Your website looks good. Can customers find what they need?
A simple homepage check for business owners who want to make the next call, booking or visit easier.
The short version
A useful homepage answers three questions: What do you do? Are you right for me? What should I do next? Make those answers easy to find before adding anything else.
You know your business inside out. You know which jobs you take on, when the shop opens and how a new customer should get in touch. Someone arriving at your website knows none of that yet.
Look at your homepage as if you have never heard of the business. Put the colours and photographs to one side for a moment. Can you work out what is on offer and how to take the next step?
Start with the first screen.
The top of your homepage is a useful place to answer the simplest questions. Say what you do, who you help and where you work. Use the same words you would use when introducing your business to a neighbour.
For a plumber, that might mean naming the repairs you handle and the towns you cover. For a café, it could be your location, opening hours and a link to the menu.
“Quality solutions for all your needs.”
“Boiler repairs and bathroom fitting in Wycombe and Marlow.”
“Your trusted local partner since day one.”
“Open 7am–3pm, Tuesday to Sunday, on Castle Street.”
The examples are deliberately simple. Replace the service and location with your own, then check that the sentence is accurate.
Make the next step obvious.
Choose the main action you want a visitor to take. If you arrange work by phone, make calling easy. If appointments go into a booking system, send people straight to that system.
Give the button a useful label. “Book an appointment,” “Request a quote” and “Call the shop” tell someone what will happen when they tap. Use the action that fits the way you actually work.
A good website should feel like a helpful person at your front desk.
You can still include a menu, directions and more detail about your services. Keep the main action easy to spot among those other choices.
Try this now
Ask someone who does not know your website to book, call or request a quote. Watch where they hesitate. That is a useful place to start your next edit.
Show the business they will meet.
A photograph of your shopfront helps a first-time visitor recognise the door. A picture of your team helps put a face to a phone call. A finished job gives someone an example of the work you do.
Choose images that explain something about the business. Check that you have permission to use them and that the information shown is still current.
Let the small details do their job.
Keep your opening hours, service area and contact details up to date. If you include a customer review, use their actual words, with permission where needed, and keep the attribution beside it.
There is no need to fill every space. A few relevant details give a reader something concrete to work with.
Try the whole journey on your phone.
Open your website on a phone and complete the action you want customers to take. Tap the number. Follow the booking link. Fill in the enquiry form and check that the message reaches the right person.
Read the page without pinching to zoom. Check whether a banner covers a button or whether a form asks for details you do not need. Make a note of anything that feels awkward.
If you use an external booking or ordering service, follow the journey into that service too. The handover is part of the customer’s experience.
Your homepage checklist.
Keep your website open and tick these off as you go.
0 of 5 checked
Anything left unticked gives you a practical next task. Work through those changes, then ask someone new to try the page again.
A few common questions.
Do I need to redesign the whole website?
Start with the specific problem. You may only need to clarify the headline, update the contact details or fix a booking link. If the current setup makes those changes difficult, discuss a larger rebuild.
What if customers contact me in different ways?
Choose a main action for the page and keep the alternatives available. For example, lead with online booking and offer a phone number for anyone who needs help choosing a service.
How often should I check the details?
Check whenever something changes: opening hours, prices, services, staff or booking tools. It also helps to make a quick website review part of your regular business admin.