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Is your homepage open for business?

If you are open for business, let your homepage be an entry point not a barrier.

How often have you come across the following conditions of entry?

Welcome, please …
  • View with a different browser.
  • Download this software.
  • Listen to my favourite music.
  • Admire these pretty pictures. (Find your way in, without any clues. Good luck!)
  • Be patient. An image is downloading on your desktop. (What it is or how long it takes does not matter. I’m sure you’ll like it because I think it’s cool!)
    •

    It gets worse …
  • Learn to live with my pop-up windows. (They pay the bills.)
  • Enter your personal details. (I realise you don’t know me but, trust me.)
  • Subscribe to my newsletter (…before you make up your mind).
  • Type your username and password. (Sorry, members only.)

    • You’ve seen it all before and what do you do? Unless curiosity takes over, you will probably take your business to a welcoming site.

    Off you go…to the next website.

    Let’s try this one. It looks so professional with its own domain name!

    Check this …
  • Wow! It downloads quickly.
  • There’s an overview of all the goodies on the site.
  • That’s for me! I’m obviously the target market!
  • Looks like real people! They provide their name and contact details.
  • I feel free, I’m in control. I can navigate without a user’s guide.

    • I can’t resist. I want to know more...

    And off you go…deep into the site.

    Make your homepage homely and inviting. Don’t give me the opportunity to use your homepage as an example of unfriendly web design.

    200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website

    © 2003 Henriette Martel-Lawson

    Henriette Martel-Lawson is a website strategist and author of 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website. Receive a free ebook when you subscribe to WEBmarketingcues, a free and valuable newsletter with articles, reviews and resources to help you market your own website. http://www.marketingcues.com

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    Recommended reading

     Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed by Jakob Nielsen & Marie Tahir. 2001. The book provides practical information.
     
     

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