The home page serves as the primary page of a website and is where visitors will first encounter your business or blog.
It is the first page they will see when they visit your website’s domain. By default, WordPress showcases your most recent posts on the home page, which is suitable for blogs.
However, if you operate a business website, a customized static home page may be more beneficial.
Deciding Between a Dynamic and Static Home Page
You have two options for your home page: dynamic and static. Let’s explore the advantages of each to help you determine which is most suitable for your WordPress website.
A dynamic home page automatically showcases your latest posts, starting with the most recent. This is the default setting for WordPress, and if you have a blog, it may be just what you need. Visitors will immediately see your newest content upon arriving at your site.
However, for a business website, this default layout might not effectively convey information about your company, products, or services, nor will it offer a means for users to contact you.
Instead, you might prefer to design a more interactive static front page that guides users to what they need and enhances your sales conversions. Fortunately, WordPress provides a straightforward way to create a custom home page.
Tips on Creating an Effective Home Page in WordPress
Before diving in, take a moment to jot down the objectives you aim to achieve with your homepage. This will provide you with a clear design focus.
It’s advisable to maintain a simple layout, steering clear of clutter and ensuring that essential information remains accessible to users. Consider what information should be prioritized on the page. Additionally, explore the websites of competitors and other leading sites within your industry.
Analyze their strengths and contemplate how you can incorporate similar features and content elements into your own homepage.
Tip: If you opt for a static homepage while also publishing blog posts for your business, be sure to learn how to create a standalone page for those blog posts in WordPress.
How to Create a Custom Home Page in WordPress
WordPress enables you to effortlessly set any page on your website as your homepage. After creating a static homepage, just select it in the Reading settings within your WordPress dashboard.
Before you get started, you’ll need to set up that page. Fortunately, there are several methods to create a custom home page.
One option is to use the WordPress block editor, which allows you to effortlessly arrange the content and design of your home page.
This editor features blocks that can be utilized for cover images, galleries, columns, tables, text, and media. For detailed instructions, check out our guide on creating a custom home page in WordPress.
Alternatively, you can opt for a page builder plugin. These plugins simplify the process of crafting visually appealing layouts with their pre-made templates and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Our guide on editing a WordPress home page showcases various plugins in action, including SeedProd. You can follow our step-by-step instructions to design an attractive home page in WordPress using a page builder.
Plugins for Creating an Effective Home Page in WordPress
When planning your website, don’t just consider the content of your home page and how it should look, but also what it should do. WordPress plugins can give your home page superpowers.
If you’re aiming to convert visitors into customers, then you’ll need OptinMonster. It’s the best lead generation plugin for WordPress and used by over a million websites. We used it ourselves to increase our email subscribers by 600%.
Next, you’ll want to find out how your custom home page is performing. MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress and will track your user engagement in WordPress.
You’ll also want to make it easy for your users to contact you. WPForms is the most beginner-friendly WordPress form plugin on the market. You can use it to add a contact form to your home page.
We hope this article helped you learn more about home pages in WordPress. You may also want to see our Additional Reading list below for related articles on useful WordPress tips, tricks, and ideas.
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