Website – Lose the Intro

As a digital agency we are asked again and again about the homepage (welcome page, home page, main page, front page) and about the first blast or first impression. Our recommendation is to keep it simple. Lose the intro.

Most consumers dislike introductions, doesn’t matter whether it’s flash, or music, or banners … they want to get to where they are going. Conversations lead us to believe that introductions just plain get in the way, they slow them down, and they provide no real value to the user. Further, in most cases, they are a detriment to search engines and therefore your organic ranking.

It’s always best to keep the homepage useful. Remember this may be your customer’s first look at you, your brand and your company. It’s very important, as well, to use a tagline (that answers the question “What can I do here, or what do I do here?”). Always keep the most important information above the fold (same principle as the newspaper).

A good homepage will always answer, “Can I get the information I want or need here?”. A successful web presence will keep the customer’s interest. Remember, you’re gone as quick as a click, so lose the intro.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, August 2010

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