Is Your Home Page Critical

New visitors to a website normally enter through the site’s Home Page, also referred to as the index page. It‘s the website’s front door.

Is the Home Page (the front door) critical? I’ll say! Remember this analogy:

“There are lots of houses. I won't trick-or-treat at your house if, in the front, it doesn't look like you're handing out good candy!”

When the visitor enters the site, the author of the site’s content has just seconds and a few words to grab and hold the visitor’s attention. I call the first couple of sentences the “Velcro Stage”. If those important words don’t capture the visitor’s interest….

“CLICK”….he’s gone!

And, it gets worse. If the website is built correctly, the Home Page will succinctly explain the essence of the whole website. That’s the function of the Home Page. That means the rest of the pages support the Home Page. These “satellite” pages will usually be where the author or webmaster asks for the sale.

Visitor is gone? Sorry, no sale!

When we build a website, we use assorted methods to “drive” traffic to our site. My writing this article is one method I use for driving traffic to my website. Folks who read this article might click on the site’s URL in the author’s box at the end of this piece. If you enter my site, I don’t want to lose you!

My suggestion? If you’re about to build and write a website, I’d advise you to spend extra time on the Home Page. Make your opening sentences - the first two or three sentences - “biting” or provocative or, at least, fascinating.

You’re the “expert” on your site’s subject. It should be your passion. Try to make the opening words of your Home Page shout to your reader: I know all about this subject. I’m fanatical and I want to share that fanaticism with you.