How to Build a Homepage That Thrives

The homepage.

A crucial part of any organization’s identity, it serves as the first impression for all incoming site visitors. It is a habitat that houses some of the most important components of your digital ecosystem. Today, we will explore this essential domain and see what is essential to the efficacy of the homepage as a whole.

‍

Part One:  The Hero Section

Sometimes known as the header, this section is what loads immediately upon arrival. Now, what elements should live here? Let’s take a closer look.

1. Clarity. When a site visitor finds themselves gazing at the hero section, within a matter of moments, they should have a crystal-clear understanding of what makes your organization special. When crafting a hero section, you must embody the visitor. What language would resonate best with them? Every image, word, and graphic element must be carefully chosen with the site visitor in mind. A poorly created hero section is one that makes only members of your organization excited, and confuses everyone else. Take special care to identify any jargon in this section and either define or eliminate it.
   
2. Professionalism. This must be omnipresent in your entire digital ecosystem, but it is especially important in the hero section. High-quality images that don’t pixelate, modern design principles, and mobile-friendly layouts are a must. If your hero section makes someone think “When’s the last time they updated this?,” then donations may become scarce. Worst-case scenario, your organization is in danger of going extinct.
   
3. Call to action. You’ve wrangled the oft-elusive beasts of clarity and professionalism, creating a powerfully compelling hero section. Now is your time to provide the site visitor with a chance to participate. A specific call to action ensures that everyone who has learned enough about your organization and is ready to respond can do so easily.

‍

Part Two: The Remainder

Why highlight the hero section and then group the rest of your homepage together? It is because many site visitors devote the vast majority of their attention to the top of your page and then skim the rest. That being said, you never know which element of your page an incoming visitor will find to be the most compelling bit of information that leads them to give. Care and attention should be paid to all aspects, whether or not every visitor engages with them.

The rest of the homepage is your chance to expand upon the core message of the hero section and provide additional context to build the urgency and relevance of your mission. The principles of how to do so effectively are as follows:

1. Logical sequencing. Organize the components of your homepage habitat in a way that answers the questions visitors will have as they traverse it. You can read our “Eight Steps to Gift” article to get an in-depth explanation of this concept, but it can be briefly summarized thusly:
   1. Capture attention: Why should I give you any of my attention?
   2. Engage further: Why should I keep reading/engaging with this?
   3. Build understanding: What do you do?
   4. Establish trust: Why should I believe you?
   5. Evoke desire to help: Why should I help you today?
   6. Demonstrate exclusivity: What makes you uniquely qualified to solve the problem you’ve presented?
   7. Encourage commitment: How can I help?
   8. Enable completion: Am I making the right decision?
      
2. Specificity. A beautiful homepage showcases tangible and specific reasons for a prospect to invest their time, money, and attention in your organization. You must avoid the temptation to pepper your homepage with language that sounds nice but explains nothing. Before adding an element to your homepage, you must ask yourself how it solidifies the solution in the potential donor’s mind. Are you making it clear to them what “unit of good” is being produced by their gift? How would you explain the importance of your ministry to a fifth grader? Avoid the allure of industry-speak at all costs. This is a beast that is always more attractive to internal stakeholders than to incoming site visitors. In fact, it can often cause the emergence of a donation’s main predator: confusion. Protect your donations. Drive confusion away from your ecosystem at all costs.
   
3. The urgency/hope ratio. Studies show that the number one reason an individual decides not to give to an organization is that the donor believes another organization needs the money more. This means you must take care to demonstrate the urgency of your cause while also being cautious not to paint a picture of hopelessness. If you do not shepherd your homepage into the green pasture of this middle ground, you have made a critical error. If your homepage drives the visitor to either the conclusion that the solution can wait until tomorrow or that a solution is impossible, you have most likely lost them for good.

When done poorly, a homepage risks confusing or discouraging people who might otherwise be ready to connect with your cause. A well-crafted homepage shouldn't just be visual appealing, but one of the most effective tools you have to communicate your mission, build trust, and invite participation. When done right, it guides visitors clearly and confidently toward engagement.