The homepage of a website is the logical point of entry into the web pages in a site. It connects as well as interconnects all other pages in the website. Basically users can enter your site from any of your web pages as they are indexed in search engines. Therefore it is important that on all your web pages there must be a link back to your home page so that users can go back to the beginning or homepage of your site in case they got lost or stuck somewhere. Home pages being the prime location of any website is used for lot many different functions depending on the purpose of the site. Because of the high visibility of the home page it is perfect place for posting news and information. It is the ideal place for the table of contents and menu of links in the site. In the sites using home page for news and menu listings, the navigation schemes are often centered on the home page; which acts as a base for most of the navigation throughout the site. Some of the designs use the home page to steer audiences into subtopics or highlight areas of the site. There are many kinds of home pages with varying goals and target visitors. Some of them are meant for selling products and services, couple to sway public opinion and others to educate or discussion on various topics. Primarily, there are the few common web pages design strategies:- Menu home pages: In the early years of web; menu-like lists of links is the most common design on most home pages and is still the popular home page design format. Such pages are mostly dominated by graphic imagemaps as they are more space efficient, as it packs maximum number of links into every square inch of the page. Splash home pages: Generally, splash pages are considered controversial presentation, reason is; to numerous visitors as they focus on particular contents, splash gives an annoying experience. If it is that necessary, then there should be a site index at the start along with the pretty graphics and animated stuff. The rule of the thumb-design according to target audience expectations as splashing on the sports site is different from that of a Casino's site. Path-based home pages: In large websites there is massive information for the visitors, that information is be impossible to present in a single home page. As visitors too have their specific interests and goals, this translates to general rule, it's always good to use home page to split the links to content" in accordance with the users interests so that they get more relevant information in the menu pages. News-oriented home pages: Home pages of the news oriented organizations are the obvious examples of such format. Many organizations utilize the high visibility of their home pages to make to announce the latest on the happenings to the larger web audience. Such live format makes a home page more attractive and more likely to keep attracting visitors. Complex amalgam of all the above said pages: Increasingly home pages are becoming a complex amalgam of all the above said strategies. As the goals for most web sites are to transmit information and also to communicate effectively with potential clients and general visitors. Home pages now mix images, menu lists, and special interest sections according to the flavour of the site. As most of the corporate and institutional home pages always display a graphic banner across the top of the home page, and the commercial sites are rapidly becoming mixtures of links embedded in graphic imagemaps and links in textual content But using large graphic menus takes longer time for loading pages, especially for users linking to the Internet via modems, Ethernet or slow network connections. Alex Roderick The Author is the owner of a web site design Company, and providing Web Design and Development Solutions to clients across USA and UK for affordable and sensible prices.
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