What to actually write on your homepage

The hard part isn't writing. It's knowing which of the thousand things you could say are the few that matter. Below is the structure that works for nearly every small service business, with real examples you can adapt today.

Start with what the visitor is thinking

Someone lands on your homepage for about three seconds, with one question in mind: can these people help me? Not "how passionate are they", not "how long have they been established". Just: are you what I'm looking for, and what do I do next?

Every homepage decision should trace back to that question. If a sentence doesn't help a stranger answer it, cut it. That's the whole philosophy. Now the section-by-section.

Above the fold: the five-second test

The first screen (headline, subheadline, and one button) decides whether people read anything else. It needs three things:

1. What you do, in words a customer would use

   "Emergency plumber in Hull" beats "complete fluid dynamics solutions for domestic environments". Write it the way a customer would say it when recommending you at the school gates.

2. Who it's for (or where)

   "For homeowners across East Yorkshire" does two jobs: it tells visitors they're in the right place, and it tells Google the same thing.

3. What to do next

   One obvious button: "Get a quote", "Book an appointment", "See our work". Not three competing buttons, not "Submit".

Put together: "Hair salon in Cottingham. Colour, cuts and wedding hair, bookable online in under a minute." That's a working headline. It isn't clever, and that's the point. Clever is what people write when they're bored; clear is what customers read.

The trap: writing about yourself

Here's the most common homepage on the internet: "We are a passionate, family-run company with over 20 years' combined experience, committed to delivering excellence." Every word is true, and the customer has already left. Why? Because it's about you, it's vague, and it could describe a window cleaner or a law firm.

The fix is a one-line test. Before any sentence goes on the site, ask: could a competitor put this on their website? If yes, cut it or get specific. "We answer the phone within three rings" stays, because not everyone can say that. "Committed to quality" goes, because everyone claims it.

The services block: say it how they say it

Below the fold, list what you sell, using the customer's vocabulary rather than your industry's. People don't search for "moisture intrusion remediation"; they search "damp problem". They don't book "smile enhancement consultations"; they look for "teeth whitening".

• Three to six services, each with a one-line plain-English description.
• The words customers type into Google, not the words your trade body uses.
• A "what it costs" hint where you can. Even a starting price beats "contact us for pricing", which reads as "expect an awkward phone call".

Proof: the section that does the selling for you

After your services, the visitor's next question is "can I trust them?" You don't answer that with more adjectives. You answer it with evidence:

• Real testimonials with names. "Brilliant job, our kitchen was done in four days. Sarah, Hull" beats a paragraph of praise from "a valued client".
• Real photos of your work. Phone snaps of actual jobs beat polished stock images, because customers can tell the difference and they trust what they can verify.
• Numbers where you have them: "Over 300 bathrooms fitted", "4.9 stars from 87 reviews". Only claim numbers you can stand behind.

Answer the three questions every visitor has

By the end of the page, a stranger should be able to answer three things without hunting:

1. What exactly do I get?

   A short "what's included" list. Specific beats impressive: "a five-page site, your copy written, contact form, mobile-ready" tells someone everything they need.

2. What does it cost?

   You don't need exact prices for every job, but "builds from £X" or "most kitchens come in around £X" filters out tyre-kickers and reassures serious ones. Hiding prices doesn't create enquiries, it creates phone calls that start with "so how much is..."

3. What happens if I'm not happy?

   A guarantee, a preview before you pay, "no lock-in": whatever removes the risk of getting in touch. Say it near your call-to-action, not buried on another page.

Words to delete from every homepage

• "Welcome to our website". The button got them here; don't re-introduce the concept.
• Filler like "solutions", "passionate", "commitment to excellence", "tailored", "cutting-edge" and their cousins. Say what you do instead.
• "Click here to learn more." Say where it goes: "See our pricing".
• Every sentence a competitor could also truthfully publish.
• Three paragraphs of company history before anyone mentions the customer. Move it to an About page.

A homepage structure you can copy

If you're starting from a blank page, this order works for almost every service business:

• Hero: what you do + where + one clear button.
• How it works: three or four steps from first contact to finished job.
• Proof: testimonials and photos of real work.
• Services in customer language, with prices or starting prices.
• An FAQ covering the five questions you answer on every phone call, written down once.
• A final call-to-action: repeat the button, repeat the guarantee.

No mission statement, no stock photo of people pointing at a laptop. This is roughly the structure every site we build follows, because it keeps showing up in the results.

In short

Write your homepage for the person who's never heard of you and has forty seconds. Tell them what you do and who for, in their words. Show proof from real customers. Answer the three questions (what do I get, what does it cost, what if I'm not happy) and give them one obvious next step. Clear beats clever.

For the money question, what a small business website actually costs has the straight answer; once people land, getting found on Google is what keeps the homepage busy. And if writing it yourself sounds like a career, that's the one bit I do in every five-page website.