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Your web site homepage is your organization’s first impression for many clients, and first impressions are every little thing. Your touchdown web page must make a killer first impression to encourage potential clients to stay round and interact.
On this information, I’ll share some greatest practices for homepage design together with sensible homepage design examples which have applied these practices.
Desk of Contents
Homepage Design Greatest Practices
Via trial and error (and a complete lot of website analytics), I’ve developed a set of homepage design greatest practices that persistently ship outcomes. These practices have helped me create homepages that aren’t solely attention-grabbing but additionally compel motion and depart an enduring impression on guests.
Let’s dive in.
1. Inform them who you’re and what you do.
Don’t depart web site guests guessing. Introduce your model and mission above the fold.
I often begin by crafting a punchy headline that captures my brand’s identity and function. Maintain it quick, not more than eight phrases. TL;DR and quick consideration spans rule the web, so longer headlines get skimmed over.
If I want extra message room, I’ll add a subheading with my model’s key advantages.
I’ll additionally embody high-quality visuals like movies, photos, or animations to bolster my model messaging and seize consideration.
Professional tip: Free visuals are sometimes overused.
Free visuals are all the time tempting, however relying closely on them can result in a cookie-cutter look in your web site. Create distinctive visuals to extend your model memorability.
2. Write like your target market.
Your homepage needs to be laser-focused, partaking, and converse to your target market in a method that makes them snug.
Analysis is my secret weapon on this case. I analysis my target audience’s behaviors, preferences, wants, and challenges. These findings information the language and tone I take advantage of in my homepage components. My purpose is to talk in phrases they use day by day and keep away from complicated them with technical jargon.
Professional tip: Don’t go too informal.
Whereas making viewers really feel snug, it’s additionally essential to create belief by means of your phrasing, so watch out to not use an excessive amount of slang.
3. Use design to showcase your distinctive promoting proposition.
Your homepage should clarify your unique selling proposition (USP). I begin by asking myself what makes my merchandise, companies, and model distinctive. Then, I ask why they’re superior to my competitors.
Your design components ought to prominently show that message, whether or not as a part of your headline and subheading or constructed into your hero picture. Your message ought to focus consideration on the USP.
For instance, at HubSpot, our USP is completely captured in our subheading: “Seamlessly join your knowledge, groups, and clients on one AI-powered buyer platform that grows with your enterprise.”
I additionally assist my USP with different secondary components, together with:
- Taglines, bullet factors, or a brief paragraph highlighting my product’s main options and advantages.
- Visuals of my merchandise in motion.
- Social proof like buyer testimonies, consumer logos, and case research.
Professional tip: Use shade or animation.
Think about contrasting colours in your palette or easy animations to focus consideration in your USP.
4. Optimize your webpage for a number of gadgets.
In immediately’s mobile-first world, a lot of your web site visitors will come from smartphones or tablets. In actual fact, as of 2024, cell gadgets account for 67.3% of website traffic.
I all the time plan for cell responsiveness as a part of each homepage. These three factors are the cornerstone of my course of to optimize a homepage for multiple devices.
- I take advantage of a responsive design that robotically adjusts the structure to suit the display screen of any machine.
- I prioritize cell usability, so I take advantage of clear and concise navigation bars and menus, massive tap-friendly buttons, and bigger font-size textual content.
- I keep away from components like flash banners, cumbersome animations, and pop-ups that may overload cell screens, sluggish web page loading occasions, and trigger larger bounce charges.
Avoiding slowing your web page is very essential. Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of selling community Experts & Moguls, says in case your web site doesn’t load in 3 seconds or much less, “your customers will go someplace else, and the chance can be misplaced.”
Professional tip: Mute sounds by default.
Mute any sounds in your web site because the default to keep away from blasting cell customers with sudden loud music. In the event that they’re in an area the place sound doesn’t matter, they will faucet to show sounds again on.
5. Embody a number of calls-to-action (CTAs).
Your homepage must also be designed to drive motion. Utilizing a number of calls to action (CTAs) improves these outcomes.
CTAs inform my web site guests what I need them to do subsequent, whether or not it’s signing up for a free trial, exploring a particular product class, downloading a useful useful resource, or contacting your gross sales staff. They’re the bridge between curiosity and conversion.
Right here’s what I do to maximise the effectiveness of my CTAs.
- I place them prominently on the homepage, with the primary one simply seen with out scrolling.
- I take advantage of design components like contrasting colours or photos to make them stand out.
- I take advantage of sturdy verbs and action-oriented language to compel motion. Verbs like get, begin, be part of, and uncover are highly effective as a result of they convey each motion and consequence.
Professional tip: Don’t go overboard.
Don’t overload your homepage with too many CTAs. Think about one or two per part of your homepage. The purpose is for them to be simple to seek out, not overpowering.
6. Keep on model.
Your homepage ought to unmistakably replicate your model’s fashion, creating a robust, cohesive identification that guests acknowledge and bear in mind.
For me, that entails:
- Prominently putting my model’s brand on the homepage and header.
- Utilizing my model’s shade palette.
- Utilizing typography that aligns with my model’s identification and magnificence information.
- Matching phrasing and grammar to my model’s voice.
Professional tip: Take inspiration from packaging.
In case your model already has sturdy product packaging or on-site branding, use these designs as a basis to construct your homepage.
7. Maintain your web site dynamic.
The simplest homepages evolve usually to fulfill the altering wants, issues, and questions of their guests.
I usually replace my homepage content material to replicate present occasions, seasonal adjustments, rising design developments, and particular promotions. For example, adjusting featured product web page callouts in the course of the 12 months will maintain your homepage recent and related to guests’ pursuits.
I additionally use A/B testing to match the effectiveness of various variations of my homepage components (headlines, CTAs, visuals, and layouts).
Lastly, I take advantage of dynamic content that robotically adjustments primarily based on customer knowledge. For instance, my web site can use location knowledge to replace forex settings and pricing.
Professional tip: Use change with function.
Don’t change components simply because a sure period of time has handed. Every replace ought to present worth to guests.
6. Make it accessible.
Your homepage must be accessible to each customer to make sure a clean and constructive expertise, which is essential for constructing belief. The primary accessibility options to contemplate are various textual content for photos (alt textual content), keyboard-only navigation, resizable textual content, shade distinction, and closed captions for movies.
Many homepage design templates embody a few of these options (particularly useful to small companies), however I all the time test native, state, and federal guidelines to verify I embody every little thing that’s required.
Professional tip: Get professional assist.
Take a look at HubSpot’s web accessibility guide for extra on how you can create accessible web sites.
Good Homepage Examples To Encourage You
I’ve shared my private greatest web site homepage design practices. Now, let’s check out a few of the greatest real-world homepage examples that put these greatest practices into motion.
1. HubSpot
There is perhaps a little bit of bias right here because it’s our web site, however HubSpot is among the greatest examples of excellent homepage design.
The clear and concise headline instantly catches my eye by telling me the way it will help my enterprise, and the subheading explains the particular advantages.
However it’s not nearly telling me what it does — HubSpot additionally desires me to have interaction. So, instantly after the headline, it consists of two distinguished CTAs encouraging me to take the following step whereas reassuring me there’s no value to strive it out.
What we love: I like how the homepage cleverly makes use of figures and statistics to point out the vastness of HubSpot’s group. This helps assist its USP and core worth proposition and builds belief by means of social proof.
2. Dropbox
The very first thing that grabs my consideration on Dropbox’s homepage is the social proof headline that doubles as a name to motion. It’s instantly inviting me to hitch its tribe of over 700 million customers who already belief Dropbox.
The supporting visuals and replica are additionally spot-on, with a traditional minimalist really feel that doesn’t distract from the messaging. Moreover, an animation showcasing Dropbox in motion gives a dynamic and fascinating demonstration of its performance.
What we love: I like that Dropbox describes totally different use circumstances all through the homepage. Serving to guests relate to the instruments on a extra granular degree improves the chances of a conversion.
3. A24 Films
A24 Movies takes a novel method to its homepage engagement, which works fairly fantastically. As an alternative of a text-heavy structure that I usually encounter on different web sites, the homepage solely options promos for its new movies above the fold.
It is a nice technique for grabbing guests’ consideration — in truth, once I landed on the web site, I clicked by means of and watched a number of earlier than remembering I used to be imagined to be reviewing the web page.
What we love: This homepage instance showcases the most effective of straightforward design. I like how each merchandise on the homepage is a full-screen part as you scroll down — with only one picture and a big textual content hyperlink.
4. FreshBooks
FreshBooks accounting software program primarily targets small and medium-sized companies. The web site’s homepage instantly outlines its options so I can rapidly perceive what I stand to achieve by making an attempt it out.
There’s additionally an incredible use of distinction and positioning with its main calls-to-action (“Strive It Free” and “BUY NOW & SAVE”).
What we love: I like FreshBooks’ use of social proof. The homepage consists of buyer testimonials to point out real-world success, plus star scores from third-party websites to construct belief and credibility.
As Garry West, director at Imagefix, a design and digital advertising and marketing company, says, social proof tells potential clients and guests that an organization “is not simply making guarantees — it delivers for others like them.”
5. Omsom
Omsom is a good homepage instance of speaking to their viewers’s stomachs. Its homepage contains a delicious meal that makes me hungry simply it. And the headline, “Actual Asian Flavors in Minutes,” lets me know I might have the same plate on my desk in minutes.
As I scroll down, the homepage dives deeper into how the product works, addressing any potential skepticism I may need and providing extra CTAs to strive for conversions.
What we love: I like that the hero part of the web site options glowing buyer critiques and a free delivery supply. This helps construct social proof and motivates me to take motion.
6. Pixelgrade
Pixelgrade is one other stable instance of a easy however efficient design. There aren’t any overwhelming menus or jargon — only a clear, daring title that tells me the corporate’s major providing (easy WordPress themes) and a subtitle that hints on the stunning potentialities of taking them up on its supply.
However what actually offered me was the way in which the web page builds belief. As I scroll down, Pixelgrade showcases three causes I ought to select it, and an actual testimonial from a cheerful buyer backs up every purpose. Social proof like that makes an enormous distinction.
What we love: The straightforward design and the colour mixture that makes the above-the-fold CTA stand out is fantastically carried out.
7. Etoro
eToro is an investing platform for buying and selling securities, together with shares and crypto, which the homepage shade scheme and magnificence displays nicely.
The homepage instantly welcomes me with a intelligent headline: “FRIENDLY PLATFORM, SERIOUS INVESTORS.” This headline conveys to me that eToro is accessible and simple to make use of for brand spanking new buyers but additionally possesses the depth and breadth wanted for seasoned buyers.
The homepage additionally completely leverages social proof. It cleverly weaves within the whole variety of customers (30 million) within the subheadline. That’s an enormous confidence booster for any customer. Plus, the spectacular 4.2-star Trustpilot ranking proper beneath provides one other layer of belief.
What we love: I like using the colour inexperienced for its calls to motion. Inexperienced is commonly linked to development, prosperity, and monetary well-being, which works nicely with eToro’s purpose of empowering clients to realize their monetary targets and construct wealth.
8. Chipotle
Chipotle’s homepage is all about visible persuasion. The above-the-fold imagery features a close-up video of the featured meals, plus high-resolution photos that showcase the well-known restaurant’s signature dishes in all their glory. Anticipating the wants of most of their web site guests, Chipotle consists of distinguished CTAs for locating a location or ordering on-line.
The web page design is clear and uncluttered, guaranteeing a clean consumer expertise and maintaining the main focus squarely on the scrumptious meals.
What we love: The meals movies are charming and make me hungry simply by them.
9. Grammarly
Since Grammarly is a widely known model, it might afford to make use of its homepage to advertise one among its latest options: an AI writing assistant. The headline and the subheadline instantly promote me on the brand new function’s profit — serving to my writing and, by extension, my fame shine by means of the facility of accountable AI.
The design displays that Grammarly is all about writing and textual content, with the one visuals being CTAs, an animation instance, and logos for social proof.
What we love: To assist its core worth proposition, the web page has an animation on the left aspect that gives guests with a glimpse of how the brand new Grammarly function works as quickly as they land on the web page.
10. eWedding
For engaged {couples} planning their massive day, eWedding is a good platform for constructing customized wedding ceremony web sites. The homepage is straightforward and clear and solely consists of the required components to get you began. It options nice product visuals, a strong headline, and a simple CTA that guarantees to make wedding ceremony planning simpler.
However eWedding additionally understands that finances is a serious concern and ache level if I am planning a marriage. So, to deal with this concern, the web site has a value calculator that helps me estimate how a lot I might save on RSVP, a money registry, and a customized web site.
What we love: A counter of the variety of wedding ceremony web sites constructed utilizing eWedding (over 912,000) is a good use of social proof.
11. Spotify
Spotify epitomizes much less is extra. Its homepage instantly greets me with a easy worth proposition and CTA — get the music and podcasts I need without cost. Beneath the fold, every part reinforces that idea with a daring design and minimal textual content and follows up with one other CTA.
What we love: I like that Spotify’s homepage integrates customer support by together with a brief FAQ answering the most typical questions new customers will seemingly have instantly after signing up.
12. Colorsmith
Colorsmith’s main headline instantly tells me what the web site is about, and the background visuals assist the message by displaying males utilizing Colorsmith. It is relatable and helps the target market image themselves utilizing the product.
Beneath the fold, Colorsmith follows up with particulars on how the method works and focuses on how every consumer will get customized shade formulations for an ideal match.
What we love: I like the location of the “Craft My Colour” CTA at totally different spots on the homepage. Irrespective of the place I scroll, the CTA is all the time close by to take me to the following stage.
13. Melyssa Griffin
Melyssa Griffin’s web site homepage showcases each her experience and character.
It contains a quick looping GIF of her chair dancing that evokes enjoyable and liveliness to drive dwelling the concept that she’s an actual individual and never a random faceless entity. The design itself is shiny and cheerful however not overwhelming.
What we love: I like the inclusion of a quick quiz as an interactive aspect. It is a win-win for everybody — guests study their cash administration archetype whereas Melyssa generates leads.
14. Nine Lives Foundation
9 Lives Basis makes use of empowering textual content and emotional photos to attach with guests. Through the use of a refined parallax impact to create a way of motion with out the necessity for bigger video recordsdata, they assist enhance their web site velocity whereas maintaining a way of movement.
Getting and giving assistance is made simple, too. A well-laid-out record of companies and methods volunteers will help lives slightly below the fold.
What we love: I like that 9 Lives addresses giving AND getting assistance on the identical web page with well-organized CTAs.
15. Digiday
Digiday makes use of conventional newsprint fashion and takes it into the long run with a well-planned structure, creating the digital equal of a newspaper entrance web page. Digiday offers readers a cushty expertise and encourages clickthroughs by constructing on a well-recognized format.
What we love: I like how Digiday makes use of easy and uncluttered formatting to current a variety of information on one display screen.
16. Asana
Asana’s headline is an consideration grabber, and the subheading explains the precise worth proposition. Collectively, the 2 rapidly talk the core performance and advantages of utilizing Asana.
The homepage does not waste any time making an attempt to get a conversion, both. Two distinguished CTAs, “Get Began” and “See the way it works,” sit proper beneath the principle headline, making it clear what they need me to do subsequent.
What we love: Asana leverages social proof exceptionally nicely. They maintain my consideration as I begin to scroll by stating that 85% of Fortune 100 firms use their software program. They then embody logos for a few of the best-known manufacturers.
17. Evernote
Evernote’s homepage will really feel like a beacon of hope in case your desk is a warzone of sticky notes like mine. The headline “Tame your work, set up your schedule” is sufficient to make me need to strive it instantly.
The design stays true to the promise of group with a easy structure and graphics. The CTA, with its shiny inexperienced shade in opposition to the white house, is inconceivable to overlook as nicely.
What we love: The first visible is a picture of Evernote in motion. I can virtually see my very own to-do lists and notes neatly organized inside the app. It is a highly effective picture that fuels a need to get began and expertise that group firsthand.
18. Telerik by Progress
Telerik’s web site pops with daring colours, enjoyable designs, and videography that creates a Google-like vibe.
A easy headline tells me its core worth proposition, and the remainder of the homepage backs that up with a easy, high-level overview of its main product choices. Plus, a scroll-triggered animation retains the homepage partaking as you scroll.
What we love: I like that although it is a tech-based platform, the copy is refreshingly light-weight and simple to learn.
19. Basecamp
Basecamp’s homepage speaks on to the wants of overwhelmed venture managers, its main target market. The whole lot on the homepage is designed to nudge you in direction of their main resolution — a central hub for managing totally different initiatives.
The graphic echoes the tagline message, there’s a video demo embedded on the web page, screenshots of the software program, and the web page is organized to move naturally as questions are raised and answered.
What we love: I like that the web page is organized to lift and reply questions in a logical order to information the viewers by means of the gross sales funnel.
20. charity: water
This homepage empowers guests to deal with an enormous purpose: clear water. The charity: water homepage immediately tells guests they will make a distinction, with a cost portal on the prime of the web page.
Visuals, artistic copywriting, and interactive net design work collectively to have interaction guests and encourage motion. The charity additionally makes use of personalization to point out a distinct follow-up homepage to repeat guests.
What we love: I like using personalization to assist comply with up with repeat guests who would possibly nonetheless must donate.
21. TechValidate
TechValidate’s product is managing social proof they usually lean into that by incorporating their very own social proof all through the homepage.
This homepage can also be fantastically designed, making use of white house and contrasting colours that draw your eye to a very powerful components.
What we love: I like that the product’s video is entrance and middle, making it easy for potential clients to study extra.
22. Medium
Medium’s homepage is one other sensible instance of much less is extra. It makes use of easy messaging on a daring background that communicates what the model is all about and the important thing worth proposition.
That is adopted by a distinguished and action-oriented CTA that invitations me to take the following step. BY minimizing messaging, they lean into their “Keep curious” headline and create curiosity to drive clickthroughs.
What we love: I like the daring yellow shade, which instantly grabs consideration, and the contrasting black textual content for optimum readability.
23. Kind Snacks
Type Snacks makes use of daring colours and product images to drive ecommerce. Whereas their homepage adjustments continuously to remain dynamic, it’s all the time centered on conversion, with CTAs for buying prominently displayed.
What I like: Type Snacks speaks on to its target market and retains the web page recent with frequent updates to concentrate on totally different merchandise.
24. Ahrefs
Ahrefs gives instruments that may assist groups enhance their SEO. The design of Ahrefs’ homepage is clear and fashionable however quirky and begins with a fast pixel-style loading animation.
Temporary descriptions of every software slightly below the fold with screenshots present a fast overview of their options, making it simple for me to grasp the vary of capabilities with no need to navigate away from the house web page.
What I like: I like the digital retro theme of the web page. It is eye-catching and provides an approachability to the corporate. I additionally just like the dynamic counter that shows the variety of new Ahrefs accounts created up to now week.
25. Happy Money
Blissful Cash’s homepage grabs my consideration with a constructive and emotionally charged message that guarantees you received’t be simply one other quantity with the corporate. The colour scheme and graphics play into this humanized really feel to drive dwelling the concept of belief and approachability.
Beneath the fold is nicely organized to maintain guests scrolling by answering questions and offering extra encouragement with social proof.
What we love: I like how shade and magnificence work collectively to bolster the messaging.
26. Headspace
Headspace’s homepage works to create connections with second-person language and advantages featured prominently. A delicate shade palette, ample white house, and a minimalist aesthetic mirror the psychological readability and rest the app promotes.
CTAs, are strategically sprinkled all through the homepage, gently nudging me to discover the platform additional.
What we love: I like that the homepage consists of quick, guided meditations you possibly can strive straight away with none signup so as to add worth for guests.
27. Tesla
Tesla’s is a daring homepage instance. The design is all about letting its merchandise converse for themselves. It is totally product-focused, that includes breathtaking visuals of Tesla automobiles in motion.
This focus is deliberate. Tesla is aware of their automobiles are assertion items, and there’s no must muddle the message with intensive promotional textual content. It’s an ideal instance of a model completely understanding its USP.
What we love: I like the inclusion of clear and concise CTAs and visuals that immediate me to seamlessly transition from admiration to motion.
28. Thrive Market
The Thrive Market is one other instance of an internet site that will get straight to the purpose. The homepage instantly asks me a query, encouraging instant engagement and transferring me one step nearer to conversion.
The web page options vibrant photos of healthful meals and pure merchandise with clear, easy textual content promising you don’t have to interrupt the financial institution to eat nicely.
What we love: I like that Thrive Market retains it fascinating with their name to motion buttons. As an alternative of utilizing a generic “Purchase Now” they get a bit cheeky with phrases like “I like overpaying.”
29. Angi
The minute I land on Angi’s homepage, I can instantly inform what the corporate is all about. It is an incredible homepage instance of a core worth proposition and name to motion rolled into one with an instantly accessible search bar and fast hyperlink buttons.
No must wander by means of menus or totally different net pages — I can leap proper to the service I want from the homepage.
What I like: The homepage design is clear, useful, and conversion-focused with out the necessity to scroll or go to different pages.
30. Security.org
Safety.org positions itself as the last word useful resource for all issues DIY digital safety. The homepage encourages guests to do it themselves with Safety.org’s assist.
As well as, the web page employs a transparent, uncluttered structure with ample white house across the textual content and between components. This ensures every little thing is simple to learn and discover.
What we love: I like how Safety.org additionally strategically leverages social proof. Displaying logos of reports retailers that coated the corporate, like Forbes, Wired, and ABC, alongside a point out of their spectacular 10 million+ YouTube views, builds belief and establishes the platform’s credibility.
31. Carmax
Taylor Shanklin, CEO and founding father of Barlele, a branding technique and net design company, says when designing a homepage, you need to begin by creating a transparent record of issues your target market has and the options you supply for these issues.
“Upon getting that basically nicely outlined, it’s simpler to design the web site interplay journey in a method that rapidly and clearly communicates how you’re the greatest firm to offer an answer to their downside.”
Carmax nails that idea and immediately addresses two of my largest considerations as a used automobile purchaser: hidden prices and the standard of the car they’re shopping for.
What we love: I like the constructive outlook of the visuals supporting the navigation cues that information me to numerous service areas, together with automobile shopping for, promoting, and financing choices.
32. Adobe Portfolio
Adobe is synonymous with artistic software program for audio and visible mediums, and the corporate leans on its fame as its personal proof of high quality for Inventive Cloud.
A daring headline, “Lovely Portfolio Web sites,” and a subheading, “Free with Inventive Cloud,” instantly talk the principle advantages, and background visuals present all kinds of instance portfolios.
What we love: I like that the homepage contains a curated collection of venture examples to point out the standard and variety of portfolios I can create on the platform.
Construct a Nice Homepage for Your Model
Within the phrases of Garry West, a “nice homepage design is sort of a excellent handshake – it is sturdy, assured, and leaves an enduring constructive impression.”
It’s value investing effort and time into getting your homepage proper. My private greatest homepage design practices and these inspirational web site web page examples are nice locations to start out gathering concepts to create a standout homepage on your model. Who is aware of, maybe your model would be the subsequent addition to our sensible homepage examples record.
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