Too Much Content

Some Web designers try to cram in as much content as they can fit into a home page. I recommend that you don't try to promote every single item your Web site has to offer on your home page.

It is much more effective to promote your latest or most popular five or six offers and features, than all one hundred and twenty. The home page shouldn't take up more than two to three visible pages.

Four reasons why you shouldn't cram too much content onto your home page:

Takes Longer to Download
Eight seconds is all the time that most Web users will wait before they give up on a site. The more content you add to your home page, the longer it will take to download.
Decreases Readability
People are put off by huge amounts of text. Lots of text and graphics also requires the user's mind to work hard to filter out the useful content from the junk. People are much more likely to read two paragraphs than twenty.
Too Many Options
Don't make your visitors work by putting too many options on a page. Web surfing should be enjoyable, not hard work!

ICQ.com's old home page made that mistake. It had over 300 links and buttons! That's far too many options.
Requires Too Much Scrolling
Web users typically don't like to scroll too much. Since most Web users select the first reasonable option, or link, the content towards the bottom of a long page is hardly ever going to be viewed. As such, that part of the page is a waste of time downloading.

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