Homepage scrolling

By Kristoffer Bohmann, Bohmann Usability

Homepage scrolling. Mainstream users accept long homepages on content rich websites because it gives them faster and more accurate access to content. It is faster to press page down a few times to get a view of the options compared to browsing many pages on a site using a short homepage.

Designers' main reason for avoiding long homepages is to make main options on the site visible in a screenful - without scrolling. Such homepages typically look very simple. Yet they are also difficult to use since users are forced to click back and forth to carry out their tasks.

The optimal length of the homepage depends on how much you have to say. For instance, Google need less than a screenful to make their search form, logo, and most important links available. However, the homepage length has an upper limit since users will start getting lost on very long homepages. This usually happens after hitting pages down more than 2-3 times.

Kristoffer Bohmann

Homepage scrolling

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