Website Redesign: Just The Home Page?

One thing I’ve noticed lately is a trend for companies to redesign the home page and then NO other pages. My home page is fresh 2015 or 2016. The rest of my experience looks the way it did 5 years ago, maybe more.

Let’s see some examples.

PayPal

PayPal is possibly the worst offender here. I have a few accounts with them. Each has the same login page. And then each has TOTALLY different pages after that… different from each other.

That’s the home page. After I log in and want to actually get something done in the site, it’s the ancient PayPal site but with a new header and footer. We couldn’t redesign all the pages?

TripIt

I like TripIt. I keep paying for it. They recently redesigned the home page and the page you see once you log in. Go past that, and it’s all the old pages.

Here is the page I get after logging in. This is what you get if you click, “Home,” from the top nav once logged in. The columns are a bit wild but the design is fresh from 2015.

Now, let’s click “Trips” from the top nav.

I Saw This Done At An Agency Where I Contracted

One of the agency clients called. Our home page doesn’t convert well. Redesign our home page.

The agency happily just focused on the home page, which was a shame since our team ended up feeling the worst part of the home page was the navigation. Since that was a global element (and not a home page element), we were told we couldn’t change it.

When companies have pre-decided their problem, they box in their agency (or team) on solutions. That’s why we created this video.

Still, that’s probably not what’s going on here since those projects are often about leads and/or conversion. I’ve already converted. I’m logging in. I’m a real customer. I’m here to get things done, not to sign up or get more info.

Consistency Is Important

If these were A/B tests and I was seeing page variations, I’d understand that. But two things clue us in to this probably not being an A/B test.

1. I have been seeing these inconsistencies for a year or more. That would be one wildly long A/B test and I’m stuck in one bucket.
2. If we are A/B testing, why not show me the whole site in the variation design or layout? Why only show me the home page, where I spend the least of my time?

The next time someone at your company suggests that you don’t really need to redesign the whole site and just the home page will do, push back on how that could be a potentially confusing and inconsistent user experience.