Representatives from Microsoft, IAC and Weather.com debate the murky future of home pages in the age of RSS, Google and Digg.com.

At a time when RSS use is on the rise, people are finding content with Google or following links from aggregator sites like Digg.com to the information they need, the future of home pages is on shaky ground. 

"What's the relevancy of a homepage if nobody is going through the front door?" asked Burnham Marketing CEO, Jason Burnham, who also moderated a table discussion at the December iMedia Agency Summit on the future of home pages.

Also at the table were digital pros from Microsoft, IAC, BusinessWeek and Weather.com, as well as iMedia contributor, and CRO of NextStage Evolution, Joseph Carrabis.

Everyone at the table acknowledged their company homepages, as entry points, were weakening. Most traffic these days comes from search engines, while social media (Digg.com) and personalized tools (RSS) are also taking a toll on the homepage as a primary entry point. 

New solutions for advertisers
In response, publishers are already selling ads against entry pages, rather than home pages. For example, iVillage provides advertisers with a way to target visitors when they first hit a website-- whether it's an article page, product review, image spread or download page. Microsoft Agency Relations Manager, Scott Navarro, who described the iVillage tactic, explained that approaches like these are the best ways to achieve mass reach. Homepages just won't cut it anymore. "If it's about maximizing audience, you need to find another way to do that," he said.

Nicole McCormack, VP of Sales, Western Region, IAC, added that her company also allows advertisers to target people at the point of entry.

Homepages are still not going away
Despite the changes, a home page, "is still the most valuable entry point," explained Burnham. "It's a matter of consumer preference if they want to keep that a part of their experience."

Though many users sidestep homepages, they remain a brand's storefront in the digital realm-- it may provide the first, most important impression. Therefore, brands and publishers must maintain the quality of homepages to maximize positive brand perception. 

For advertisers, placement on a publisher's homepage still carries a strong allure. Microsoft acknowledged that many advertisers still perceive homepage placement as something special. Weather.com Sales Director, West Coast, RJ Kirkland, also pointed out that, "from the advertiser perspective, you're aligning with a brand when you put your ad on a home page." To make this alignment worthwhile for advertisers, it's important to maintain the most attractive, usable page possible.
  
Table talk also revolved around personalized homepages. In recent months, the popularity of these do-it-yourself pages has been on the rise. And while they're not for everyone at any time, they are a ground for experimentation in the battle to build quality audiences. According to Burnam, "personalization is going to be an opt-in feature… those [who opt in] are going to be your best customers."

"We do need those tools, or users will go elsewhere to get them," added IAC's McCormack.

Mario Sgambelluri is associate publisher, iMedia Connection. Read full bio.