Chris Wooster, T3 Group Creative Director
I think homepages are still incredibly vital, but for a more specific audience than before. I call them "brand browsers." This audience might ask or wonder:
- "I heard something about Brand X, but I don't know much about them."
- "I had no idea that company did that. I wonder what other stuff they do?"
- "Five companies have this product. What's the difference between them?"
- "My friend told me about Brand Y."
This audience might have a brief understanding of what they're looking for, or an uninformed opinion about a brand. For them, the homepage is often the "first date" with a brand. It's the brand's best chance to make an impression that warrants more exploration. It indelibly shapes a brand, so it's vital that the homepage be clear and contextual, not just sexy or visually impressive.
The other crew of people is the search audience. They are motivated to locate information on a very particular issue. They want an answer, and 17 clicks from a homepage isn't going to pass muster. For this tactically-oriented crowd, brands need to make sure that side entry is as efficient as possible. In order to accomplish this, there's an ever-increasing premium placed on smart information architecture and clear navigation.
Also, organizational structures should instantly provide the site and brand context for an arriving user at every level. This has always been true, but as site designers we often begin with the homepage then design down. Doesn't this new paradigm suggest we design instead from the inside out? Designers should love this. By the time you get to the homepage, it'll be a relief to "remove things" from a structural layout.
Chad Currie, T3 Group Creative Director
Because of the increase in other avenues for brand interaction, homepages have largely been neglected. However, homepages are still highly important and brands should focus more attention on making them relevant to their customers needs and consistent with their current marketing programs. Many people still search for the brand name first when trying to locate specific information and arrive at the homepage as a starting point. Consumers also visit homepages when they don't remember the vanity URL from a recently viewed television commercial, online ad or direct mail piece.
Overall, homepages need to be well thought out because one way or another, customers are still arriving at the homepage and are usually entering with a specific need. Although this is Design 101, brands need to have a clear hierarchy of information on their homepages. Most brands have various lines of products and/or messages to communicate. However, it's important to focus homepage design around a dominant feature or theme that can rotate content to remain relevant.
Relevancy is key when approaching the design and messaging in other areas of a brand's site, banner advertising, microsites or search inquiries. When consumers commit to click, they expect to arrive at a destination dedicated to the topic at hand. If you are driving traffic from a banner, design a custom landing page or create an adaptable homepage to provide customers with a relevant payoff.
Many brands invest in microsites to stake out a separate space away from the homepage to tell a different story. Microsites have been very popular among marketers because they can track where consumers are coming from. Also, basic navigation on a microsite can help consumers decide where to go next and drive them to other parts of the site. Be sure to keep these destination sites updated with new information for the consumer. If pages are designed in a granular way, you can easily swap out elements.