Home Page: Introduction Letter or Highlight Boxes?

[Winston]

Dear all,
I recently changed the home page again, moving the fully introduction letter to another page and putting a link to it on the front page within a box instead. Now I've filled the home page with highlights of the most interesting and important areas of this site, along with a few ads. I figured that since a lot of other sites feature boxes and highlights of various areas of the site on their home page, that I might do the same to make it look contemporary.

Have a look at what I put together:

http://www.happierabroad.com

However, one of my experienced web design advisors told me that that was a mistake. He said that splattering the front page with many boxes of highlights confuses the first time visitor and makes them not know what to do next. Instead, the intro letter should capture their attention first and lead them from there. At that point, after they deem me a respectable writer with a good message to offer, then the rest of their interest will come naturally.

What do you think?

But then again, if I put the intro letter back on the home page, then it would pretty much have nothing to offer repeat visitors, and only be geared toward the first time visitor.

What do you think? Shall we take a vote again?

Here is what my web advisor wrote:

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"The top header is good, I like the globe as the letter "o". The image with the gold statue (2nd from the lower left) still looks out of place compared to the other photos, because it's so fuzzy and the rest are sharp.

There are too many colors on the front page (including in the logo), so it does not look as credible as it could. Remember that most people flee websites: they click, they see, they hit BACK. I'm afraid that's probably the reaction I'd now have. You can track your homepage's bounce-rate to know for certain, assuming you're using something like google Analytics (and you should be).

Related to too many colors, the main column, below the Mission Statement, is too fractured: I don't know where I should look/read next, and because of that, I may not bother continuing. I think your earlier design, with the long text, was actually much better: it conveyed immediately that the site was written by one person (you), that you're a good writer, and that you have something useful and important to share.

I'd drop the music video: a few good photos will do a far better job of conveying who you are, where you've been, etc. Leave more to the imagination, create more interest on the front page.

I'd also put ads (e.g. phone card) off to the right, or in their own clearly designated area. Mixing it in with content/colors does not boost the homepage's first-impression-credibility. You need to build interest and trust first, then people will be willing to buy.

Hope that helps,"

[Winston]

Well I found a way to do both - use my intro letter and highlight boxes together on the home page. Check it out.

http://www.happierabroad.com