A website homepage has been at the center of a heated debate in recent years. Some continue to argue that the homepage is of crucial importance: after all, it is still statistically the most visited page of a website today, and – at least theoretically – it is the one a visitor sees as soon as he arrives. Others, on the other hand, argue that the homepage has lost its centrality.
After all, if you have an e-commerce, it makes much more sense to optimize the product page rather than the homepage, right?
Yet, despite all valid reasons, the homepage is still extremely important.
Because, if designed correctly, it is a fundamental element for the success of a site and represents a powerful part of it with a very high specific weight.
Site Homepage, the Foundation of Trust
It’s now much easier to get people straight to your sales or landing pages. Think about it. How many times do you buy by coming directly to the product page? In my opinion, few. In all likelihood, before you take out your credit card, you scan the site by doing a little research. And this search starts from the homepage. For example, if you shop for contact lenses at designer optics, you will definitely see the homepage first.
That’s why your first page is so important – it’s the foundation of the trust factor.
What Is a Website Homepage
If you don’t know what homepage means, I’ll explain it to you right away: the homepage is the main page of a website.
The homepage is usually the first page, the one you see when you land on the site by typing the domain in the address bar.
And it is a fundamental page – now we will see why – for the success of any digital project, from the largest e-commerce to the small family-run company.
The Advantages of the Homepage
Unlike a product page or a landing page (designed and intended for a specific, single-purpose), the homepage is a bit of a toolbox: inside, there must be a bit of everything because its function is not only that of selling but also of informing and communicating value.
For your homepage to be truly effective, it needs to do at least these 3 things right:
- Clarify the benefits of your product
- Build trust
- Inform the visitor and indicate the route
In other words: Your homepage doesn’t sell directly, but it can make you gain (or lose) sales.
It must be clear, concise, and professional. And luckily for you, there are some things everyone can do to optimize their homepage. We will focus on one very important basic strategy, the 7-second test.
What Is the 7-second Test?
Important! The process is simple. Show your homepage to a neutral observer, someone who doesn’t know you or is unfamiliar with your business, and invite them to look at your page. To know if you did a good job and passed the test, this person should be able to tell you 3 things in 7 seconds, namely:
- What is your product, and what problem does it solve
- Why should they choose you
- What the user should do immediately after
After all, these are the things you want your visitor to understand immediately. On the web, the concept of “time” is truly distorted: you have very few seconds to attract the attention of customers. The internet is very vast, and failing to make a good first impression is most likely losing the customer: remember that your competitors are only a few clicks away!