You don’t always need a homepage message, but if you have one keep it punchy. Think of a blackboard standing outside a shop – people won’t stop walking to read it.
Don’t assume ANY knowledge of the terms you’re familiar with because of your job role. Use simple terms that anyone would understand even if they’re unfamiliar with the subject matter.
Users are self-seeking as they hunt for information across the web.
A good welcome message could therefore be orientated around your user’s needs, rather than about what your site does.
So instead of saying “Our Directory gives families information about what services are available“, consider saying “Learn what services are on offer for your family in your local area.”
You have an opportunity to write freely in a self-centred and self-promoting way on an “About” page. Any site can have an About page where you can tell the world about yourself or your organisation, but don’t be too self-focused on your homepage!
You can’t promote everything!
Many sites have multiple stakeholders, who all want to drive traffic to their own section, but making a website homepage resemble the cover of a glossy magazine, is like killing your golden goose: it simply reduces the overall effectiveness of your homepage.
A successful website is built around the needs (and ease) of the user. At Idox, we have many years’ experience in this field, so if you’ve found that a page isn’t working, don’t feel like you have to find the solution yourselves!
The most important step is to identify that you have a problem to solve. Our support team, and your account manager, are always at hand in the first instance.