Your home page is often the first impression of your business online. It has a few seconds to tell visitors they are in the right place, and then help them find what they need. Yet many small business home pages are either cluttered with everything or so minimal that they say very little.
This guide breaks down what a good home page includes, section by section, and the mistakes that make visitors leave.
The job of a home page
A home page has three main jobs:
- Tell visitors what you do, who for and where.
- Give them reasons to trust you.
- Point them to the right next step, whether that is a service page, a booking or a call.
It doesn’t need to explain everything. That is what your service and about pages are for.
What to include
1. A clear headline and short description
Say what you do in plain words, ideally with your location. “Kitchen and bathroom renovations in Melbourne’s south-east” does more than “Building dreams since 2005”. Add a supporting line on what makes you different.
2. A primary call to action
One main button near the top, such as “Get a quote” or “Book online”, plus your phone number. See why websites get visitors but no enquiries.
3. Your main services
A short overview of each key service, linking to its own page. See how to structure a service page.
4. Proof
Reviews, testimonials, project photos, well-known clients, accreditations or years in business. Pick the strongest few rather than listing everything.
5. How it works
Three or four simple steps showing what happens after someone gets in touch. This reduces uncertainty, especially for bigger purchases.
6. A human touch
A photo of the owner or team and a short line about who you are. People like knowing who they will deal with.
7. Service area and contact details
Where you work, your contact details and opening hours.
8. A closing call to action
Repeat your main next step at the bottom for people who scrolled through everything.
Common home page mistakes
- Large sliders or carousels. Rotating banners often go unnoticed and slow the page down. One clear message usually works better.
- Vague slogans instead of plain descriptions. See writing website copy that sounds like you.
- Too many competing buttons. Decide on one main action.
- Stock photos of people who don’t work there. See real photos vs stock images.
- Autoplay videos and heavy animations that slow loading, especially on phones.
- Burying contact details in the footer only.
Design for phones first
Many visitors will see your home page on a phone. Make sure the headline and main button appear without scrolling, the text is readable and buttons are easy to tap. See mobile-first web design.
Keep it current
Update your home page when services change, add recent projects and reviews and remove expired offers. An outdated home page quietly signals that the business may not be active.
Test it with a real person
Ask someone who doesn’t know your business to look at the home page for five seconds, then tell you what you do and where. If they can’t, the top section needs work.
Want a home page that works harder?
Madexify designs and rewrites home pages for small businesses across Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, Berwick, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Clyde and Bunyip. See our web design and development services, or contact us to talk about your website.
This article is part of our Small Business Website Guide. Browse all our guides on the guides page.
