Best Practices in Homepage Design: Small Business Success Starts Here 

Key takeaways:  

• Your homepage communicates what your company is all about, encompassing your brand identity, objectives, and the value you deliver to customers. 
• A well-designed homepage tells search engines that your website is valuable and relevant. 
• You can unintentionally sabotage your homepage’s efficiency with design strategies that drive visitors away. 

Your homepage is your website’s most important page, as it’s where most visitors first encounter your business online. Therefore, you should prioritize it strategically since within 54 seconds, visitors decide whether they’ll stay or leave. That’s why having a well-designed homepage that makes a positive impression is a must.  

A professional homepage enables small businesses to compete effectively with larger companies by presenting a polished and trustworthy online presence that levels the playing field.  

Why the right homepage design matters 

Good homepage design isn’t just about making your website look nice, it’s a business decision. One that affects how trustworthy your brand appears, how many prospective customers you attract, and how easily people find you online. 

Put simply, an effective homepage: 

• Tells what your business does 
• Builds brand consistency 
• Boosts brand awareness 
• Improves SEO 
• Helps you stay competitive 

Let’s delve into details. 

Tells what your business does

Your homepage communicates what your company is all about, encompassing your brand identity, objectives, and the value you deliver to customers. The following helps achieve this: 

• Company name and logo. Your company name and logo on your homepage are important because they identify you with your target market. When visitors see your name and logo, they know they’re in the right place and develop trust.  
• Tagline. A good tagline communicates your unique selling point and helps visitors understand if your business solves their problem. It also sets your company apart from competitors and explains why they should choose you.   
• Visual media. Noticeable visual media captures visitors’ attention and brings them further to your website. They also boost communication, engagement, and retention.    

Builds brand consistency

Your homepage design establishes a look and appeal that trickles down throughout your site. It creates a brand experience that makes your business appear professional and trustworthy.    

Design elements should be consistent across other mediums that your customers might encounter to ensure brand cohesion. These include web pages, emails, and social media. Such consistency helps customers feel comfortable taking the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, scheduling a consultation, or providing their contact information. 

Boosts brand awareness 

The right homepage increases recognition and recall. Beyond aesthetics, the functionality of your homepage influences how visitors see your brand. The elements of your site—images, layout, and style—establish your identity. They help more people discover, remember, and recommend your business. 

Improves search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO is improving your website’s visibility and ranking in search results like Google to attract more organic (unpaid) traffic. A well-designed homepage tells search engines that your website is valuable and relevant. This can lead to benefits that include the following:   

• Improved crawlability and indexability. Your homepage is key to improved Google searches. The search engine sees your homepage as the starting point for crawling and understanding the importance of webpages. Optimizing your homepage by including relevant keywords and employing proper visual hierarchy boosts its chances of appearing in search engine results pages (SERPs). 
• Reduced bounce rate. A well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate homepage encourages visitors to stay longer and explore more pages. This signals search engines that your site is worth sticking around and exploring, positively impacting your rankings. 
• High-intent traffic. Your homepage is key to drawing high intent traffic or visitors who are actively seeking specific solutions. It does so by presenting a clear value proposition that confirms that they’re at the right place. 

Helps you stay competitive

A professional homepage allows you to compete with your more established counterparts by attracting and retaining customers. It reflects your expertise and unique appeal, setting you apart from competitors by demonstrating why visitors should choose your services or products. 

What are the best practices for homepage design? 

Your homepage gives a strong first impression to your potential customers, making its overall design important for online success. More than aesthetics, a homepage that converts requires strategic design elements. 

Following the best homepage design practices can turn those curious visitors to returning customers. 

Let’s take a look at the best practices for homepage design.  

Prioritize user experience (UX)

User experience (UX) influences whether visitors convert into customers. When your homepage is simple to use and navigate, people are more likely to buy, sign up, or contact you. If it’s confusing or slow, they’ll leave for competitor sites. 

To create a conversion-focused user experience, focus on these key UX elements:

• Fast loading speeds. Fast loading speeds provide a seamless browsing experience as users navigate your website.   
• Mobile-friendly design. A mobile-friendly homepage loads fast and fits properly on small screens and is easy to navigate. It also features adaptive images that scale correctly when viewed.    
• Clear navigation. Clear navigation is important for making your website easy to use because it helps people find what they need quickly without getting lost. 
• Fluid texts. Texts need to be large and clear so visitors can easily read on their phones without zooming in or squinting.   
• Use white space. White space is not wasted space. The open space on your page helps everything else stand out. 

Be mindful of company guidelines

Your company guidelines are important for creating a good homepage because they ensure everything is coordinated. Use the same fonts, colors, and pictures throughout so everything matches and looks like it belongs together.   

When your homepage follows your brand style, it makes a better first impression and helps potential customers trust your business more.

Use engaging calls to action (CTAs)

CTAs are important for homepage conversions because they encourage visitors to take the next step. Without them, even interested ones will leave your site without doing anything because they’re not encouraged to act.  

Here are some examples of CTAs that convert visitors into returning customers:

• Unlock Exclusive Access to Our Community 
• Browse Our Latest Arrivals 
• Shop and Save Now Until Stocks Last 
• Sign Up for Healthier Meal Plans 
• View Our Latest Collection  
• Discover Exclusive Deals for   
• Buy Now and Get Up To 20% Off  

Thoughtfully use visual content

Quality pictures, short videos, and infographics simplify product and service descriptions. This also creates emotional connections that make your message stick to website visitors, communicating your message faster and better than just relying on text.    

When using visual contents, optimize them for performance and accessibility.

• Use compressed media. Images and videos must use the right compressed format so your homepage loads quickly. Ensuring fast loading times keeps visitors hooked and retains their interest.    
• Refine image file names. Use descriptive file names with relevant keywords rather than generic ones. When users search for the services or products you offer, they will appear in Google’s image search results. This drives additional traffic to your homepage. 
• Use alternative tags (alt tags). Alt tags help with SEO and accessibility. They tell Google and other search engines what’s in your image. For instance, when someone searches for something related to your image, it shows up in their results. 

9 best homepage design examples

Grammarly 

Grammarly’s homepage may not look flashy, but it’s effective for several reasons.  

Its clean and minimal design, complemented by clear copy, encourages visitors read everything. Grammarly also has a social proof section that shows measurable results from its clients. If your business has concrete data showing how your products or services help people, display it on your homepage. 

Thrive Market 

Thrive Market’s homepage grabs you right away with a great CTA and video. The soft, modern colors match their organic, fair-trade products so the branding is consistent. They have customer testimonials and social proof on their homepage which you usually see on software sites. 

Target

If your business offers different products, Target’s homepage design is worth imitating. By choosing which ones to highlight, it maintains a uniform color scheme that creates visual harmony and makes the overall design more professional.   

It also uses consistent backgrounds across various sections, simplifying visitors’ browsing experience. The navigation menu stays clean and uncluttered.  

If you have an extensive product catalog, use dropdown menus in your navigation instead of trying to list every product category directly on the main menu bar, which would create overwhelming clutter. 

Slack

Slack’s homepage features a web design that matches its modern style. The main section shows an animation of how it works in practice. One of the features that makes Slack’s homepage stand out is how it addresses the problems of its target market. The text pairs with animated visuals explaining how the company makes work flexible and simplifies communication. 

Asana

Asana uses a basic video that successfully makes their page more dynamic and captivating. This is a good example of using stock footage effectively by incorporating custom design elements and motion graphics that transform generic videos into professional, branded content. 

Medium  

Medium’s homepage is one of the most notable minimalist homepages. Its robust value proposition, clear call-to-action, and refined design instantly communicate that this platform is all about diverse and quality content. 

Wired

If you want a classic homepage that’s functional at the same time, draw inspiration from Wired’s homepage. While content-heavy, like many online publications, it remains easy to navigate. This works because of organized sections like “today’s picks,” “most recent,” and “the big story” that help visitors easily browse through all the content.   

Combining visual elements, photos, illustrations, and collages makes the homepage more engaging and interesting. Smart font choices and proper spacing also keep everything clean and organized. 

Dropbox 

The highlight feature of Dropbox’s homepage is its value proposition section. Along with excellent, clear copy, this demonstrates the brilliant use of graphic design to communicate your message. 

A defining feature is the different colors and subtle animations that activate when visitors hover over the colorful text. They encourage them to interact with the website and spend more time considering how this software could benefit them. 

Airbnb

Social media and streaming services were early users of mobile-friendly design since their users browse phones and tablets. Airbnb was among the first travel accommodation sites to understand this trend. 

Now, their website automatically adjusts perfectly to any screen size or device. The layout, images, and text automatically reorganize themselves to give users the best possible experience regardless of how they access the site. 

As confirmed by industry leaders, the right website design seamlessly combines several aesthetic and functional elements. From Grammarly’s social proof section to Airbnb’s mobile-first tactic, successful businesses understand that their homepage must adapt to user expectations and technological breakthroughs to remain competitive. 

What are common homepage design mistakes to avoid

You can unintentionally sabotage your homepage’s efficiency with design strategies that drive visitors away. Understanding them is a must if you want to turn your homepage into a valuable marketing tool. 

Make sure to avoid the following when updating your homepage: 

• Excess information 
• Poor visual hierarch 
• Confusing navigation 
• Excessive styles 
• Disruptive elements 

Let’s break them down: 

Excess information 

Too much information in the form of text, images, and videos overwhelm visitors, making it difficult to understand your message. Not only does it make your brand appear disorganized or unprofessional, it also slows down your homepage. Make sure that your homepage is properly structured so that it can guide your visitors rather than bury them in detail.  

Focus on the important message and direct visitors to a clear and immediate course of action, whether making a purchase, scheduling an appointment, or learning more about your offer. 

Poor visual hierarchy

 For aesthetics and functionality, homepages use web design elements like size, color, and typography. You need a clear hierarchy when using them; otherwise, they’ll compete, causing confusion. This must be avoided, as users shouldn’t have to exert effort to find what they’re looking for. 

Fix poor visual hierarchy by reorganizing your homepage, guiding visitors from your most important message to supporting details. Place this key message at the top, where visitors’ eyes naturally land first. 

Confusing navigation 

Confusing homepage navigation is a flaw that can sabotage your website and brand since it frustrates visitors who expect to breeze through your website content. It’s also detrimental to SEO, as it hinders search engine crawling and indexing; driving up bounce rates by prompting visitors to go to competitor sites. Therefore, navigation must be clear and intuitive to keep users engaged. 

Excessive styles  

Excessive styles that mix clashing fonts, colors, and visual effects create visual chaos. Common mistakes include using more than three fonts, overusing headings, and competing colors that make your homepage look unprofessional. 

Use color combinations that complement your brand, limit yourself to two fonts, and add animations sparingly. 

Disruptive elements  

Intrusive pop-ups, auto-playing music or videos, and flashing ads overwhelm and annoy visitors. They negatively impact your brand and lead to high bounce rates. Use these elements appropriately and implement easy-close buttons. Alternatively, replace them with slide-in notifications or sticky banners. 

You’ve already drawn internet users to your site; don’t turn them off with aggressive design. 

What website builders offer good homepage templates

 Choosing the right design templates can make the difference between creating a professional, conversion-focused website and struggling with a DIY disaster that drives customers away. 

Let’s explore some of the most popular options below:  

Platform	Categories	Selection features	Setup process	Key benefits
Wix	General business (consulting, marketing, tech) and specialized industries (health, beauty, fashion, travel	Templates clearly show purpose (e.g., “Home Interior Photographer”, “Real Estate Landing Page”) with sections for newest and top-rated designs	Choose professional template and add content instead of starting from scratch	Saves time while ensuring polished, business-appropriate results
Squarespace	Customizable templates including popular designs and collaborations	Ready-to-customize options with focus on professional appearance	Simple selection process with user-friendly interface	Works particularly well for online stores and businesses with great-looking, smoothly functioning content
GoDaddy	Templates for any business type with focus on simplicity	Eye-catching visuals with large images and photo galleries	Easy-to-use foundation with built-in professional features	Includes appointment booking, online sales, download handling; ideal for appearance-focused businesses
Network Solutions	Templates for any business (Beauty Shop, Catering Service, City Hotel)	Expert-designed templates with drag-and-drop functionality and  customization options	Seamless integration to chosen homepage template package like nsSpace™, nsBusinessSpace™, nsCommerceSpace™	Online solutions: domain names, eCommerce builders, hosting, security (SSL), email tools, marketing services (SEO, PPC), trademark protection

Take your business to a whole new level with the right web design 

Scaling your small business on the internet requires making the most of your homepage design. Remember, there’s more to it than just aesthetics; it’s an important component of first impressions that makes or breaks your company’s goals.    

Stop losing potential customers due to poor homepage design and start leveraging it to compete with your more established counterparts.   

Choose from Network Solutions’ homepage templates that align with your brands identity, convert visitors, and drive business growth:  

Most popular:

Business and services:  

Online store: 

No time to DIY? Need help? Our experts can create a website and homepage that are tailored to your needs. 

Whether starting from scratch or looking to grow, we’ll build your site with utmost professionalism to drive results.   

Frequently asked questions