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You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why you need thoughtful homepage design.
When designing your site, think of your homepage as a virtual front door. If a new visitor doesn’t like what they see, their knee-jerk reaction is to hit the “back” button.
So, what makes a website’s homepage design brilliant instead of bland? In this post, you’ll learn the ins and outs of home page design. Then, you can see sites that put these best practices to work.

Homepage Design Best Practices
All of the homepage designs shown here combine the following elements. Not every page is perfect, but the best website designs get many of these elements right.
1. The design clearly answers who you are, what you do, and how visitors can engage with your site.
If you’re a well-known brand or company (i.e., Coca-Cola), you can get away with not having to describe who you are and what you do. However, most businesses still need to answer these questions so that each visitor knows they’re in the right place.
Steven Krugg sums it up best in his bestselling book, Don’t Make Me Think: If visitors can’t identify what it is you do within seconds, they won’t stick around long.
2. The design resonates with the target audience.
A homepage needs to be narrowly focused — speaking to the right people in their language. The best homepages avoid corporate jargon and eliminate fluff.
3. The design communicates a compelling value proposition.
When a visitor arrives on your homepage, your design needs to compel them to stick around. Therefore, the homepage is the best place to nail your value proposition so prospects choose to stay on your website.
4. The design is optimized for multiple devices.
Mobile devices accounted for 65.85% of global traffic in October 2022. So clearly, your website needs to be mobile-friendly if you want to attract a significant share of the online market.
A mobile-friendly website is easy to navigate. Avoid “flashy” objects that get in the way of browsing. That includes flash banners, animations, pop-ups, and other unnecessary elements.
5. The design includes calls-to-action (CTAs).
Calls-to-action help you encourage visitors to take specific actions. Examples include “Free Trial,” “Schedule a Demo,” “Buy Now,” or “Learn More.”
Most homepages use primary and secondary calls-to-action to direct visitors to the next logical step.
Remember, the homepage’s goal is to compel visitors to dig deeper into your website. CTAs tell them what to do next, so they don’t get overwhelmed or lost. More importantly, CTAs turn your homepage into a sales engine and not just brochure-wear.
6. The design is always changing.
The best home pages are dynamic. They constantly change to reflect their visitors’ needs, problems, and questions.
Some homepages also use A/B testing or dynamic content to make informed changes.
7. The design is effective.
A well-designed page is vital for building trust, communicating value, and navigating visitors to the next step. These homepages effectively use layout, white space, colors, fonts, and other supporting elements.
Now, get ready to learn about excellent homepage design through the following 23 real-life examples.
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1. FreshBooks

FreshBooks is an accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses. And the site’s homepage makes the company’s mission clear. The page lays out FreshBooks’ features so visitors can quickly understand what they stand to gain from trying the tool out.
There’s a great use of contrast and positioning with the primary calls-to-action. It’s clear the company wants you to convert when you arrive. “Try for Free” is also a very compelling CTA.
What we love: FreshBooks uses customer testimonials to tell real-world stories of customer success. They also employ social proof by including star ratings from third-party sites.
2. A24 Films

The film company’s homepage is made up of only trailers for its new films. This is a great strategy to showcase A24’s work in an engaging way.
What we love: This website showcases the best of simple design. Each item on the homepage is a full row — consisting only of one image and large text. Nothing is cluttered and each featured movie or shop item pops.
3. Omsom

With a headline that reads “Real Asian flavors in minutes,” visitors know exactly what they’re getting once they land on this homepage. Omsom sells packets that include the spices and base ingredients for Asian cooking. Customers just need to add veggies and protein.
What follows as you scroll is Omsom’s value proposition and how their product works. These sections are vital as they give skeptical visitors more reasons to shop with the brand.
What we love: The hero section features reviews, a free shipping offer, and a sumptuous image. These elements motivate visitors to take action even before scrolling.
4. HubSpot

We’ll take a second to toot our own horn. HubSpot’s homepage starts with an eye-catching headline that explains what we do and for who.
This information is followed by a dual CTA. You can choose to book a demo or sign up for free.
What we love: There’s a clever use of figures and statistics to show the vastness of HubSpot’s community. Seeing 150,000+ users in over 120 countries will instill trust in visitors.
5. Pixelgrade

At a glance, you can tell what Pixelgrade offers: WordPress themes. The big title, followed by a descriptive subtitle, lets visitors know what to expect.
The right side gives you a glimpse of how their WordPress themes look. Then, as you scroll, the page provides three reasons why you should use Pixelgrade. Each reason is followed by a testimonial from real-life customers.
What we love: The design is simple, and the color combination does a great job of making the call-to-action stand out.
6. Mint

Mint’s home page makes the company’s message clear: Their app makes managing your money simple.
Simplicity is reinforced throughout the homepage design. The site gives off a secure but easygoing vibe, which is essential for a product that handles financial information. There’s no-jargon or confusing language.
The page also contains a simple, direct, compelling call-to-action copy: “Sign up free.”
What we love: The mention of 30 million users is a great use of social proof. This will likely convince visitors to try the tool.
7. Dropbox

Dropbox also relies on simple design and branding. It includes only what is essential: A large, relevant image with supporting copy and a “Get started” call-to-action button.
Its sub-headline is simple yet powerful: “Easy to use, reliable, private, and secure. It’s no wonder Dropbox is the choice for storing and sharing your most important files.” No need to decode jargon to figure out what Dropbox really does.
What we love: Throughout the homepage, Dropbox describes different use cases for their tool. Doing so helps visitors know exactly how (and if) Dropbox can help them.
8. Chipotle

The homepage is an excellent example of agility and constant change. Chipotle’s current homepage is all about the latest addition to its menu.
You can also see the company’s other service offerings well. That includes online ordering, gift cards, and catering.
What we love: The food photography is detailed and beautiful. The pictures make visitors hungry just by looking. Now that’s an effective use of visuals.
9. 4 Rivers Smokehouse

Drool. That’s what I think when I arrive at the website for 4 Rivers Smokehouse. Fantastic photography and the headline “Family Owned. Locally Made. Community Focused” easily sell the experience.
As you scroll, you’re taken on a tour of the services, menu, and people having a great time.
What we love: A brief note about the company’s history is found at the bottom of the page. The company’s story adds to the brand’s authenticity and deepens its relationship with customers.
10. eWedding

For those love birds planning their big day, eWedding is a great destination for building a custom wedding website. The homepage isn’t cluttered and only includes the necessary elements to get you started.
The homepage includes excellent product visuals, a great headline, and a call-to-action that reduces friction with the copy, “Start now.”
To convince more visitors to use eWedding, the site has a cost calculator that helps estimate how much couples could save on total RSVP, a cash registry, and a custom website.
What we love: The live counter of the number of wedding websites built using eWedding (over 900,000) is excellent social proof.
11. Spotify

Spotify has mastered the mantra “less is more.” Visitors are immediately greeted by a simple value proposition. They can play songs and podcasts at no cost. A simple CTA takes you to a signup page.
As you scroll, the page explains why you should choose Spotify. The site reinforces that you can get started right now “no credit card required.”
What we love: Spotify’s homepage includes a short FAQ. Each question explains how to use the platform, including how to make a playlist and where to find podcasts. Simple answers showcase that Spotify is easy to use.
12. Colorsmith

Remember, your home page should explain what your product does.
Colorsmith shows that explaining your mission can be simple. The “custom hair color for men” headline immediately tells visitors what the website is about — thereby eliminating any confusion.
Under the headline is a video showing real people using Colorsmith in their routine. This video draws an audience in and helps them create a mental picture of themselves using the products.
What we love: There’s a consistent use of the “Craft My Color” CTA. A single CTA throughout the page limits distractions and clarifies the desired course of action for visitors.
13. Melyssa Griffin

Melyssa Griffin’s site showcases both her expertise and personality.
Melyssa does well to include an image of herself so visitors can get familiar with her. She isn’t just a random website. She makes it clear she’s a human whom people can connect to.
The page uses bright colors without being overwhelming, making it easy to understand Melyssa’s central business offerings.
What we love: Visitors are invited to take a quick quiz. This allows visitors to learn their money management archetype, while Melyssa generates leads.
14. Nine Lives Foundation

If you’re a nonprofit in search of a website role model, look no further. Nine Lives is a California-based cat adoption center. Their headline “finding homes for cats and kittens” makes their mission clear.
As you scroll, you’ll see different ways you can get involved with the rescue — and that’s not just adopting a cat. You can learn about ways to give, vaccination options for your furry friend, and ways to volunteer.
What we love: Nonprofits can benefit from multiple CTAs. Your home page should lay out the many ways people can interact with your organization.
15. Digiday

Unlike other online news publications that inundate homepages with as many headlines and images as possible, a single article takes up most of Digiday’s top section.
Its featured image is eye-catching, and the headline just asks to be clicked.
What we love: The top of the homepage only has one icon to click — which leads you to a subscription page.
16. Jill Konrath

This homepage gets straight to the point. From the headline and sub-headline, it’s clear exactly what Jill Konrath does (and how she can help your business).
Visitors can also easily find Jill’s thought leadership materials, which is important to establishing her credibility as a keynote speaker. The pop-up subscription CTA uses social proof to get you to join her thousands of other fans.
What we love: It’s easy to subscribe to the newsletter and get in touch — two of her primary calls-to-action.
17. Evernote

Over the years, Evernote has turned from a simple note-saving app into a suite of business products. Evernote does an excellent job of packaging many potential messages into a few key benefits.
This homepage uses a combination of white space and its signature bright green and white highlights to make conversion paths stand out. Following a simple headline (“Tame your work, organize your life”), the eye path then leads you to its call-to-action, “Sign Up For Free.”
What we love: Evernote also offers a one-click sign-up process through Google to help visitors save even more time.
18. Telerik by Progress

“Stuffy enterprise” isn’t the feeling you get from Telerik’s website. For a company that offers many technology products, its bold colors, fun designs, and videography give off a Google-like vibe.
The website uses a simple, high-level overview of its six product offers. It’s a very clear way of communicating what the company does and how people can learn more.
What we love: The copy is lightweight and easy to read. It speaks the language of its customers.
19. Basecamp

Basecamp’s homepage features a brilliant headline and sub-headline that explains what they do and how they’re different from the rest. The call-to-action is bold and above the fold.
What we love: In this example, the company chose a more blog-like homepage (or single-page site approach), providing much more product information.
20. charity: water

Charity: water uses visuals, creative copy, and use of interactive web design to engage visitors. The website’s main purpose, to accept donations, is brought to the forefront with the payment gateway right above the fold.
For those who miss the donation gateway at the top of the page, the website also shows other ways they can donate once they scroll below the fold.
What we love: This nonprofit employs great uses of video and photography, particularly in capturing emotion that causes action.
21. TechValidate

Software tools should explain their value proposition and how their product works on their homepages. TechValidate executes this brief with mastery — pairing beautiful design with essential information.
This homepage is beautifully designed, making use of white space, contrasting colors, and customer-centric design. The headline is clear and compelling, as is the call-to-action.
What we love: The product’s video is front and center. Customers know just what to watch to learn more.
22. Medium

Medium’s homepage uses a simple header, sub-header, and CTA button before drawing visitors’ attention to the trending stories — the main point of the website.
What we love: The homepage uses social proof to get visitors to start clicking around. The “Trending on Medium” section lets visitors know where to find high-quality content.
23. Kind Snacks

Kind Snacks website makes you hungry just from the images. The bold colors produce contrast, making the words and images stand out on the page.
The website also makes use of a carousel to show the brand’s wide array of products. All of the options reinforce that anyone can find their new favorite snack.
However, Kind’s website is more than just selling individual products. The homepage also introduces visitors to gifting cubes, build-your-own-box options, and mini products.
What we love: Kind’s website also features a subscription option. Here, the brand clearly lays out the benefits visitors would enjoy if they subscribed.
24. Ahrefs

Ahrefs offers many tools that can help teams improve their SEO. However, the home page keeps offerings simple, prompting visitors to sign up.
Simplicity is reinforced by the site’s design. There’s no clutter thanks to the solid background and simple typography. The color contrast between the blue, white, and orange colors is eye-catching and makes the headline and CTA pop.
What we love: Ahrefs uses different social proof elements throughout the page. For instance, visitors can see the number of new Ahrefs accounts created in the past week above the fold.
25. Ellevest

“Your money goals are personal.” This headline is powerful and makes visitors want to learn more about the product. The images show, rather than tell, one of the company’s value propositions: a mobile app, pair of scales, and calculator that move with you.
What we love: “Get Started” is a great CTA — in fact, we use it ourselves here at HubSpot. When clicked, it takes visitors through a few simple steps to set up a profile and start investing.
Building the Best Home Page
When it comes to beautiful homepage design, remember: Less is more. Your homepage’s job is to present your mission and explain what visitors can gain from your offering.
Keep these best practices in mind when you revisit your site. Soon, you’ll be on your way to making our list.

Last Updated on January 1, 2023 by Rakesh Gupta With the rising adoption of Salesforce DevOps, scratch orgs are suddenly in the spotlight. This blog will explain what scratch orgs are, why they’re useful, and how you can easily create one using clicks, not code. What Is a Scratch Org?
The post Scratch Orgs for Salesforce Admin appeared first on Automation Champion.

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The other day I was trying to find the perfect dress pant yoga pants because I wanted comfortable, professional clothing options.
When I searched for “dress pant yoga pants” on Google, I found the brand Betabrand.
Amazingly, the company dominated the top four search results. The first two results were their website, the third was their Amazon page, and the fourth was a review of their product.
Deciding I wanted to look into it further, I searched for Betabrand on Google and found their social media pages, a Wikipedia page, their website, their Amazon store, and reviews.
They were impossible to ignore online. Ultimately, I ended up making a purchase.
My buyer’s journey is not unique.
In fact, according to Adaptive Marketing, 97% of consumers use the internet to find a business.
That’s why having an online presence is important.
It helps consumers find your brand before they are aware you exist and it helps them learn about your reputation before making a purchase. Eventually, all of this information will play a role in your customer’s purchasing decision.
Below we’ll review what an online presence is, and explore 16 effective ways to build your online presence.

1. Build an email list.
One of the top ways to build your online presence is to create and grow an email list. An email list will enable you to engage with current and potential customers on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
To grow your email list, you can create gated content that users have to sign-up to receive. Additionally, you can use a call-to-action (CTA) on your website and social media pages to promote your email newsletter. With a newsletter, you’re able to collect leads’ emails — additionally, it shows your leads and customers are interested in your content.
You can use tools in your content management system (CMS) to create forms, slide-in CTAs, or popups that are designed to gather email addresses. For example, HubSpot offers free CMS tools, an email marketing tool, free pop-up forms, and a free online form builder to help build an email list. Alternatively, you might consider checking out MailChimp or GetResponse. To find a tool that works for your business, check out The 12 Best Email Newsletter Tools in 2019.
2. Master SEO.
With algorithms changing every day, search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best tactics to build your online presence.
The first step to showing up online when people are searching is to master SEO.
SEO can be divided into two categories — on-site SEO, and off-site SEO.
On-site SEO is all about the content. You’ll want to use keyword research, include internal and external links, and create educational content that likely matches your target audiences’ search queries.
With off-site SEO, you’ll pay attention to the more technical side of things. For example, you’ll want to make sure your site is set up correctly, has simple URL structuring, and loads quickly. Additionally, off-site SEO also includes building credibility with backlinks. You can also use SEO and website audit tools to optimize both your on-page and off-page SEO
Lastly, if you want to show up on Google, create a Google My Business account, and use Google’s keyword planner.
3. Create value.
Overall, your brand or company’s goal is to make money. But before you can make money, you have to create value and be customer-centric.
One way to create value is to provide educational, free content online. Not only is this helpful for your customers, but it’ll also improve your online presence.
To get started, write out a list of your customer’s pain points and motivations. In other words, take a look at your buyer persona.
Then, brainstorm content that would answer their questions. What information would help your customers? This will be the basis for your content strategy.
Another way to create value online is to give advice. You could do this through guest posting, responding to comments, or appearing on a podcast. Wherever your customers have questions, you should be answering them.
4. Be active online.
In order to show up online, you have to be active online. This includes regularly posting to your owned properties, including your website and social media accounts.
Additionally, you should be active in other areas, as well. For example, you should engage with followers and subscribers on social media. If there’s something that everyone is talking about in your industry, you can engage in the conversation.
5. Analyze your results.
Once you get started with a few tactics to build your online presence, it’s critical you analyze your results. I would suggest testing your strategies so you learn what works and what doesn’t.
In order to test your results, start out by deciding what metrics you’re using. If you’re working on your SEO, you might track your search engine results on Google. On the other hand, if you’re building an email list, you might track the number of subscribers, plus your open and click-through rates.
Keep in mind that these are long-term strategies. Some may take time to produce results. Additionally,, some may be harder to track, like brand awareness. But that’s okay — just because results may be hard to track doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.
6. Adopt new forums.
When new social media or popular websites emerge, be an early adopter. There are many benefits to being an early adopter.
First, if you’re an early adopter, there’s less competition. Second, most of these websites start out free and have high engagement rates.
To be an early adopter, make sure you’re always in “the know.” Read industry news and research new, up-and-coming sites.
7. Have a social media presence.
Being on social media is a necessity in this day and age. In fact, in 2019 there are now 3.2 billion people on social media globally, so social media is a key tool for reaching your intended audience on whichever platforms they prefer.
Having a presence on social media instills trust in your current customers and prospects. Personally, if I see that a company doesn’t have a presence on social media, I lose trust and feel unsure if they even exist.
Plus, social media is a great way to build your credibility and reputation and showcase your brand. When potential customers are researching your brand, the first place they’ll look is social media to see what you’re putting out there and what people are saying about you.
8. Make a website.
Not to be repetitive, but again, to show up online, you have to have a website online. Besides social media, one of the first places people will go to find out more about your company is your website.
Your website is where you can show off your brand through colors, fonts, text, video, and images. You’ll appeal to your buyer persona’s pain points and present a solution to their problem.
To make a website, there are many CMS sites you can use, including HubSpot, Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace. HubSpot’s free CMS tools contains a host of features to make website creation seamless and customizable.
9. Produce content.
The more content you produce, the more opportunities you have to show up online. Having an online presence is all about showing up in search engines, on social media, and sites like YouTube.
To start producing content, strategize what places you want to show up online. Do you want to be on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Etsy, Poshmark, Goodreads, or Amazon?
Prioritize the sites your customers are active on (based on customer research) and start brainstorming content that is best-suited for those mediums.
For example, with YouTube, you’ll come up with video ideas — whereas on Instagram, you’ll come up with photo and caption ideas.
10. Personify your brand.
Building an online presence is a lot like building a brand. One tactic many companies use to build a brand is to personify their brand.
For example, The Skimm, a daily newsletter, personified their brand when they were founded in 2012. The founders created a persona called The Skimm Girl. This was the personification of their brand. They knew her likes, dislikes, age, job, financial situation, and sense of humor.
By personifying their brand, the company was able to appeal to their target demographic while staying true to their mission and values.
Having a clear brand helps users relate to your company and makes them want to engage with you, whether through a social media comment or by signing up for your email newsletter.
11. Experiment with online advertising.
A faster solution to building an online presence is through online advertising. If your ad shows up in the top search results, you’ll build brand awareness and increase your visibility online.
You can advertise on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Additionally, you can look into social media advertising. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are well-known for their advertising options.
Before you begin advertising online, brainstorm what you want to promote. Do you want to promote a certain content offer? Alternatively, perhaps you want to advertise your email newsletter?
Once you choose what it is you want to advertise, you’ll also need to decide on the platform that is best-suited (i.e. has the right audience) to promote that content on.
12. Research influencer marketing.
In order to stay active in your community, it’s important to engage with the most popular figures in your niche.
For instance, if you sell beauty products, you might consider researching beauty influencers on YouTube and Instagram. Many consumers look to influencers for their honest reviews and promotion before purchasing a product.
Additionally, influencer marketing will get the word out about your brand online. The more people are talking about you, the more often you’ll show up online.
13. Be competitive.
When you’re building an online presence, remember to be competitive. Look at what your competitors are doing and discuss whether or not that’s a good strategy for your business, as well.
You can also use your competitors to see what they’re missing. Is there a gap they aren’t filling? What information do customers want that your competitors aren’t providing?
Researching your competitors should give you ideas for content and strategies. You won’t be able to compete with or one-up your competitors if you aren’t sure what they’re doing.
14. Develop relationships.
Developing relationships with those in your industry is an important way to build your online presence.
For instance, if you have a relationship with blog writers or podcasters in your industry, they might feature you in their content. Perhaps they’ll ask you to guest post or appear on their podcast.
Forging relationships with others in your industry will ultimately help you show up online.
15. Show up where your audience is.
To show up online, you have to figure out where your audience is.
If your audience is on Instagram, but they aren’t on Twitter, you shouldn’t be putting all your efforts into Twitter. On the contrary, you should be focusing your content and promotion strategy on Instagram.
If you show up where your audience is, you’ll build a strong online presence that customers can’t ignore.
16. Automate your process.
Lastly, building an online presence includes a lot of tedious tactics.
In order to ensure the system runs smoothly, automate some of your processes. For instance, you can schedule your content to go live on your CMS and social media.
Additionally, you can curate other people’s content, which enables you to provide valuable resources for your audience without constantly creating fresh content.
You can also plan your email marketing newsletters in advance, and set up email sign-up forms on your site that show up automatically.
These marketing strategies can help you build your online presence, create brand awareness, and develop a strong reputation. Building an online presence requires effort, but over time it will pay off with increased sales and better brand awareness in your industry.