Writing a great homepage

Your homepage is often the first page a potential client sees. It has one job: quickly convince the right person that they are in the right place and that they should take the next step.

This guide walks you through what to include, in what order.

The five essential sections

Many effective homepages contain these sections in roughly this order:

1. Hero — the opening statement
2. Problem or pain point — show you understand the visitor
3. Solution — how you help
4. Proof — testimonials, results, logos
5. Call to action — the next step

You do not need ten sections. Five good ones beat ten weak ones.

1. The hero: your opening statement

The hero is the very first thing people see before they scroll. You have only a few seconds to convince people to stay.

Your hero needs:

• A headline that says what you do, clearly
• A sub-headline that explains who you help or how
• A button (a call to action) that tells people what to do next

Example headline: "We design websites that win clients for professional services firms."

Avoid vague, self-congratulatory headlines: "Innovative solutions for a changing world." These say nothing.

2. The problem: show you get it

Before you talk about yourself, briefly show the visitor you understand their situation. One short paragraph or three bullet points is enough.

Example: "Most business websites were built years ago, look dated, and don't bring in enquiries. Your site should be working harder for you."

This earns trust by showing empathy before making a pitch.

3. The solution: what you offer

Now explain how you help. Focus on outcomes, not features.

• Outcome-focused: "You'll get a website that generates enquiries every week."
• Feature-focused: "We build custom WordPress sites using Elementor."

Your customer wants the outcome. They don't care about the technology.

4. Proof: show don't tell

Proof turns claims into facts. Use:

• Testimonials — one to three quotes from real clients, with name and business
• Case study teasers — "We helped [Client X] increase enquiries by 40% in 3 months"
• Client logos — especially recognizable or respected names
• Results numbers — specific numbers are more believable than adjectives ("award-winning")

5. The call to action: what happens next

End with a clear invitation. One action. Not three.

Good calls to action for a homepage:

• "Book a free consultation"
• "Get a quote"
• "See our work"

The call to action is explored in full in Writing effective calls to action.

What to leave off your homepage

The homepage is not the place for:

• Your entire company history
• Long paragraphs about your values
• A list of every service you offer
• Industry jargon or technical language

Save detailed information for inner pages. The homepage's job is to direct traffic, not contain everything.

Common questions

How long should a homepage be?

Long enough to cover the five sections, short enough to keep people engaged. There's no ideal word count, and Google says it doesn't prefer any particular length either. Spread the text across distinct sections. The visual layout and white space matter as much as the words.

Should my homepage say who my clients are?

Yes — being specific about your audience makes visitors self-qualify. "We help professional services firms in the Midwest" immediately tells the right visitor they're in the right place and tells the wrong visitor to move on. Both are good outcomes.

What if I offer many different services?

Lead with the one or two services that are most important to your business. List other services briefly in a grid or short list lower on the page, with links to their own dedicated pages.

Related guides

• Writing for the web
• Writing service pages that convert
• Writing hero copy that converts
• Conversion fundamentals
• Writing effective calls to action
• Writing headlines that work
• Finding your brand voice

Learn more

• Nielsen Norman Group — Homepage design: 5 fundamental principles
• Digital.gov — plain language guide series