What Makes a Good Homepage? A Checklist for Small Business Owners
- Nancy Detchon
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Your homepage is the digital front door to your business. It’s often the first page visitors land on, and it sets the tone for their entire experience with your brand. But too often, homepages become cluttered, unclear, and/or focused on the wrong things. If you’re not getting the results you want from your site, your homepage could be the first place to look.
Here’s a simple, practical, quick checklist to help you create a homepage that connects, converts, and feels just right.
1. A clear, confident headline
As soon as someone lands on your homepage, they should know exactly what you do, who it’s for, and how you help.
Think: “Helping busy mums get organised with beautiful, personalised planners”
Not: “Welcome to my website!”
You’ve got 5–10 seconds to make it clear so skip the fluff and get straight to the point.
2. A short intro that builds trust
Tell people a little about who you are and how you help. This isn’t your full life story just a quick, engaging paragraph that says:
Who you are
What makes you different
Why they should stick around
A friendly photo can also add connection here. I had my photos done by a local professional (Helen Rowan) and they did so much for me. Firsty, they increased my confidence - as a woman of a certain age, blighted by menopausal symptoms Helen gave me a new found confidence in myself. Secondly, they have litterally generated several thousand £ in new business - people see my images and feel as though they know me a little better and that I'm approachable - they're often conversation openers..."I saw your picture and you look so normal and approachable!!"
3. An overview of your key services or offers
People are busy and they don’t want to dig through lengthy menus to find out what you do. Your homepage should give them a clear snapshot of your main services or offers, with links to read more if they’re interested.
Use brief descriptions, simple language, and call-to-action buttons like:
“Explore Services”
“View My Packages”
“Book a Free Call”
4. Social proof (because we all want reassurance)
Got testimonials, reviews or credentials? Great! Get them added to your website! Add a few short quotes or a “trusted by” section on your homepage to help build credibility and trust. (Check out mine on my home page!!)
5. A clear next step (call to action)
What do you want your visitor to do next? Book a call? Download a freebie? Browse your shop? Make it easy, make it obvious, and repeat it more than once on the page. People need guidance, and your homepage should gently lead the way.
Bonus Tip: Keep it mobile-friendly and uncluttered
Well over half your visitors are likely to view your site on a mobile device, so your homepage should be clean, scrollable, and easy to navigate on a small screen.
Don’t overwhelm people with too much information. Give them just enough to feel curious and confident to explore more. It's OK if the mobile content is slightly different to the desktop version - it needs to be shorter, more clear etc.
Need help improving your homepage?
If your homepage feels like a sticking point, I offer friendly, practical support for women in business building or refreshing their websites - whether you need a review, a couple of hours ad-hoc work, a makeover, or full design support.
Let’s make sure your first impression is a powerful one. Book a free discovery call and let's have a chat about how I can help you make things better.
