Anatomy of a Home Page

Critical Components That Draw in Users

By Gabrielle Mosquera

Here's a ratio: Home page is to Web site as storefront is to retail and cover is to catalog. In short, it's the first impression prospects have of your company, and a critical one at that.

In fact, a home page has to work even harder than a retail storefront or print cover because it must facilitate transactions further on in the site, says Bridget Fahrland, executive creative director at e-business consultancy Fry Multimedia.