making a purchase, submitting an enquiry, registering for a loyalty scheme, and so on). Conversely, the conversion rate is rising on pages offering services or directly on product pages.
This trend needs to be reflected throughout the website’s design and navigation structure. It is essential to guide users from the homepage to the topics that interest them. And to focus on an attractive presentation of services or products.
After all, if you don’t guide the user through the purchase process, another website will. Online competition is fierce these days. Any website that recognises the importance of individual pages gains an edge over the rest.