1. Homepage and taglines

2. Homepage
Site identity and mission – tells what the site is and what it is for and if possible why I should be here and not on some other site
Site Hierarchy – give an overview of what the site has to offer – both content (what I can find here) and features (what can I do here) and how it is all organized. This is usually handled by the navigation
Search – most site will need a search box
Teases – homepage needs to entice like the cover of a magazine

3. Homepage
Content promos – spotlight the newest, best or most popular pieces of content.
Feature promos – invite me to explore additional sections of the the site or try out features
Timely content – needs to have some content that gets updated frequently so that people will want to come back. Also google pays attention to sites that are updated
Deals – space allocated to whatever advertising, cross-promotion and co-branding deals that have been made
Shortcuts – frequently requested pieces of content (software updates) may deserve their own links on the home page
Registration –

4. The home page also Needs to meet some abstract needs
Show me what I am looking for – make it obvious how to get to whatever I want
And what I’m not looking for – at the same time, the homepage needs to expose me to some of the wonderful things the site has to offer that I might be interested in – even though I may not be looking for them right now
Show me where to start –
Establish credibility and trust – make a good impression

5. The homepage is the waterfront property of the Web
Homepage gets significantly greater traffic than all other pages.
This is page most people will start on and possible the only page that some people see.
It is the most desirable real estate and there is limited space.
Everyone who has stake in the site will want some space on the homepage.
Lots of information wants to be “above the fold” on the homepage

6. everyone wants a say on the homepage
The results of a design by the stakeholders

7. Designing the Homepage
If the site is complex the homepage design cannot do it all – no matter how good the design.
Designing a homepage involves compromises

8. the four questions What is it? What can I do here?
What do they have here?
What can I do here?
Why should I be here and not somewhere else?

9. The first few seconds you spend on the Web site/page are critical
The user needs to be able to answer these questions at a glance, correctly and unambiguously, with little effort.
If viewer doesn’t get it easily and quickly they may be confused throughout the entire site or may leave before going any deeper
If the viewer gets it quickly it improves the chances of having a satisfying, successful experience.
We know from the experiment Attention Web Designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression that a lot happens as soon as you open a page.

10. In a few seconds you form a number of general impressions
Does it look good?
Is there a lot of content of a little?
Are there clear regions on the page?
Which ones attract you?
These initial impressions tended to be very similar to the impressions people had after they actually had a chance to spend time on the page

11. top four plausible excuses for not spelling out the big picture on the home page
We don’t need to. It’s obvious
After people have seen the explanation once, they’ll find it annoying
Anybody who really needs our site will know what it is
That’s what our advertising is for

12. How to get your message across
The tagline
The Welcome Blurb
The “learn more”
People may not use all or any of these elements, they may figure out your site on their own but these elements are here to help if they don’t.

13. How to get your message across
THE TAGLINE

14. How to get your message across
THE WELCOME BLURB

15. How to get your message across
THE LEARN MORE

16. Guidelines for getting the message across
Use as much space as necessary
Don’t use more space than is necessary
Don’t use a mission statement as a welcome blurb
Test

17. TAGLINES Some attributes to look for when choosing a tagline
Good taglines are clear and informative and explain exactly what your site or your organization does
Just long enough, but not too long. Six to eight words
Convey differentiation – is the one that no one else In the world could use except you
Bad taglines sound generic
Don’t confuse a tagline with a motto “ we bring good things to life” “you’re in good hands” A motto expresses a guiding principle, a goal or an ideal, but a tagline conveys a value proposition.
Personable, lively and sometimes clever.

18. clear and informative

19. Just long enough but not too long

20. Convey differentiation

21. Bad taglines sound generic

22. Personable, lively and sometimes clever

23. The fifth question Where do I start?
Here’s where I start if I want to search
Here is where I start if I want to browse
Here is where I start fi I want to sample their best stuff

24. WHERE DO I START?
Sites that require a step by step process, the entry point should be obvious and leap out. If I have to register or sign in those places should be prominent
Make sure that entry points look like entry points (i.e. make the search box look like a search box) Label clearly
Don’t try to promote everything. If too many things are being promoted, the section that is being promoted gets a huge boost in traffic but the overall loss in effectiveness of the homepage as it gets more cluttered is shared by all sections.