How to Build a Super-Sticky Homepage

Mobile providers

Sprint-Nextel

Sprint-Nextel is an oddity in that it doesn't demonstrate any aspect of a recognized driver for cellular communications-- community and social networking factors. The page is visually clean and the banner color drives the eye into the center of the page, but once there, there's no obvious action item, no clearly recognizable product path or action path to drive the visitor deeper into the site.

Suggestions:

1. A quick fix would be to change the banner's "The Power to Talk More Every Day" to "The Power to Talk More to More of Your Friends Every Day," driving the social aspects home.
2. A change in banner color to something warmer would also help, as would some images of people talking to each other (even if it's two guys communicating at a construction site) or some of the other social tools mentioned previously.

US Cellular

US Cellular's homepage is also an oddity, but for completely different reasons. The site is male-oriented by design yet the central graphic shows a very powerful female-oriented image demonstrating a strong social network in action. Nicely done! There are several social network factors on the page -- a big plus -- as well as a smiling Joan Cusack inviting visitors to check out online-only offers. The color scheme is good and uses soft colors all around. (Cars.com could take a lesson here.)

Suggestions:

1. This site does a lot well, so making suggestions is like adding two percent where 90 percent already exists. The only real suggestion is based on the personality types that would be drawn to the site; the central top image would benefit by a "success story" link because this audience makes decisions on what works, not what doesn't. In other words, it's not about your network having more reach than your competitors', it about what your subscribers could do because your network had more reach than your competitors'.

WALD

Working Assets Long Distance (WALD)'s homepage is incredibly clean-- a big plus for a socially aware and social cause active market that like clean delineations between what's good and what's not. The statement, "We've got you covered," is an excellent double-entendre to this provider's audience, even if it's not an intentional one. The bottom of the screen shows causes. This is excellent placement for what -- to many people -- tend to be emotional issues. The "Working Assets members are connecting to a better world" is a true driver for this audience. Excellent color choice and a central layout are big pluses to an audience that is motivated by what could be rather than what is. Three basic main menu items is all this audience would need and would probably accept. More options would be considered "muddying the wa-ters." All in all, nicely done.

Suggestions:

1. This is another example of adding two percent where 90 percent already exists. The only real suggestion would be to add success stories authored by subscribers and linked to each of the mentioned causes. This would let the visitor know that WALD does what it says-- a big plus for people who "believe in firsthand experience."

Mobile Providers Summary Table