The back button is the most widely used command on the web, so from the moment a visitor lands on your homepage it needs to be working to help keep visitors on your site. If your website can’t fill users’ needs immediately, they are likely to exit your site without taking the time to look around. However, by avoiding these common mistakes on your homepage, you can create a website that grabs your visitors’ attentions and gives them a reason to stay.

• Too Busy of a Homepage

  Graphics can create a visually interesting website, but too much animation or added graphics can make your homepage feel overwhelming or too busy. In addition to diluting your key messages a busy homepage will not only distract from your business, but also make your site harder to navigate. A clean simple web design is typically more user friendly, but remember, a clean design doesn’t mean it should be dull or uninteresting. Done right, a clean homepage design can have high-impact, be visually stimulating and be creative.

• Too Much Text

  Opening a webpage to a “wall of text” can be overwhelming and discourage visitors from reading your site’s content. A homepage is a gateway to the rest of your site. By forgoing long paragraphs and including more simple calls to actions (such as, “Read Our Blog,”  “Request a Quote,” or “Contact Us Today”), your homepage will be more clear, concise and easy to navigate. Less text can help you grab your visitor’s attention and answer his or her needs faster. Furthermore, make sure that text on your homepage and key messages are easy to read. Get our main points across. Avoid text that is too small and use contrast and colors choices that prevent text from getting lost on the page. As silly as it sounds the “K.I.S.S” method works here: “Keep It Simple Stupid.” The easier the visitor can find what they are looking for, the longer the stay on your site. 

• Non-responsive webpage

  Traditional web browsers on a laptop or desktop are no-longer the only way people surf the web. Tablets and mobile web-enabled devices are increasing in popularity and future of web browsing. According to the Pew Research Center,some 58 percent of American adults have a smartphone and 42 percent has a tablet computer. Mobile devices account for roughly a third of Internet usage in the United States. It’s more important than ever to make sure your website is fully responsive and user friendly when viewed on a mobile device.

• Stale Content

  Great webpage design will help grab your visitors' attention, but without quality, up-to-date content you are still going to lose visitors to competing websites. Keep your content fresh. Dead links and outdated information will make your business appear inactive online and discourage your visitors from coming back to your website. 

The first five seconds a visitor spends on your homepage is a crucial moment in which he or she will decide to stay or click the “back” button. By avoiding common pitfalls, you can keep visitors on your site longer and create a website that works as a valuable tool towards connecting with current and future customers.