The short version
- Your homepage has five seconds to say what you do and what to do next.
- Use five parts in order: headline, subheadline, who you are, proof and one button.
- Write it in plain words a 10-year-old could read.
The five parts
- Headline. The result your customer wants, in five words or fewer if you can. Not your name and not "Welcome."
- Subheadline. One or two short sentences on the problem and how you fix it.
- Who you are. Your name, your role and where you work. People buy from people.
- Proof. One fast reason to trust you, like a guarantee, a review or a real number.
- One button. One clear next step, like "Get my free quote." Not three.
Write it in plain words
These are the rules I write every client site with:
- Use simple words. Pick "help" over "facilitate."
- Write in the present tense.
- Make the subject do the action. "I build sites," not "Sites are built."
- Cut words ending in -ly. "Fast" beats "really quickly."
- Use one comma per sentence at most. Split long sentences in two.
- Say what you do, not what you don't do.
- Cut every word that doesn't change the meaning.
A real before and after
Here is my own homepage. The first version was clever. The second one is clear.
| Part | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | Win the fight for every local customer. | Turn visitors into customers. |
| Subheadline | I rebuild Texas business websites so more visitors call, book or buy. | Most websites just sit there. I build ones that bring you customers every day. |
| Who | Website designer, conversion builder, Georgetown, TX | Founder, BH Productions. Web Designer. Growth Strategist. |
| Proof | My guarantee line | My guarantee line, kept |
| Button | Get my free audit | Get my free audit |
Test it in five seconds
- Show your homepage on your phone to someone who doesn't know your business.
- Take the phone back after five seconds.
- Ask what you do, who it's for and what they would tap.
- If they miss any of the three, rewrite that part and test again.
From my work
Before web design I made over 27,000 sales calls. The lesson carries over. The pitch that wins is the one a stranger understands in one breath.