A customer opens your site on their phone. They have very little time to decide: either they stay, or they hit the back button and move on to the next business. It is like someone glancing at a shop window and deciding within seconds whether to walk in.
Your home page is your shop window. Most business owners fill it with "let us introduce our company," yet the visitor does not want to get to know you. They want an answer to their own problem. In this post I answer what should a website home page include, from top to bottom, section by section.
Four questions to answer in the first 10 seconds
When a visitor lands on the page, before scrolling, they should be able to find answers to these four questions:
- What do you do? One clear sentence. Something like "family dentist in Brighton" or "boutique hotel in Cornwall."
- Where do you work? The town, the neighborhood or the area you serve.
- How do I reach you? A phone number or booking button must be visible.
- Why should I trust you? Years of experience, real reviews, how you work, the face of your team.
If these four answers are not on the first screen, the visitor stops looking, however good-looking the site is. Online, the next competitor is one tap away.
The home page, section by section
The order below is a good starting point for most businesses. You do not have to copy it exactly; the logic is what matters.
1. At the very top: a headline, a short description, one call to action
The headline should describe your work, not be a slogan. "Excellence is what we are here for" tells nobody anything. "Family dentist in Brighton, by appointment" does. Add two sentences underneath and one button: "Book an appointment" or "Call now." More than one button confuses the visitor.
2. Just below: your services
This is the first place a visitor sees when they scroll. Show three to six main services as short cards. Each card should lead to its own service page. That way the customer finds what they want quickly, and Google sees how your pages connect.
3. The trust section
Real customer reviews, your qualifications, the organizations you work with, or how many years you have been doing this. Do not use invented figures; visitors can sense it. If you have no reviews yet, choose a different trust signal.
4. A short "why me" section
Three things that set you apart: you reply fast, you do the work yourself, you agree the price up front. Write them only if they are true. Exaggeration is unnecessary; concrete is more convincing.
5. The process: how working together goes
Describe three or four steps, from the first conversation to the result. Customers fear uncertainty, and knowing what will happen is calming. For example: you call, your needs are talked through, you receive a quote, the work begins.
6. Location and contact
Address, map, opening hours, phone and messaging channels. Do not hide this only on the contact page; put it at the bottom of the home page too. For a local business this section is critical. A customer who searches "near me" wants to see your address and the areas you cover.
7. At the very bottom: a closing call to action
Someone who has scrolled to the end is nearly convinced. Give them another button there: "Book an appointment" or "Send a message." The footer can also carry the privacy page and social media links.
What you do not need: sliders and "welcome" text
Sliders
A row of photos rotating at the top looks stylish at first glance. But visitors generally read the message on the first image, and the later ones often go unseen. Sliders also slow the page down and can break the layout on a phone. One strong photo and a clear headline work better. If possible, use a photo of you, your team or your real workplace; visitors spot stock images immediately. My answer to whether you need a slider is: for most businesses, no.
"Welcome to our website" text
Sentences like "Welcome to our website, we are delighted to have you here" waste your most valuable space. The visitor already knows they are on your site. Use that space to say what you do.
Other common mistakes
Anything that makes the visitor's job harder should go.
- Music or video that starts on its own.
- Headlines such as "Corporate solutions" that no customer would ever search for.
- Pop-ups that cover half the screen.
- Plenty of anonymous stock images instead of real photos.
How to test your own home page
Show your site to a friend or a customer and give them just ten seconds. Then ask: what does this business do? Where is it? How would you reach them? If they cannot answer, something on the home page needs fixing. Open it on your own phone using mobile data as well, because most of your customers will see you on a phone.
Ask whoever designs your home page for these things:
- What you do and your town visible on the first screen.
- A phone number that can be called with one tap.
- A page that opens quickly on a phone.
- Service cards that link to the right pages.
Frequently asked questions
Should the home page have a lot of text?
No. The home page gives a summary; the detail lives on the service pages. Short sections that are easy to scan work best.
Should I put a video on the home page?
A short, meaningful introduction video can help, but it should not start by itself or slow the page down. The home page works fine without one.
Should I show prices on the home page?
It depends on your business. If prices are fixed and customers are curious, yes. If they vary, explaining how the price is worked out may be enough.
How often should I update the home page?
There is no need to change it every month. Update it when your services, phone number or address change, and as reviews accumulate.
Conclusion
A good home page is not fancy, it is clear. If it tells people in ten seconds what you do, where you are, how to reach you and why to trust you, it has done its job as a shop window. If you would like to build your home page in this order or review your current site, you can write to me through my website design page.