Your homepage is usually the first page people see when they visit your website.
It has an important job.
A visitor should be able to look at your homepage and quickly understand:
Who you are.
What you do.
Where you do it.
And what they should do next.
They shouldn’t have to hunt for that information.
Remember the worksheet you completed back in Step 2?
We’re going to start using those answers.
Start at the Top
The top of your homepage is valuable space.
Before visitors scroll down, they should have a pretty good idea what your business does.
You don’t need a clever slogan.
You need to be clear.
For example:
Joe’s Auto Repair
Auto repair and maintenance in Inverness, Florida
That’s not fancy.
But nobody has to guess what Joe does or where he does it.
Under that, Joe might have a button:
Call for an Appointment
A bakery might have:
Fresh-Baked Cakes, Cupcakes & Desserts in Inverness
Custom orders for birthdays, weddings and special occasions.
View Our Cakes
- Think back to the question from your planning worksheet:
What is the most important thing you want someone to do when they visit your website?
Put that action where people can easily find it.
Tell Them What You Do
Next, give visitors a little more information about what your business offers.
You don’t have to put every detail on the homepage.
Give them enough information to know they’re in the right place.
Joe might have a section like:Auto Repair & Maintenance
We provide repair and routine maintenance for cars and light trucks, including:
- Brake repair
- Oil changes
- Air conditioning
- Engine diagnostics
- Preventive maintenance
Then he can link visitors to his full Services page for more information.
Your homepage introduces your services. Your other pages can explain them.
Tell Them Why They Should Choose You
This is where some of the other answers from your planning worksheet come in.
What makes your business different?
Why do customers choose you?
Maybe you’ve been in business for 25 years.
Maybe you’re family owned.
Maybe you specialize in something other businesses don’t.
Maybe you offer same-day appointments.
Maybe customers deal directly with the owner.
Maybe you’re simply really good at what you do and have happy customers who say so.
Tell people. Don’t make them figure it out.
Show Them Your Business
Pictures can tell visitors quite a bit about a business before they read a word.
Depending on your business, your homepage might include photographs of:
- Your business
- Your products
- Your work
- Your employees
- You
- Happy customers — with their permission
- Before-and-after work
Use real photographs when you have good ones.
We’ll spend more time on website images later.
For now, think about what photographs would help someone understand your business.
Give Them a Reason to Trust You
People visiting your website may have never done business with you before.
Your homepage can help them feel more comfortable.
You might include:
- A few customer reviews
- Years in business
- Professional licenses or certifications
- Associations you belong to
- Guarantees you offer
- Awards or recognition
- A short introduction to you or your team
Use things that are actually meaningful to your customers.
You don’t need a wall full of badges just because somebody gave you a badge.
Make It Easy to Take the Next Step
Don’t make someone read your entire website before they can figure out how to contact you.
If you want customers to call, show the phone number.
If you want them to request a quote, give them a clear way to do it.
If you want them to visit your store, make the address and hours easy to find.
If you want them to make an appointment, tell them how.
This is often called a call to action (CTA).
That’s just website-speak for: Tell people what you’d like them to do next.
You Don’t Have to Put Everything on the Homepage
This is an easy trap.
You start building your homepage and suddenly you’re trying to put your entire business on one page. Don’t.
That’s why you planned the other pages in Step 9.
The homepage should give visitors the important information and help them get where they need to go.
If they want your whole story, they can visit About.
If they want every service you offer, they can visit Services.
Your homepage is the front door.
It doesn’t have to be the entire building.
A Simple Homepage Can Look Like This
You don’t have to use this exact order, but it’s a good place to start:
Business name + what you do + where you do it
Main action
Call • Schedule • Request a Quote • Shop • Visit
Short introduction
Main products or services
Why customers choose you
Photos of your business or work
Reviews or other trust information
Contact information / next step
That’s a complete homepage.
You can always add to it later.
Build for Your Customer, Not Yourself
Before you’re finished, look at the homepage as though you’ve never heard of your business.
Ask yourself:
Can I tell what this business does?
Can I tell where it is or who it serves?
Can I find the information I’d probably be looking for?
Do I know what to do next?
If the answer is yes, your homepage is doing its job.
