Optimizing Community Homepage for Improved Engagement

A homepage is the first page members see when they visit the community. In some cases, newcomers see a slightly different page than that for regular members. Here are top 6 things that you can do as a Community Manager to instantly improve the engagement levels of your social network.

Tailor homepage for existing members, not newcomers

Many organizations make mistake of tailoring their homepage for newcomers. Here homepage reads like a sales/ promotional advertising. It may include large welcoming graphic, promotional material and a paragraph on what community is about. Very few newcomers visit homepage without knowing what community is about. The homepage is primarily visited by existing members, not newcomers. So, it should be aimed at existing members only.

 / Make it a snapshot of new and trending at any given moment: Members already know what community is all about and simply need to see a lot of activity they can participate in. Try displaying latest discussions and upcoming events above the fold.
 / Add 'Latest News': It’s the content created by company and community volunteers. A company should publish at least one news per day.
 / Add 'Latest Contribution': It’s the content and activity by members on forums and elsewhere.
 / Add 'What's Popular': It’s the snapshot of what others are doing in a community. Knowing what's popular helps bond community around common theme.

Add 'What's Needed'

It’s the list of activity that members can perform right now like adding opinion to a debate, submitting questions for a VIP interview, reacting to a poll etc.

Add 'Who's New'

Showcasing who has recently joined the community encourages existing members to say Hi. It increases conversion of newcomers into regulars as others have taken interest in them.

Add 'Who's Popular'

It’s the featured member, interview and ranking. This helps create the accepted and rewarding social conduct in the community you want to be emulated by everyone.

Add Notifications/ Replies

These are actions that need member's attention.

Change the copy

Remove redundant words. Use shorter, punchy sentences. Remove paragraphs that aren't necessary. Make content more or less formal, humorous or sarcastic to suit the personality of your target audience.

Change colors and design

Use less number of colors. Many small, tiny changes in color and design at a time. Ensure that design emphasizes things that members most want to do.

Show unanswered posts

Encourage and challenge members to answer unattended and especially tough questions.

Optimizing UX of the homepage is an ongoing process. Priortise which element are you going to optimize and gradually test to see what works best.