What the homepage has to do
According to Nielsen Norman Group, a homepage must make clear who the company is and what a visitor can accomplish there. For a local business, add where you work and how to reach you. Visitors arrive from Google, ads, social posts and referrals, and many decide in seconds whether to stay.
The sections that matter, top to bottom
| Section | Its job | What to include |
|---|---|---|
| First screen | Explain the offer at a glance | Service, area, one main button and a phone number |
| Trust strip | Remove doubt early | Rating, review count, licenses and years in business |
| Services | Send people to the right page | Each main service with one line and a link |
| Proof | Show real results | Reviews, project photos and short case notes |
| Closing action | Catch visitors who scroll to the end | A short form or booking link |
Headlines that work
Good example. "Family Dentist in Winter Park, Accepting New Patients," followed by one line on insurance accepted and a button to book.
Bad example. "Welcome to Our Website" over a rotating slider of stock photos, with the phone number in the footer.
Sliders hide most of their messages, because most visitors never wait for the second slide. One clear message beats five rotating ones.
Mistakes we fix most often
- Company history before the customer's problem
- Several buttons competing for the same space
- Stock photos instead of your team and work
- Services crammed onto the homepage instead of their own pages
- No tracking for calls and form submissions
Recommended action. Open your homepage on a phone as if you had an urgent need. Look for the service, the area, some proof and a way to call. If that takes more than a few seconds, the homepage costs you leads.
See how to design service pages that convert. Our web design team designs homepages around that five-second test.