Creating a website can be pretty overwhelming, right? There’s so much information that you need to include and it can be difficult to direct users where they need to go without cramming a million things on the page. As a designer, I always approach websites with an engagement-centered focus – I want the websites that I work on to not just look good, but guide the user through this experience that encourages them to take action. Basically, I want the website to make sales! But it’s not as simple as saying “Hey, here’s my product, buy it!”. There’s some deeper strategy that goes into it, like understanding when to present the user with certain information that will build their trust and make them eager to learn more or take action.

Of course, every website is different and there isn’t really a one-size-fits-all formula for the perfect website. But in this post, I’m going to share my basic framework for a thoughtful and strategic homepage! I’ll be breaking the framework down section by section, outlining the goals for each and how to guide the user through them. Let’s dive in ––