As far as homepage trends, we’ve seen plenty come and go. Whether it’s a pared-back simplicity or a grab-your-attention-with-animations style, homepage web design runs the gamut.
So, while you shift with trends to try to keep your audience’s attention, take care to keep the user at the center. These are the Top 10 homepage mistakes I most commonly see in clients that come to us—and in the wild (and how to fix them).
#1: Relying On a Single Corner CTA
The corner CTA is a classic for a reason. It’s Ol’ Faithful. But: If you can make it easier for users to convert (and data shows that more CTAs can get clicks)—then do it.
I’ll be the first to admit: I really don’t love seeing a “Contact Us” button just below the hero text when there’s one right up there in the corner. But then again, the marketing side of me has won out here, and if you can create a CTA that makes sense contextually, I say add it in.
Ideally, those CTAs will be naturally interspersed throughout the homepage layout and will offer a variety of options to users who are in different places of the funnel—so you can you offer a “Download whitepaper” CTA after some stats, for someone in the research stage (near the top of the funnel) while a “Talk to Sales” CTA is listed further down under some social proof.
A note on design here: Make CTAs look nice! Not every CTA has to have the same solid button background. Try a secondary color, or opt to simply outline the CTA button—with a transparent background. Or you can avoid a button altogether and use a text link instead.
#2: Having Unclear (Or Nonexistent) User Pathways
Put the user at the center of your homepage design. And if you have several categories of users, create a clear pathway for them, from the start. Anyone visiting your site from a specific industry will try to envision how you can help them. Show them clearly that you serve them by creating a pathway with a dedicated space for it on the homepage.
Always seek to give context to who you help, and provide options to dive deeper (on additional pages of the site). Using photos or other visual indicators, like icons, can work well to outline who you serve and where they should go. For example, websites can split pathways between Family / Schools / Educators or between CEOs and designers.
#3 Cramming All the Information on the Homepage
It’s tempting, isn’t it? To just get it all out there and answer every foreseeable question and ensure not a soul gets left out when they visit the site.
That sounds like your homepage is gonna get really bloated really fast. And not in a good way.
When you put too much on a page, it becomes unreadable. We see it a lot! This mostly happens when there are too many stakeholders and too many departments who want a little slice of the homepage. But the fact is: not everything has to be on the homepage—the design should be created with offramps in mind.
Say you’re a SaaS company. You want to make sure everyone who comes on the site understands everything you offer, with snippets from use cases and testimonials for each of your products, not just the flagship one. Resist the urge. The homepage is designed to represent what you do, not show and say everything all at once. Keep your homepage on the simpler side.
Let some of your other pages get some airtime too—direct users there with an invitation to get more information, in an organized way.
#4 Ambiguity
Ah, the other side of the coin. Provide too much info and you overwhelm. If there’s a lack of clarity, you confuse. We see this a fair amount in technology spaces. The headline’s there, saying something, but the user isn’t sure exactly what. In the tech industry, jargon easily sneaks into the hero text. I’ve also seen this homepage trend: a company gets a little too artsy or cute trying to make a catchy hero headline, but it doesn’t land. Users aren’t sure what they offer.
I’m all for creativity, but not at the cost of clarity! Be clear about:
- What you do
- Who you do it for
- Why website visitors should care
And let that inform your website messaging—especially your hero section.
#5 Talking About Yourself Too Much
Sure, it’s your brand’s site and products. But if you’ve ever been in a conversation with a braggart, it gets a little tiring. Same thing with homepages. Take note of how many times you use “we” and “our”. Too many? Maybe. Instead of talking about yourself so much, consider who’s reading it. Think about your product from their point of view. Center around the website visitor, so they can envision how your company and your products can solve their specific problems.
Instead, Answer Their Pain Points
Point out the rough spots for your users and they’ll either think, “Oh, they get it!” or they’ll think “I haven’t thought about that issue, but that sounds like it could be solved here.” With pain points, you’re showing you’ve thought about more than what your software offers, for example, but what it SOLVES. To show you’re different, to position yourself against competition, you have to show you understand the user, the user’s problems, and how your product can fix it. Emotional connection has to happen first—then conversions.
#6 Thinking Testimonials Are Optional
No social proof? How can your audience know they can trust you? Who else can back up the value you claim to provide?
When you allow other voices (outside of your company!) tell your story and communicate your value, you can seriously amp up the power of your homepage. Again—hearing someone brag about themselves is tiring, but hearing it from someone else just lets you know it’s more likely to be true.
List out brands, or include customers’ logos for easier recognition. Sure, testimonials are a pain to get, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Think about the last time you chose a new restaurant. You probably went to the places that are proven (from articles, reviews, word of mouth)—unless you’re a risk taker.
Bonus points if you can create a polished, visually compelling video to really drive the message home. Take a look at this example Ramp created for their client, Notion; it’s an excellent reference, highly professional, and does a great job of telling a clear, compelling story.
#7 Letting Visuals Blend Together
A homepage without a visual hierarchy is unwelcoming at best—or worse: disorienting.
Make it easier on the user and introduce a visual hierarchy. If they get lost in where to look, they might bounce – you want to keep them scrolling. Create order from chaos, and give users a sense of what to do and where to go next.
Use typography (size and font) and colors wisely to separate different sections and different subject matter. The greater the contrast, the more obvious the shift.
#8 Making Accessibility an Afterthought
In addition to very real legal requirements for websites, accessibility can also boost SEO. Google ranks your site using accessibility as a factor, and can identify when your page has taken extra steps to make your site easier to use for all users of all abilities.
If better SEO and maintaining your site’s legality isn’t reason enough, accessibility is a validator for extra public trust—meaning: if you’re a large organization with a lot of traffic, you’re showing you value and cater to any and every demographic that may be visiting your site, regardless of ability, whether colorblind or hearing impaired.
For sites we build, we incorporate ADA compliance—Level 1 as part of the design process, not at the end.
One thing to note specifically about color palettes: If it doesn’t work well with accessibility, adjust your colors. For instance, we see orange and yellow being particularly difficult to use for accessibility, so keep that in mind if you’re rebranding.
#9 Using Only Text
Different learning styles = Different ways to communicate on your homepage. Not every visitor is going to read everything. So show your product visually.
You could use a diagram, a chart, a table, a video, or an illustration. Using any of these will allow you to communicate a lot more with a lot less—and you’ll be able to steer clear of mistake #3 (above).
Again, the homepage design should function as an invitation for users to learn more. Use more text on other pages to provide more detail (for those who may be in the research part of the customer journey, for example).
Don’t rely just on words. Use pictures to capture and captivate an additional portion of your users.
10. Appealing Only to Users’ Rational Side
Logic can get you places. But if you want your brand to have long-term significance, connect with users’ emotional side, too. The homepage you design is a visual representation of the who of your brand identity. And thankfully, that’s on trend: To show the result of using your product, rather than just the product itself.
Showing visuals of what you do, for whom, and why—that’s how you can tap into the heart and soul of your audience. While you do this, make sure your design reflects your brand identity in its messaging as well as its colors and fonts. Is your brand professional? Whimsical? Friendly? Austere? Show it in your designs. This can help differentiate you from your competition and give needed guidance as you design your homepage.
Homepage web design has to maintain focus on the user. How you communicate it, show it, and organize it will determine how the user reacts—by bouncing or going to the next page in the UX pathway, like you planned.
