| Looking for a way to attract more attention to your | | | | to your visitors. |
| website? Offer a fresh face and new content on a | | | | Don't Change Your Home Page Too Often: |
| regular basis and you'll find people will check back to | | | | Even though you want your website to be new and |
| see what's new and you'll have a tool to measure | | | | dynamic you also don't want to change it too often. |
| what attracts and what doesn't. Here's how to do it. | | | | People take comfort from their favorite websites and |
| Your website homepage is your front door through | | | | want them to be familiar. If you change your home |
| which online browsers come to visit your business. | | | | page too often or too much you may create |
| Static, never-changing content is no more interesting to | | | | confusion or give people the feel that someone else |
| a returning visitor than a book they have already read. | | | | has taken over your site. You could also compromise |
| To keep your audience captivated and coming back | | | | your positioning in search engines. So maintain some |
| you need to make your home on the web inviting and | | | | consistency. When you make changes to graphics or |
| interesting. | | | | content it shouldn't make a major change to the way |
| Present a Dynamic Home Page | | | | your website looks and feels. Regular visitors should |
| One way that you can present changing home page | | | | be able to find the same information that they've |
| content is to design ten to twelve unique pages with | | | | always found on your home page and in the same |
| different content and then rotate them every month. | | | | place. As a rule, the headers and navigation tools on |
| Take a couple of weeks to design different ideas and | | | | your home page shouldn't ever change without a |
| images. Create page promotions that include a | | | | complete redesign and announcing that to your visitors. |
| message that is timeless or that has a seasonal or | | | | Change content and images with other content and |
| timely announcement such as "Holiday Specials." When | | | | images while maintaining the sites original functionality. |
| you consider different features for your home page | | | | Home pages that are consistent lend a feeling of |
| and when it should be placed you're forced to look | | | | comfort to users. If your customers learn to expect |
| closely at at your marketing strategy over a one year | | | | consistency they'll also learn to rely on your quality |
| period. This will save you a lot of time since you then | | | | customer service. If you're a small online business, |
| won't have to think about your home page content | | | | gaining your customer's trust is your most important |
| through the year. It also allows you to plan your offers | | | | step to success. |
| and gather the necessary content. | | | | The Benefits of a Flexible Home Page |
| A web developer can put your home pages on a | | | | A flexible home page lets you test your off line |
| rotating script or use an automatic timer. You can then | | | | marketing efforts. Before you spend money on a |
| rotate your home pages to highlight a new tip every | | | | magazine or newspaper ad you can test it out on |
| month or to promote a featured product. The home | | | | your website. You'll be able to see how people react |
| page of your website is much like the front cover of a | | | | to the ad. Your home page will let you determine |
| magazine. People want to see a home page that has | | | | which featured products attract the most interest. You |
| different photos and content at least every month, | | | | can also determine which graphics generate the most |
| preferably every week. You won't want all of the | | | | attraction. Web analytics software (Google Analytics is |
| content of your website to be featured on the home | | | | great and free to use) can provide you with this type |
| page as this will overwhelm your website visitors. So | | | | of information. It will help you obtain marketing data that |
| choose one or two features to highlight each month. | | | | is detailed and precise. You can see which graphics |
| The rest of your website content should be well | | | | people have clicked on as well as what web page |
| organized within the rest of the pages of your site. | | | | they were on just before they left your website. |
| When you're ready to update your home page you | | | | Once you've mastered the technique of updating your |
| simply grab content from your internal pages. This way | | | | home page, while at the same time keeping the core |
| you're not having to create new content. You're just | | | | content the same, you'll be well on your way to |
| reorganizing your existing content so that it feels new | | | | recognizing the benefits of a flexible home page. |