What to include on your website home page
Your homepage is one of the most important pages on your website. It’s often the first impression someone has of your business. Before people click through to your services, or read your about page, they’ll usually land here first.
Within around three seconds, people decide whether they want to stay on a website or leave. That means your homepage needs to work hard.
It should quickly explain who you are, what you do, and what action someone should take next. At the same time, it’s there to build trust, reflect your brand, and guide visitors through your website.
No pressure there then!
In reality, the best homepages are usually the clearest and simplest ones.
As a content writer and web designer, I’ve worked with lots of small business owners who feel overwhelmed when it comes to homepage content. Many don’t know what to include. Others want to include everything.
This blog post will guide you through creating a strong homepage. But, before we get into the sections themselves, there are a few important things you should already have in place.
Before you start writing your homepage
Before you begin adding content to your website, it helps to take a step back and think strategically.
Your homepage should never just feel like a collection of random sections or great images. It’s there to support your business goals and speak directly to the right people.
Know who your ideal customer is
Just like your business isn’t for everyone, neither is your website. It’s for the people you most want to work with or sell to.
That means your homepage copy needs to speak directly to your ideal customer. It shows you understand the problems they have, what they’re trying to achieve, and how you can help them.
Instead of talking about your business, it helps to think instead from their point of view. Your homepage needs to answer a simple question “How can this help me?”.
Be clear on your branding
A brand is more than your logo or colours. It’s your tone of voice, your personality, your values, and the overall feeling people get when they visit your website.
If your branding feels inconsistent, your website can become confusing. So, before writing your homepage, make sure you’ve thought about:
Your brand colours
Fonts and typography
Tone of voice
Brand values
Visual style
Understand the goals of your website
Every website has a purpose. For some businesses, that’s direct sales. For others, it’s generating enquiries, encouraging downloads, or growing an email list.
Knowing your main goal will feed into every decision you make on your homepage.
The main sections to include on a website homepage
When someone lands on your website, they should quickly understand:
Who you are
What you do
What they should do next
If your website doesn’t answer these questions within a few seconds, people will often to leave.
Below are the main sections for a small business homepage.
1. The “Above the Fold” Section
“Above the Fold” is the first section people see before they start scrolling. It’s the most important area of your homepage because it creates the first impression.
If this section feels confusing or cluttered, people may leave before they even explore the rest of your website.
Your above the fold section should include the following:
Your logo and navigation
Keep your navigation simple and easy to understand. I usually aim for around 4-5 menu items so people can quickly find what they need. Your logo will usually sit in the top lefthand corner, where people expect to find it.
A clear headline
Your main headline is often the first thing people read, so it needs to clearly explain:
What you offer
Who it’s for
How it helps
This is not the place for vague or clever wording - clarity is more important.
For example:
“Helping small businesses create websites that convert” works better than “Our team is committed to your business”.
Tip 👇
Imagine telling someone face to face what you do for a living, then use the same language in your homepage headline.
A strong call to action (CTA)
Every homepage should guide people towards an action. What that is will depend on your website goals.
Here are some examples:
Book a Call
Get a Quote
Shop Now
View Services
Download the Guide
Make sure your CTA button stands out and you keep it to one or two main actions to avoid decision fatigue.
A supporting image
Use images or videos that reflect your business and help communicate your brand. Professional brand photography can feel more authentic than generic stock images, although there is a place for these too.
2. Showcase your main services or products
Once someone understands who you are, they’ll want to know what you offer. Your homepage is there to give a quick, scannable overview of your main products or services. It acts as a roadmap for the rest of your website, leading people to specific pages where they can learn more.
Keep it focused
Your homepage isn’t the place to include absolutely everything you offer. Instead, focus on your main offers (usually 3-4 core services).
For example:
Website design
SEO services
Copywriting
Branding
Each section can include a short description, a relevant image (or icon), and a link to learn more. This guides people deeper into your website without overwhelming them.
Focus on benefits, not features
A lot of businesses fall into the trap of talking too much about technical details. But most people care more about the outcomes - what it means for them.
So, instead of saying “fully responsive custom-built websites”, you could say “websites designed to attract and convert your ideal customers”.
The second version focuses on the result, which is always more powerful.
3. Add trust and social proof
Trust is a huge part of turning website visitors into customers. People want reassurance that your business is credible, reliable, and experienced.
Include testimonials
Testimonials are one of the easiest ways to build trust quickly. They often mention:
The problem someone had
The experience of working with you
The result they achieved
Keep them easy to read, and avoid huge blocks of text.
Showcase logos, awards, or certifications
If you’ve worked with recognisable brands or organisations, include their logos. You can also feature:
Industry certifications
Awards
Memberships
Press mentions
Partnerships
These all help reassure people that your business is legitimate and professional.
Use real data where possible
Adding genuine data and stats can help persuade people to take the next step. For example:
Over 100 websites launched
Helping businesses since 2019
Trusted by 500+ customers
These kind of figures help build authority and show your experience.
4. Include a personal introduction
People connect with people. As a small business owner, it’s important for them to understand who they’re working with. But even if you run a larger business, people still want to know who’s behind the brand.
Adding a short introduction creates a more personal connection and helps your website feel more human.
Share a bit about yourself
This doesn’t need to be a full life story, but a short section introducing yourself or your team can help build a connection. Think about including:
A friendly photo
A short bio
Your mission
Why you started the business
This helps people feel like they’re dealing with a real person rather than a faceless company. You can also link through to your full About page for anyone who wants to learn more.
5. Add a lead capture section
Not every visitor is ready to buy straight away. That’s completely normal. Sometimes, they just need a little more time before making a decision. That’s why lead capture is so important.
Give people a reason to stay connected
A lead magnet encourages people to join your email list and stay connected with your business. This could be:
A free guide
A checklist
A discount code
A free resource
An email newsletter
Just make sure your freebie feels genuinely useful and relevant to your audience.
To give you an example, one of my lead magnets is a Free Guide to SEO and Online Visibility.
6. Remember the Footer
The footer sits at the bottom of your homepage and plays an important role. It’s where many visitors look for contact details or extra navigation links.
What to include in your footer
Your footer should contain:
Contact information, including email address and phone number
Social media links
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions
Secondary navigation links (such as blog, resources, or testimonials)
You can also include one final call to action before visitors leave the page.
Keep social media links in the footer
One thing I always recommend is to avoid placing social media icons at the very top of your homepage.
Why?
Because it encourages visitors to leave your website too quickly.
Your website should be the priority, with navigation guiding people on a logical journey through your pages. Social links work much better in the footer.
What to avoid on your homepage
Now I’ve covered what should be included, here are a few common homepage mistakes.
Too much clutter
Trying to squeeze everything onto your homepage usually makes it less effective. Space is your friend - a clean and focused layout usually works much better than a busy one.
Weak messaging
If your homepage copy feels vague, visitors won’t understand what you do. Always aim for simple, clear messaging, and avoid jargon or complicated wording.
Forgetting SEO basics
Your homepage should also be optimised behind the scenes. This includes:
Page titles
Meta descriptions
Image alt-text
Proper heading hierarchy
Keyword focused content
Inconsistent branding
Too many fonts, colours, or styles can make your website feel messy and unprofessional. As a general rule:
Stick to 2-3 fonts maximum
Use a consistent colour palette, including matching image style
Keep layouts clean and structured
Modern homepage design standards
Web design trends and people’s expectations have evolved. A homepage today needs to do more than look good. It also needs to work well across all devices and be accessible to all users.
Mobile-first design
Most website traffic now comes from mobile devices. That means your homepage should:
Load quickly
Work well on smaller screens
Have buttons that are easy to tap
Use readable font sizes
Avoid cluttered layouts
A homepage that looks amazing on desktop but is difficult to use on mobile will frustrate people very quickly.
Accessibility
Accessibility helps with inclusivity and overall user experience. Simple improvements include:
High colour contrast
Clear heading structures
Alt-text for images
Readable text sizes
Logical navigation
Accessible websites are often easier for everyone to use.
Final thoughts
Your homepage doesn’t need to be complicated to work well.
A good homepage:
Clearly explains what you do
Builds trust
Guides people towards action
Reflects your brand personality
When done well, your homepage becomes more than a nice design. It becomes a tool that supports your business goals and turns visitors into customers.
If you ever feel overwhelmed when building your homepage, I recommend choosing simplicity and clarity over cleverness.
If reading this has made you realise your homepage might not be working as hard as it could, my Half-Day Website Review could help.
I take a holistic approach to your website, looking at your messaging, structure, user experience, content, and overall customer journey. I then deliver a clear summary report with practical recommendations you can implement straight away.
It’s ideal for small business owners who want expert insight and actionable feedback, without committing to a full redesign.
While I specialise in Squarespace, many of the recommendations apply across other website platforms.
You might find these helpful next
If you’re not quite sure whether your website is working or not:
If I looked at your website for 10 minutes, here’s what I’d fix first
If you want to learn why your website might not be getting enquiries:
Why your website looks good but isn’t getting enquiries
If you want to improve your visibility and get found on search:
Guide to SEO blogging
