Creating a More Welcoming Homepage

A website’s homepage is its primary face to the world. It is the first thing that appears when users show up on your website. For this reason, they usually tend to refer to your homepage as home, because that word itself evokes the feelings of belonging and warmth. So it should give off a safe and welcoming vibe, especially when it comes to ecommerce web design. Keeping that in mind would help avoid numerous design mistakes.

Unfortunately, many site owners ignore this simple rule. As a result, site users might feel that they are having a nightmarish walk through a long-abandoned haunted house, with all those doors and twisty hallways. It is not that we have something against blood-red typography or dark color palettes. What we are talking about is all those frightening web designs that make users run away in fear. So what makes a house feel so haunted and disturbing? In this article, we are going to discuss some of the best tips on how to build a more welcoming and user-friendly homepage that feels like a new home and does not feel haunted. 

Read also: MOBILE MARKETING TRENDS TO REACH THE MILLENNIALS

What Makes Your Site Feel Like A Haunted House

In order to determine how to eliminate those haunted-like components from the UX design, one must first understand what are they in more detail. So when we say “a site is a haunted house,” we typically mean the following: 

1. A website looks unsafe

The sense of security is probably the most essential characteristic of a high-quality web design. When a user types your domain name into his or her device, the last thing he or she wants to feel is a lack of security. At least your site should not been perceived as unsafe. 

How to fix:

• Monitor for server downtime
• Block spam in comments
• Prevent 404 errors
• Install SSL certificate
• Make sure your site is responsive

2. A website looks too cheap 

If a web design looks too low budget, it will question the worth and legitimacy of the company behind it.

How to fix:

Put more money into web design and development if you do not want your users noticing errors, odd design decisions, and flaws. 

3. Web design is too confusing

Excessive confusion is an another haunted house-like element. This refers to a lack of logical organization and clear pathways (navigation) that makes your users feel like they got lost in the woods. Besides, the sense of confusion can be caused by unclear call-to-action, infinite scroll, disappearing/excessively deep navigation, jarring animations or typography, and poor color schemes.

How to fix:

• Create clear navigation for your customers
• Use color contrasts. If you are not sure, go with classics (black and white)
• Display a sitemap on your website

4. A website feels abandoned

Some websites really look like that film called “Silent Hill”, with its ghost town somewhere in the U.S. Your website seems devoid of any meaningful experiences and feels unlivable for users if:

• Missing working contact form/contact details 
• Lacks useful content
• Too outdated or too simple design

How to fix:

Keep your website updated and be aware of the web design trends.

Read also: THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BRANDING DESIGN

How to Build a User-Friendly Homepage?

1. Make sure your homepage conveys trust 

It should include social proof or any evidence that your business can be trusted. This can take many forms, such as feedback section and social media buttons (links to your Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook accounts)

2. Offer a gift 

Your homepage is a great place to offer a gift for users, switching from a corporate-centric approach to user/customer-centric. Consider offering a workbook, trial, or free product download.

3. Draw a path for your users to follow 

Consider using the layout (UI/UX design) and content to guide users to your call-to-action buttons. 

4. Do not hesitate to use “you”

Think of it as of a kind of “empathy hack” that stresses your audience-centric approach. Say “you” more than “we” or “us.”  

5. Use your target audience’s slang words

Use wording that is familiar to your users. 

6. Keep your homepage stupid-simple

Avoid the impulse to tell all about who you are, what you do, and why you offer the best web design product ever. This can be very overwhelming for your users.

7. Understanding your audience is a key to creating a more welcoming homepage

Whichever headline you choose, you should make its user-centric value clear right from the start.

8. Communicate to your users

Your homepage must appeal to users who might not know you yet. Thus, it should be designed and written keeping in mind those who are here for the first time.

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Key Takeaways

If you will start thinking of your site as a home, you can avoid the numerous web design mistakes that make it feel more like a long abandoned haunted house than a welcome and warm homecoming. At Loonar Studios, we are aware of all variables that define a successful homepage, based on the goals and nature of your brand. Interested? Contact us right now to get a free quote!