Not mine, but what about yours?
Your homepage should tell a story though large visuals and quick easy-to-read copy because people just skim the web, but does this mean a homepage should be short?
Years ago, many people were concerned with “the fold” (a concept that dates back to the newspaper). Designers would be forced to cram all the important bits on the homepage in above 600 pixels leaving no room for negative space making designs look cluttered. So, what is life like below 600px? Fortunately, the mention of a fold and requests to shorten the length of homepage and landing page designs have decreased in recent years. Statistics show that when people land on a homepage, they typically scroll all the way to the bottom – making prime real estate for call-to-actions at the bottom. I’m sure you have seen those forms just above the footer by now, right?
What should be above 600px, then?
This is typically what we call the “hero”. Every company or brand has different needs and goals, so this obviously won’t fit for every case. Typically, these are the most important elements that should exist when you first land on a homepage:
- Logo (company brand)
- Navigation (or menu icon for off-canvas navigation)
- Large heading about company mission or attention grabber
- Short supporting blurb
- Primary call-to-action button leading the user where you want them to go
- Optional secondary call-to-action button
- Beautiful background photo or video (better yet) to engage the user and instill trust
Scrolling Effects
Many designs have started building in effects for when the person scrolls to make the user’s experience even cooler. We just need to practice subtlety when it comes to animations and transitions so that things to venture over to the cheesy side or get in the way of the user’s experience.
Some inspiration
One page love features well designed websites that are just one long page. They were also one of the first galleries to feature one of my websites.
Conclusion
Yes… Your homepage is probably too short. Go ahead, make your website longer as long as it adds value to your overall brand story, looks modern and increases conversions. I’m always happy to help – pat@madebypat.com