Helpful tips for configuring your home page:

• Make your contact information, location, & hours easily accessible.
• Utilize space well; while sidebars are a great place to put blocks, you do not want your visitors scrolling through blank space.
• Set page display settings for blocks. 
• Using different blocks on pages will keep your site dynamic.
• Use an appealing color palette, and brand your site with a logo.
• It's great to inform your customers about your store history, but make it a point to create pages that are purchase driven.
• When linking outside of your site, make sure the link is set to open in a new window.
• Update your site regularly!