Web and marketing designer Matt Sweeny builds websites on WordPress.com for a range of clients, including a landscape and design service, a cheese company at holiday markets, a public relations firm for toy manufacturers and retailers, and an indie folk band.

Here, Matt shares a bit about how — and why — he uses WordPress.com, offering quick tips on building a homepage, finding a theme, and using widgets.

What, to you, are the essential elements of a homepage?

A homepage should have:

• a kick-ass design
• a title or branding logo to identify the website immediately
• text that describes the purpose of the website (which is important so the site shows up in search results)
• a place for visitors to search the site’s content
• a menu or navigation to other pages on the site (including links to terms and privacy if it’s a commercial website)
• a form where visitors can…