First impressions matter, and for ecommerce brands, it can set the tone for your relationship with potential customers. Make a bad impression and you might lose a sale. Make a great one and you could gain a loyal customer for life.
A website’s homepage is often one of the first opportunities brands can make such an impression. Homepage design plays a big part in how that interaction plays out. The way you arrange site elements, the ease of your navigation, the colors and images you choose to represent your brand can make a difference.
Learn the elements of website design and look to successful online brands and homepage design examples as inspiration for your ecommerce business.
Why homepage design matters
Homepage design is important beyond aesthetic reasons; your website is one of many touchpoints that help customers form an opinion of your brand. Taking the time to build an intuitive and beautiful website with a thoughtfully designed homepage can pay off for the following reasons:
- It tells visitors what you’re about and connects with your target customer.
- Alongside other properties, like your social media accounts, it builds brand consistency.
- It moves potential customers efficiently toward a desired action (e.g., purchase or email sign-up).
- It establishes credibility and trust, showing visitors that yours is a professional business.
- It creates a frictionless experience that is accessible to all visitors.
The elements of effective homepage design
A well-designed homepage can help ecommerce companies convert browsers into buyers. Great homepage design doesn’t just look visually appealing, it also keeps your customer and your message front and center.
Here are a few essential elements for an effective homepage design:
User experience
The goal of ecommerce user experience (UX) is to create a seamless, enjoyable shopping experience in an online store. UX covers:
- Loading times. How quickly does your website load? Is it consistent?
- Navigation menus. Are menus organized with users in mind?
- Accessibility. Does your online shop follow the latest accessibility standards?
- Journey mapping. Will clicking a link or button take the user to the correct place?
- Mobile friendliness. Does your site load quickly and function well on mobile?
- Copywriting. Do the website’s words represent your brand? Are they effectively conveying information?
As you build or redesign your webpage, here are a few strategies to try:
Focus on function
A functional site has a better opportunity to convert than one that has flashy design elements. Fast loading times and ease of navigation can go further than a fun slideshow. As Daniel Patricio, cofounder of biltong shop Bull and Cleaver, says, “Speed is a feature and key to conversion. Other design features aren’t inherently bad; the danger is [when they slow] your website to a crawl.”
Make the navigation intuitive
Navigation should be simple: Users should be able to get from one place to the next without any hurdles.
Your navigation menu will play a big role in getting users from one place to another. Focus on getting visitors to their destination in as few clicks as possible. You can do this by flattening the navigation structure and including only top-level categories on the horizontal menu, using the footer menu to add items that don’t fit within your main menu (like an FAQ or Contact page), and placing menus where users expect to find them.
Optimize for mobile
Mobile web traffic has consistently grown over the past few years, with more than 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices. With more than half of internet users accessing your site via mobile, it’s important the experience is as seamless as your desktop site.
Luckily, most ecommerce themes, like those found in the Shopify Theme Store, come mobile-optimized out of the box. That means your homepage experience is consistent, no matter where users access it.
Branding
Your brand guidelines will inform every decision you make, from the copy in your order confirmation email to the avatar on your TikTok profile. These guidelines will come in handy as you build your website homepage, too.
Your branding will include a set of fonts, colors, and assets you can import into your ecommerce website builder. These consistent elements will help customers recognize your brand wherever they encounter it. Most ecommerce themes are fully customizable, allowing you to start from a preset layout and personalize it for your business needs.
A call to action
Think of a call to action (CTA) as an exit sign on a highway—it should be short, hard to miss, and point drivers down the right path. Your homepage design should center around a main call to action, whether that’s a link to shop a featured collection or to sign up for early access to a launch event.
Use design principles like positioning, color, and contrast to guide the visitor’s eye to this point. For example, placing a CTA above the fold can make it easier for users to spot.
Attention-grabbing photography and media
In most cases, you will accompany the text and design elements of your website with photography and other media. These are tools to tell a story about your brand, showcase your products, explain what you do visually, create a mood, highlight a promotion, or even help with navigation.
A few of these options include:
- Lifestyle photography. These photos show your products in the context of an aspirational lifestyle. You can use one as a hero image, which appears at the top of a page, as a way to communicate what your brand stands for.
- Product photos.High-quality product photos help users see the details of a product. Use them on the homepage when your product is a bigger focus than the story or brand.
- Video. Your brand might benefit from video on the homepage if your story is important or it’s better to show your product in action.
- Animation. Animations add visual interest and interactivity to your homepage design. They can also guide a visitor’s eye toward a CTA.
💡 Tip: For accessibility, be sure to add alt text to any images you use on your website. Alt text is descriptive copy that screen readers can read.
Extras
Depending on your business, other elements might be essential for your homepage. These include things like links to blogs or educational content to help visitors understand a complicated product.
You might also want to include social proof, like reviews or expert testimonials, especially if you run a skin care brand or sell food online. Brands in a competitive market might also consider content that highlights a unique selling proposition.
18 best examples of stunning homepage design
- Thinx
- Mad Tasty
- Chämpo
- Raw
- Magnolia Bakery
- Thaely
- Rocco
- Stakt
- Plastno
- Lyka
- HealthyBaby
- Félix & Norton
- Loisa
- Fiome
- Graza
- Original Duckhead
- Island Creek Oysters
- Dirty Labs
The best homepage designs prioritize their target audience’s needs and preferences, all while creating an unforgettable first impression. Browse these homepage examples to inspire your site’s design:
1. Thinx
Thinx is a pioneer in period underwear. One of the first brands on the market selling this technology, it broke barriers with its frank communication style. That approach stands today, with branding and marketing that doesn’t patronize Thinx’s customers. This style also defines the brand’s homepage.
Why it works
Thinx took a bet that people with periods craved directness and real talk. When you land on the Thinx homepage, inclusive photography, clear language, and pricing tell you everything you need to know about the brand at a glance.
Standout feature
Thinx has clear navigation that helps visitors find the right product for their needs: period, teen line, and bladder control. Within each category, you can browse by bestsellers or underwear or brief style. The navigation also features a quiz to help users find the perfect product. This is especially useful if a visitor is trying period underwear for the first time.
2. Mad Tasty
Mad Tasty is a sparkling water brand with a twist. Its hemp-based products promise health and wellness benefits in one tasty beverage. Mad Tasty’s homepage is high contrast, with colorful photography and casual copy.
Why it works
From its brand name to its packaging design, it’s clear Mad Tasty doesn’t take itself too seriously. The top of the homepage hooks visitors with images of its creative flavors and saves the more detailed information for farther down the page. This works because it doesn’t overwhelm visitors with too much information at once.
Standout feature
Lower on the homepage, there is educational content, which provides potential customers extra information to inform their purchase decisions.
3. Chāmpo
Chāmpo is a haircare brand based around ayurvedic principles called Doshas. Because visitors might not know this concept, Chāmpo makes education and customer guidance a big focus of its homepage.
Why it works
A clear CTA directs website visitors to a quiz, rather than directly to shop. The quiz helps the brand understand the visitor’s needs before recommending the right products. This is a great personalization tactic that can increase purchase confidence and reduce returns.
4. Raw
Raw Juicery sells fresh-pressed juices and cleanse systems to health-conscious customers. Its subscription mode lets members save on recurring deliveries of the brand’s juice products.
Why it works
Raw’s homepage leans on clean design and a color palette of greens and whites that evokes a spa-like experience. Because this is a crowded market, Raw highlights its benefits and social proof near the top of the page, right under the CTA.
Standout feature
Upon scroll, visitors encounter lists of benefits of the brand’s subscription model. These membership benefits promise exclusivity in exchange for recurring revenue for the brand.
5. Magnolia Bakery
Magnolia Bakery is a popular New York City baked goods destination that moved its offerings online, letting the rest of the country enjoy its products. The brand sells through its brick-and-mortar locations, through retail partners, and direct to consumers online.
Why it works
Land on Magnolia Bakery’s homepage and you’re transported into a wonderland of sweets and baked goodies, all expertly photographed to look mouth watering. Since customers can’t taste the brand’s goods before shopping, photography is key in sparking customers’ imaginations.
Standout feature
Due to its multiple sales channels, Magnolia Bakery dedicates a portion of its homepage to outlining delivery options for customers. This directs the right customers to the products available in their area.
6. Thaely
Thaely is a modern, innovative shoe brand focusing on vegan and sustainable materials. To compete in a crowded sneaker market, Thaely’s homepage features photography with a fashion editorial twist.
Why it works
Thaely wants shoppers to know that these aren’t the hemp sandals you’d expect. Photography draws visitors in before your eye travels to the copy that reveals the brand’s sustainability promise. This approach appeals to not only sustainable shoppers, but also those looking for fashionable modern footwear.
Standout feature
On scroll, Thaely leans into its USP: its ethical manufacturing and sustainable business practices. Transparency goes a long way for younger consumers according to buying trends. The brand also employs social proof—user-generated content from happy customers—to increase purchase confidence.
7. Rocco
Rocco is an innovative appliance brand that identified a gap in the market—a drink fridge that’s somewhere between a wine cooler and a stylish piece of furniture for your home.
Why it works
The homepage leans heavily on modern lifestyle photography that transports visitors into aspirational home design. Copy like “world’s smartest” instantly tells prospective customers that this isn’t like anything they’ve seen before.
Standout feature
Because it’s an innovative product, Rocco helps website visitors understand the product’s benefits and positioning in relation to common products in the category. The brand also highlights its press coverage, increasing trust for customers new to the concept.
8. Stakt
Stakt sells fitness mats that marry the thinness of rolled yoga mats and the support of a folding gym mat. The brand’s homepage uses soft tones often associated with mindfulness to attract its target customer and lifestyle images that feature its core products.
Standout feature
Alongside its products, Stakt also provides free content to help customers get the most from the product. Stakt promotes these resources on the homepage because they offer additional value beyond a fitness mat. They invite customers into a community—something that many first timers benefit from when starting a fitness journey.
9. Plastno
Plastno’s product itself isn’t sexy. It’s an alternative to a common household item: the kitchen garbage bag. Its most interesting feature is its composition, a compostable alternative to plastic. Plastno’s brand name and homepage design focus on this benefit, attracting conscious consumers at first glance.
Standout feature
If you have questions about what makes a bag compostable, the homepage takes the time to explain why its product fits within this category.
10. Lyka
Lyka is a fresh dog food delivery brand serving Australia. Because fresh food is typically more expensive than dry pet store kibble, the brand’s homepage hooks visitors with its benefits, features, and Trustpilot review score. Lyka’s homepage features full-width video of happy, healthy dogs and their owners.
Why it works
Lyka prioritizes the information and imagery that will win over potential customers. Visitors can build custom plans for their pets, a unique feature that’s highlighted in the orange CTA button (while “See pricing” is less prominent).
Standout feature
Lyka dedicates much of its homepage to a “don’t take our word for it” approach, highlighting case studies, scientific study resources, and a meal counter.
11. HealthyBaby
HealthyBaby is a baby supplies brand focusing on safe and natural alternatives to essentials like diapers and wipes. The brand’s unique selling proposition is its ease of ordering, from bundled products to auto-ship subscriptions.
Why it works
HealthyBaby understands its target audience and what’s important to parents of new babies. Using video, it depicts tender moments between babies and parents, drawing in potential customers who see themselves reflected.
Standout feature
The brand uses its homepage to promote content, one of its competitive advantages over other baby essential companies. On scroll, site visitors get a preview of this content with a direct link to HealthyBaby guides.
12. Félix & Norton
Félix & Norton is a gourmet cookie delivery brand that ships baked goods to customers and retail partners across Canada. Its homepage knocks you out with bold color choices and gorgeous lifestyle photography.
Why it works
Some of the best homepage designs have simple, straightforward layouts that let the photos speak for themselves. In this example, Félix & Norton prioritizes full-width photography to showcase its cookies. Since visitors can’t taste its products, the brand invests in photography to help them imagine it.
Standout feature
The brand uses its homepage to direct visitors to its product pages, with bestsellers sitting just below the header section. A free shipping banner across the top of the site gives visitors incentive to increase cart value and check out.
13. Loisa
Loisa is an online food brand selling staples for everyday Latin cooking. The homepage uses full-width mouth-watering cooking videos, modern fonts, and a vibrant color palette.
Why it works
When you’re selling food, it’s important to engage customers’ senses, as they can’t try your products before they buy. A beautiful video of a family cooking shows the texture and features sizzling sounds you can almost taste.
Standout feature
The best homepage design prioritizes the customer journey through thoughtful navigation. Because Loisa has a wide range of products, it uses a mega menu with sub navigation to get visitors to the right place quickly. Images in the drop-down nav are a unique feature of the design.
14. Fiome
Fiome is a fiber supplement brand offering fiber in a new format: delicious chews. Its homepage header is simple, with direct copy and a clear call to action, with the rest of the homepage dedicated to customer information.
Why it works
As with any wellness or health product, education is critical for helping potential customers understand the risks and benefits. But Fiome doesn’t bombard visitors with this information right away—it focuses on simple homepage design and navigation to get them to the right part of the website.
Standout feature
In addition to information on its website, Fiome offers a daily email with education and tips. Using a signup form helps the brand build its subscriber list while offering value to site visitors.
15. Graza
Graza sells high-quality olive oil in squeeze bottles that feature fun graphics. Its homepage design mirrors the brand’s colorful products, featuring bright yellows, chartreuse, and greens. To showcase its products––and new releases––the brand combines action videos with action lifestyle photography.
Why it works
Graza’s brand is, at its core, fun. Between its bright brand colors, casual tone, and creative graphics, it’s created a homepage that’s just as engaging as using its products. Creative copy describes key use cases for each, clear product photography shows the differences between each oil, and a large Shop All CTA in one of the company’s signature greens draws shoppers to a desired action.
16. Original Duckhead
Original Duckhead sells unique patterned umbrellas and reusable bags. Its cult-favorite duck umbrella combines retro design with ethical, eco-friendly materials.
Why it works
Original Duckhead’s clean yet retro-inspired homepage design echoes its product line. Lifestyle photography feels trendy yet approachable and highlights the products well. Its simple top navigation lets customers quickly shop or learn about sustainability efforts.
Standout feature
Scroll down and you’ll see all of the places where the brand has been featured, alongside New Arrivals that shoppers can easily add to cart.
17. Island Creek Oysters
Island Creek Oysters sells premium seafood. Shipping to 46 states, its world-renowned products are on the menu at some of the best restaurants in the world, like The French Laundry and Per Se.
Why it works
Island Creek Oyster’s homepage design is captivating. The main image toggles through different ways to shop, visit, or even follow the brand on Substack.
Standout feature
Scroll down and you’ll see different types of oysters to choose from, as well as “Shuck Buddies”––the perfect companions for the oysters the brand sells. Having this section upon scroll creates a prime cross-selling opportunity and provides a great gift idea for oyster-loving friends.
18. Dirty Labs
Dirty Labs is a sustainable business selling eco-friendly products for home cleaning and laundry. It uses a clean website template and a slideshow to showcase its products’ best assets, as well as to appeal to eco-minded shoppers with compelling copy outlining its sustainability commitment.
Why it works
Calming colors and a modern, easy-to-navigate design with descriptive headers create an effortless shopping experience.
Standout feature
To capture shoppers outside the US, a large pop-up on Dirty Labs’ homepage informs visitors of its partnership with Mayple to ship internationally.
How to use analytics to improve homepage performance
- Study your web visitors in depth
- Follow shoppers’ path to conversion
- Look for trends
- Determine any points of confusion
Leveraging web analytics can help you improve and perfect your homepage. While clean design, crisp visuals, and an on-brand site are all important, paying attention to what’s performing well––and what isn’t––is the key to optimizing your homepage.
Here’s how to use analytics to your advantage:
1. Study your web visitors in depth
Use shoppers’ demographic information to better understand your audience and their wants. Demographic segmentation sorts data from your ecommerce platform to divide homepage visitors into broad segments—and you can adjust your design approach accordingly.
For example, you might have thought your jewelry business would appeal to college students, but your demographic information tells you it’s Gen X who love your retro-inspired designs. With that in mind, you can update the language on your homepage to speak more to these shoppers.
2. Follow shoppers’ path to conversion
What actually leads to a sale? To create an intuitive homepage, study your audiences’ browsing patterns. Use heat maps to assess which features on your site users interact with most. You can also create a user flow report with Google Analytics to learn what paths users take as they navigate your site. If there are any areas where they drop off, this could signal an issue with your navigation.
Maybe you notice that people often convert on your core product pages and new arrivals page but never from the homepage. Using that information to your advantage, you could add “New Arrivals” and “Bestsellers” product sections on the homepage, helping shoppers get to the products that most interest them faster.
3. Look for trends
Analytics often reveal buyer trends, like items that customers frequently purchase together or items that aren’t selling as well. Consider using the trends you identify via your analytics to strategically place complementary items next to each other on the homepage. With real-time analytics and deeper data exploration, Shopify Analytics equips business owners with the tools they need to identify trends and continuously improve their homepage.
4. Determine any points of confusion
Analytics can show you where shoppers are dropping off during the purchase process. For example, if people are getting to your homepage and then exiting when they reach the CTA, you might have a link that isn’t working. Or if first-time users are bouncing quickly after landing on your homepage, your navigation might be too confusing.
The role of branding in homepage design
Branding creates a distinct identity for a business. Your brand sets the tone for your marketing materials—including your website. For example, beauty brand Klur’s brand revolves around simplicity and “clean, ethical, and inclusive beauty.” Its homepage reflects that.
The homepage features an understated navigation bar—which only features the most essential links, like a blog and a shopping bag—and a large black-and-white image of a model applying a beauty product. At the bottom of the page, there are a few informational links, including an FAQ section and customer care so clients can reach out. The website is clean, easy to navigate, and matches the high-end look of its products.
Homepage Design FAQ
How do I design my website’s homepage?
To design an effective homepage, consider the user experience, such as whether your site loads quickly and works well on mobile, if it’s in line with the rest of your branding, and has a call to action to guide users. The best homepage designs marry web design fundamentals with the preferences of a brand’s target audience.
What should a good homepage look like?
The best homepage examples are those that achieve their goals through a combination of copy, layout, navigation, and branding. A good homepage speaks to its target customer and helps visitors get to their desired destination with minimal friction. Aesthetically, good homepage design is subjective, but it should always center the preferences of the audience.
What should an effective homepage do?
Homepage designs are effective when they appeal to a target audience and get site visitors to complete a desired action. Each brand will use different design tactics to achieve this, but generally a compelling value proposition, on-brand visuals, and a clear call-to-action are all elements of an effective homepage that converts.
What are some good examples of homepage design?
The best homepage examples are those that speak to their target audience, have simple navigation, and a clear call to action. Latin food brand Loisa, pet company Lyka, and drink fridge brand Rocco are all great homepage design examples. Look to other successful brands within your industry for homepage design ideas that work.
What is the ideal layout for a homepage?
The ideal layout for a homepage is clean, visually appealing, and strategically structured to guide visitors toward making a purchase. The way you arrange site elements, the ease of your navigation, and the colors and images you choose to represent your brand all matter here. Shopify Themes are a great place to start as they are all built for ecommerce, include the essentials you need, and are beautifully designed.
How can I make my homepage more engaging?
Engaging homepage designs are visually appealing, cater to the user experience, are easy to navigate, and tell a story about your brand. They should have consistent branding, be optimized for mobile, and use intuitive navigation. Use photography and other media to tell a story about your brand, showcase your products, explain what you do visually, or create a mood.
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