What should actually go on your website homepage?
Your homepage is usually the first thing a potential client sees. It sets the tone, builds trust and either convinces someone to stay and find out more or sends them straight back to Google. So what should actually be on it?
Whenever I start working with a new client, whether that’s on their social media, a full website build or even a website audit, the homepage is always one of the first places I look. It doesn’t matter what else we’re working on together. If someone is being directed to that website, the homepage needs to be doing its job. For website projects and redesigns, it’s usually where the majority of the work goes. Here’s what I recommend including.
Start with a strong hook
Your hook sits right at the top of the page, just below your logo and navigation. It’s the first thing people read and it needs to do one job - tell them immediately what you do and who you do it for.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. The most effective hooks are the ones that are straightforward and speak directly to the right person. You’re not trying to sound impressive, you’re trying to make someone feel like they’ve landed in exactly the right place. Keep it clear, keep it specific and write it for the person you actually want to work with.
If someone lands on your homepage and can’t work out within a few seconds whether you’re relevant to them, they’ll leave. Your hook is what stops that from happening.
Show them what you offer
Your homepage isn’t your services page so you don’t need to go into full detail here. What you do need is a clear overview of your main offers so visitors can quickly see whether what you do matches what they need.
A short title, one or two lines describing each service or product and a link through to the relevant page is usually enough. You’re giving people a reason to click through, not trying to close the sale on the homepage itself.
Add a testimonial early
Social proof matters and it matters most when someone is still deciding whether to trust you. Dropping a strong testimonial fairly early in the page, before you’ve even got to all your services, can make a real difference to how long someone stays and how seriously they take the rest of what you have to say.
You don’t need to use the full quote. Pick the line that says the most in the fewest words and let that do the work. If you have a photo of the client to go alongside it, even better.
Introduce yourself
People buy from people, especially in service based businesses and in creative and wellness industries. A short bio section that puts a face to the name goes a long way to building the kind of connection that turns a visitor into an enquiry.
This doesn’t need to be your full life story. A photo, two or three sentences about who you are and what drives you and a link through to your About page is plenty. The homepage bio is a taster. Save the full introduction for the About page, where people go when they actually want to know more.
Use calls to action throughout
This is the one I see missed most often on DIY websites. Your homepage should have multiple calls to action placed at natural decision points down the page, not just one button at the very bottom.
Think about how someone moves through your page. They read your hook and feel interested. That’s a good moment for a CTA. They look at your services and want to find out more, another CTA. They read your testimonials and feel reassured, another CTA. You’re guiding them towards the next step at every stage, whether that’s booking a discovery call, visiting your services page or getting in touch.
This applies just as much if you run workshops or events as it does if you offer services. If you host craft workshops, for example, where is the button to book one? If someone has to hunt for it, most of them won’t bother. Your CTA should be visible at the point where someone is most likely to be ready to take action.
Pick one primary action you want people to take and make that the consistent thread running through the page. For most businesses, that’s a booking, a discovery call or an enquiry form.
Don’t neglect your footer
The footer is one of those things a lot of people just skip over entirely and I don’t understand why, because it’s a really great space. Unlike the rest of your homepage, your footer appears on every single page of your website. That means every visitor, no matter where they are on your site, will see it.
A good footer for a small business typically includes your navigation links, social media icons, a newsletter sign-up and your legal pages like your privacy policy. If your Instagram feed is active and on brand, embedding it in the footer is a nice way to add creativity to the page and give people a quick snapshot of your content.
It’s also a great place to put anything that didn’t quite fit in your main navigation but is still useful, your location if you work locally, a quick line about what you do or even a secondary CTA. Think of it as a space that’s always there, working quietly in the background on every page.
Does your homepage do all of this?
If you’re reading this and mentally ticking things off, great. If you’re realising there are a few gaps, that’s completely normal, especially if you built your site yourself or it’s been a while since you looked at it properly.
A homepage review is one of the things we cover in a Power Hour, so if you’d like a fresh pair of eyes on yours, that’s a good place to start. Or if you’re thinking it might be time for a more significant refresh, book a Social Brew call and we’ll work out together what your site actually needs.
