What should go at the top of the homepage?
The first screen, before anyone scrolls, has four jobs:
- A headline that says what you do and for whom. "Kitchen fitting for older homes in Galway" beats "Quality you can trust" every time, because it tells the right visitor they are in the right place.
- One supporting line that adds how, where or why you: "Fixed quotes, one team from design to handover, most kitchens done in two weeks." Only promise what you deliver.
- One main call to action, written as the outcome: "Get a fixed quote", "Check free dates", "Book a call". A second, quieter link is fine; five buttons are not.
- A line of proof: a review snippet, a number you can back up, or a recognisable client, shared with permission.
On a phone, all four should fit on the first screen. Test it on your own phone, not only on a laptop.
What order should the sections go in?
After the first screen, each section answers the next question a careful buyer has:
| Section | The question it answers |
|---|---|
| Services | Do you do the thing I need? |
| Proof | Have you done it well for people like me? |
| How it works | What happens if I get in touch? |
| Prices or price guidance | Can I afford it? |
| About the people | Who will I be dealing with? |
| Questions | What about my particular worry? |
| Final call to action | What do I do now? |
Each service should link to its own page with the detail, so the homepage stays short and each service page can rank for its own searches (see getting more website traffic).
How do I write a headline that works?
Start from the words your customers use. Read your enquiries and reviews and note how people describe what they wanted. Then try a few shapes:
- What you do + for whom + where: "Accountants for restaurants and cafes across Ireland".
- The result + the time frame: "Your new bathroom, fitted in ten working days".
- The problem you remove: "Wedding music without the guesswork".
Show the draft to someone who does not know your business for five seconds, then ask them what you do. If they cannot say, rewrite it.
Should I show prices on my homepage?
Where you can, show a starting price, a typical range or the factors that set the price. Visitors who cannot see any price often assume the worst and leave, while the ones who enquire after seeing a range are better qualified. If every job really is different, explain what drives the cost and give a worked example.
What proof should I include?
- Reviews with a first name and place, shared with permission, or embedded from Google.
- Short case examples: the brief, what you did, the result.
- Photos of real work and real people, not stock images.
- Numbers you can back up, such as years trading or jobs completed.
- Guarantees you can honour, stated precisely.
Keep reviews real and representative. EU consumer law treats fake reviews, and presenting reviews as verified when you have not checked them, as unfair commercial practices (Directive (EU) 2019/2161). See getting Google reviews the right way.
How do I make the enquiry form easy?
- Ask only what you need to reply well: usually name, email or phone, and a short message.
- One column, visible labels, large tap targets on phones.
- Make the phone number optional unless you truly need it.
- Say what happens next, and only promise a reply time you keep.
- Add "How did you hear about us?" so you learn which marketing works.
- Keep what people typed if the form shows an error.
Put the form, or a button that opens it, on the page itself rather than behind a separate contact page.
How do I test whether my homepage works?
Watch the enquiry rate, not the bounce rate. Count visits to the homepage and enquiries that started there each month. Make one change at a time, such as the headline, the call to action or the price section, and give it a few weeks before judging. Check that pages load quickly on a phone against Google's Core Web Vitals targets.
Checklist: a homepage that converts
- Headline says what you do, for whom and where
- One main call to action on the first screen, written as an outcome
- A line of real proof near the top
- Sections answer: services, proof, process, price, people, questions
- Prices, ranges or price factors shown
- Short form on the page, with "How did you hear about us?"
- Fast and tidy on a phone
- Enquiry rate measured monthly, one change at a time
Questions people also ask
How long should a homepage be?
Long enough to answer the main questions a buyer has before they enquire, and no longer. Keep each section short and link to service pages for detail. Length matters less than whether the next step is always easy to find.
Should I use a slider or carousel at the top of my homepage?
Usually not. Most visitors only see the first slide, and moving content makes the main message harder to read. One clear headline and one call to action work better.
Do I need a video on my homepage?
No. A short video can help if it shows real work or the people behind the business, but it should not replace a clear headline and call to action, and it should not slow the page down.
Should my homepage have one call to action or several?
One main action, repeated at natural points down the page, plus at most one quieter alternative. Several competing buttons make people hesitate.