Start Here Pages — Do You Need Them?

6 Responses

1. Thanks for sharing this great information – and in an easy-to-use checklist format. I’ll be printing this out and referring back to it.

   Best,
   Candice

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2. It’s a pleasure Candice!

   I’m pleased you found it useful. That was my goal for this article, to be a useful template to refer back to.

   Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.

   All the best
   Hayley

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3. It seems to me that the HOME page should include all the elements of a START HERE page – since generally, most visitors start from your Home page anyway and usability is largely driven by meeting expectations – but START HERE pages are not generally used everywhere, and are therefore inconsistent with expectations. Why add a superfluous extra step that requires a click of commitment? Even though it’s obvious from the name, it adds an extra pause and consider (relative to doing the same things directly on your Home page) when your site visitors’ objective is, “DON’T MAKE ME THINK”! Which you are helping to address by using the ideas of a START HERE page – but I can’t think of any valid reasons not to simply implement these ideas directly on the Home page, Hayley?
   BTW I’m also in sunny SA – (in Centurion). Good to know there are WWWs here – despite our exchange rate putting us at a relative disadvantage to Americans in terms of the affordability of AWAI’s programs, which I expected would have discouraged most aspiring “Surf Efricans”! ;-).

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4. Hi Alan

   I hear what you are saying about a Start Here Page seeming to give visitors ‘extra work’ when they reach a website. I had similar thoughts when I first learned about them, which is why I investigated them further.

   Firstly, a website does not have to include a Start Here page. It’s optional and depends on the content on your site, the target audience and the amount of content available. They have become more popular over the last few years and more websites and blogs are including them.

   They are particularly beneficial on websites where the content caters for a wider spectrum of interests and/ or experience levels of visitors (The Problogger Start Here page is an example). In addition, websites that have a lot of content available benefit from them because it connects visitors quickly to cornerstone content, or the most popular content on the site.

   Many Home pages tell visitors where they have arrived whether they are in the right place. The rest is left up to the visitor and can be overwhelming. A Start Here page is there to prevent overwhelm and leads them by the hand and lets them know what their first or next steps should be to get the best use out of the site. Some sites have a prominent link to their Start Here page on their Home page, which is a good idea. Although its an extra click, it is an easy one.

   As you suggested, it is definitely an option to have your Start Here page as your Home page. How its implemented depends on your site, it’s content and your target audience.

   It’s great to know there are other South Africans here at Wealthy Web Writer! I am in KZN, but have relatives in Centurion. And yes… the exchange rate- grrr! It does give us a good incentive to have global / international writing careers though, so that’s a plus.

   Thanks for taking the time to comment.

   All the best
   Hayley

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   1. Hi Hayley

      Thanks for making the time to reply, in particular for elaborating a bit.

      OK – I buy the point that a complex site aimed at various audiences with differing interests and experience levels could benefit from guiding each audience through different parts of the site that would be most relevant for them, avoiding leaving them to click around to discover the relevant bits (and potentially missing something important before maybe getting fed up with the irrelevant bits – or overwhelmed – and leaving).

      But perhaps then it might be simpler to just have clearly labelled navigation tabs for each category of visitor, linked to sub-sites for those specific types of visitor, so that each audience could “start there” (which your “start here” page would otherwise in any case need to cater for within it, in that case, to separate the different audiences into the most relevant different paths through the site)?

      Or perhaps even better would be totally separate sites, with different domain names, each aimed at a particular level of audience, where things get overwhelmingly complex?

      I think SIMPLICITY and FOCUS are important for any Web site (even any Web page) – complexity just creates distractions, confusion and can be overwhelming . Perhaps, trying to work around that unnecessary complexity with “start here” pages may not always be the optimal solution?

      I’m open to practical innovations (like Responsive Web Design, which I totally support), and I read your article with interest in a possible similar usable innovation, but I just can’t think of a site that I host, or own, where I’d want to implement a “start here” page – (unless perhaps some future site with an inexperienced target audience might really need hand holding).

      As far as “cornerstone ” content is concerned, perhaps, key content should just be prominently featured (and redundantly, in various ways, to facilitate easy access from a variety of sources) – which wouldn’t necessarily require a “start here” page? Perhaps a few of the most popular and/or most visited pages could just be listed in order of rating on the Home page, if relevant. (I’ve actually done that on one resources site, where that was relevant).

      Another thought that occurred to me was that some experienced visitors might be offended by “Start Here” pages – with the implication that they are too stupid and inexperienced to figure out where to start – and some rebels would deliberately avoid being told what to do? 😉 That’s the problem with creating unnecessary complexity by trying to cater for inexperienced and experienced visitors together in one site, which (as you correctly point out) could potentially overwhelm inexperienced visitors.

      But I do agree with with the general concept of guiding visitors, (irrespective of experience level) – which it seems the “Start Here” pages are intended to facilitate. To some extent, this is covered in the “Spread the smell of success” concept in chapter 4 of http://benhunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/STP2-1d.pdf, (it’s downloadable free of charge now, although I paid for my copy, years ago), if you might be interested in another approach to achieving similar intentions?

      Perhaps you may also be interested in the various FREE Web design (and Marketing and Lifestyle) books at http://benhunt.com/books/ (which includes this “Save the pixel” free Web design e-book)? I’m NOT Ben, and have nothing to to gain from providing the link – I’m also NOT an affiliate – it just happens to encapsulate how I’ve evolved to think about Web design since the primitive sites that were around when I first began working with the Internet, in 1994).

      I hope I haven’t irritated you, Hayley, I just need more convincing of the real value of separate “start here” pages, before I’ll consider implementing them (if some future site meets specific criteria).

      BTW – I worked with (and admired) John Michaels in HR on Blyvoor Gold Mine in the 80’s – since Michaels is a relatively uncommon surname (like Holm), I wondered if you might possibly be related? I know he’s unfortunately deceased – met his wife again recently at a wedding (she reminded me of Queen Elizabeth)! 😉

      I have registered a Health site (which I must still develop – healthgate.co.za) so, perhaps I may be able to help you by promoting your health, beauty and psychology blogs, in future? (Or even hosting them at bargain rates)? 😉 I already host a few beauty sites. I only studied Psychology up to second year level, in one of my degrees – but I still have an interest in it. (B Com at the University of Natal, in the 70’s. I grew up in Durbs! 😉 You can contact me directly at alanh@ainet.co.za, if you happen to be interested.

      Yes, the advantage of writing (and Web development and hosting) is that they can be done anywhere where there is Internet access. I’m going to Cyprus for a couple of weeks, in September, to see if it will be suitable to retire to next year (their slowest Internet access is apparently 4Mbps). 😉

      Thanks again for all your intelligent and helpful WWW posts, Hayley!

      All the best

      Alan

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      1. Hi Alan

         Thank you for your comments.

         No, you have not irritated me. At least this post has, if nothing else, given you some food for thought, which I am glad about.

         Start Here pages and the elements they include can be viewed as ‘nice to haves’ and not ‘must haves’ based on their usefulness and relevance for your site and audience. I appreciate your feedback based on your experience.

         Thank you for your suggestions and the link for additional material to look at, I will definitely head on over there and have a look. I appreciate the offer to promote my blogs too, I’ll be in touch.

         Recently my husband started looking into his background and extended family. He only knows of relatives here in KZN, so it will be interesting to see if there is any connection with the family you mentioned. By the way, my husband is a Durbanite too!

         Cypress- wow, that sounds interesting. It’s not one of the usual locations South Africans go to. I hope your trip there goes well.

         Thanks once again for taking the time to comment.

         All the best
         Hayley

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