The job of a homepage
Most people who land on a local business's homepage want to answer three questions quickly: is this the kind of business I need, do they work where I am, and how do I get in touch. If the page answers those without making anyone scroll or squint, it is doing its job. Everything else is a bonus.
That is a smaller job than many owners expect. A homepage does not need to tell your whole story, list every service or show every photograph you have. It needs to point people the right way, fast. The detail lives on the pages it points to.
Say what you do, and where, in plain words
The first line on the page - the big one at the top - should name what you do and, for a local business, where you do it. "Emergency plumbing in North Denver" tells a visitor more than "Quality you can trust." A clever slogan can sit underneath, but it should never be the only thing there.
Use the words your customers use. If people search for "dog grooming", say dog grooming, not "pet aesthetics". If you serve a few towns, name them. A visitor who sees their own town in the first line stops wondering whether you will come to them.
Make getting in touch obvious
Your phone number, or the main way you want people to reach you, belongs near the top of the homepage and again near the bottom. On a phone, a number should be a link that starts a call when tapped. If you prefer messages to calls, put a clear button that leads to a short form.
Pick one main action and make it stand out. "Call us", "Get a quote" and "Book a visit" all compete with each other if they sit side by side at the same size. Choose the one that matters most to your business and make the others quieter.
Show that you are real and trusted
Local customers are often choosing between a few businesses they have never used. Small signs that you are established and careful make the decision easier. Good candidates for the homepage are:
- A real photograph of you, your team, your premises or your work - not a stock image
- A short quote from a genuine customer, with their first name and town if they agree
- How long you have been in business, if it has been a while
- Any license, registration or trade association membership your customers care about
- Your opening hours, if people visit you
Only use what is true and what you have permission to show. An invented review, or a badge for a scheme you are not part of, does far more harm when it is spotted than it ever does good.
Point to the rest of the site
Below the opening, give each of your main services a short line and a link to its own page. A visitor who wants a furnace tune-up should be one tap from the page about furnace tune-ups, not reading a paragraph about furnaces, bathrooms and blocked drains all at once.
Do the same for the other questions people ask before they buy: where you work, what it costs or how pricing works, and who you are. A short sentence with a link is enough on the homepage.
What to leave off
A homepage gets worse as things are added to it, so it helps to know what can live elsewhere:
- Your full history - that is what the About page is for
- Long service descriptions - give each service its own page
- Every photo you have - pick a few of the best and link to a gallery
- News from two years ago - remove it or move it to a blog
- Pop-ups that appear before anyone has read a word
When you are not sure whether something belongs, ask whether a first-time visitor needs it to decide to get in touch. If not, it can move.
Check it on a phone
Many visitors to a local business site arrive on a phone, often while out and about. Open your own homepage on your phone and look at what shows before you scroll. Can you tell what the business does and where? Can you reach the phone number or main button with your thumb? Is the text big enough to read without zooming?
Then ask someone who does not know your business to do the same and tell you what they think you do. If their answer is vague, your first line needs work.
Before your site goes live, read it through the way a visitor would - our guide to reviewing a draft before you publish.