Web Programming

Web Programming

More than the other pages of a website , the homepage is the most visited as it acts as a portal bearing general information about the company or institution it represents . The homepage represents the company as much as the whole website does . It also leads web visitors to the other pages of the site . However , a homepage can only play its part efficiently under several guidelines and specifications . This has been the scope of the article entitled Top Ten Guidelines for Homepage Usability . Jakob Nielsen discussed ten ways in which

companies and webmasters can utilize their homepages to thoroughly serve the institution the website represents and the clients it strives to impress

Nielsen asserted that an effective homepage reveals the purpose of the website , is user-friendly , shows what the website contains , and uses creative yet relevant visuals . In revealing the purpose of the website Nielsen suggests creating a tagline and putting it in the homepage There are two things that a tagline can do for the company - create brand register and recognition , and summarize the activity of the company . Another way is to create a window title that will help the site be more visible in search engines . Thus , Nielsen discouraged using irrelevant words in the window title . Lastly , corporate information is not always the first thing that website visitors want to know . It is better to collate all information about the company , its departments and subsidiaries in one page or area that website visitors can link to instead of putting them in the homepage . These are favorable because they take out the fuss and the waste of space in homepages , which can mean waste of time for the website visitors . When homepages follow these specifications , the homepage becomes definitive for the company and its clientele

To promote user-friendliness , the homepage should encourage visitors to do something - to contact the company , to buy something , or to participate in a survey or a contest . This way , the homepage creates activity for the web visitor . Putting a search feature in the homepage also increases the homepage 's usability for its users . Through these users will find ease of use and purpose for visiting the homepage and exploring the website . This is likewise favorable because web visitors strive to get the most out of their time online . While they want to get information , many web users also love interaction and homepages and websites which offer these certainly get more traffic

It also helps that the homepage contains a bit of what the site contains , such as beginning paragraphs of articles , or thumbnails of pictures that users can link to . Keywords may also be utilized to help website visitors find what they want faster and easier . This way readers will get a view of the relevant contents without crowding the homepage and sacrificing homepage space . Dedicating an area for finding recent features and links can also help the users of the site navigate easily through the website from the homepage . This is...