When building a website, rule of thumb says you describe in detail, the products and services of the company, the experience they have and you showcase the three items that they are great at.

As part of Abacus Software’s discovery phase, we brainstorm with the client to gather as much information as possible about the client, their experience and their products and services. Along the way we listen to stories which help tell what the company is all about.

We are also interested in what products and/or services are they best at, sell the most or the one people will drive miles to buy. I was recently at a bakery in Southeastern Massachusetts and was told that people will drive from as far away as Brockton (1 hour) to buy their bread. Those are the items that we will feature on the website, as they’ll draw the most attention.

Now the hard work starts. Pick the top three. It’s like asking a parent which kid they like best. They like them all. They all have to be on the front page. You tell them that’s not possible, and that all of their products and services will be on display on the inside pages, but we have to decide on only three for the first page. The client then starts re-arranging the design of the page to fit more items, putting “stuff” all over the place. Again we tell the client that the new and “improved” design does not work, a little white space is needed and you can’t have everything on the front page. They then begin to explain the reason “everything” needs to be front and center, even the idea they had last night which is only an idea. You can begin to see the passion they have for their company and how proud they are of their craft.

However, the bigger point is to know what your business does best. What product are you known for, is your best seller or is the most profitable. If you’re a photographer you may like to take sports or artistic pictures, but your money maker is weddings and portraits. Sure you have more fun at a sporting event, but fun doesn’t pay the bills.

So when it comes to deciding what to put on the front page of your website, what three things do you do best?