We have many ways of sifting through printed matter.
New ways are relatively untested.
The homepage sets the tone, but the trick is maintaining the tone throughout the site. Web pages float unbound in an uncontextualized aether. You must make sure the site has an identity, and that this identity is stated on every page. You can't assume people are coming in through the home page. They'll get to your pages from links, or through searches, or from friends.