For small-business owners · plain English · no jargon
What should my website homepage say?
Your homepage gets about five seconds to make a stranger think "yes, this is for me." Most small-business homepages waste those seconds on a vague slogan or a big photo with almost no words — so visitors cannot tell what you do, and they leave. Here is the plain-English formula for what your first screen should actually say, with good-versus-bad examples and a template you can fill in today.
The short answer
In the first screen — before anyone scrolls — your homepage should say four things, in plain words: (1) what you do, (2) who it is for and where, (3) the one reason to choose you, and (4) the single next step. A plain sentence beats a clever slogan every time. Everything below the fold (reviews, how it works, FAQ) is support — but if that first screen does not land in five seconds, the rest never gets read.
The 4 things your first screen must say
1. What you do — in literal, plain words
Not your mission, not a feeling — the actual thing you sell. A stranger should understand it instantly, with zero guessing.
❌ Weak: "Excellence, delivered." / "Your journey starts here." / a big photo and no words.
✅ Clear: "Wedding catering for 20–200 guests." / "Bookkeeping for Dutch freelancers and small businesses."
2. Who it is for, and where
Name your customer and your area. Being specific makes the right person think "that is me" — and filters out the wrong ones (who would never buy anyway).
❌ Weak: No mention of who or where — so nobody feels it is aimed at them.
✅ Clear: "…for small cafés and restaurants in and around Amsterdam." / "…for homeowners in Utrecht."
3. The one reason to choose you
A single concrete reason — not "passionate" or "quality". What makes the decision easy? Price clarity, speed, a guarantee, a free first step.
❌ Weak: "We are passionate about quality and customer service."
✅ Clear: "Fixed-price menus, no surprise costs, and a free tasting before you book."
4. The one next step
Decide the single action you most want a visitor to take, and make it one bright button. One clear step beats ten competing links.
❌ Weak: Ten menu links, three buttons, and no obvious "do this next".
✅ Clear: One button: "See menus & get a free quote" — repeated again further down the page.
The fill-in headline formula
Use this and you cannot go far wrong:
“[What you do] for [who it is for] in [where]. [The one reason / the outcome].” → [one button]
Worked examples:
- Caterer: Wedding & event catering for 20–200 guests in and around Amsterdam — fixed prices, free tasting. → See menus & get a quote
- Plumber: Emergency and planned plumbing for homeowners in Utrecht — same-day callout, upfront pricing. → Book a callout
- Bookkeeper: Bookkeeping for Dutch freelancers and small businesses — monthly fixed fee, no contracts. → Get a free intake call
What goes below the first screen
Once the first screen lands, the rest of the homepage just removes doubt, in this order: a few real reviews and photos (trust), a simple how-it-works in three steps, a little detail or pricing so there are no surprises, and then the same button again. That is a complete, converting homepage — no clever copywriting required.
Want to know exactly what YOUR homepage should say?
The formula above gets you most of the way, but the precise words that would land for your business and customers are specific to you. A GrowthFriction audit reviews your homepage (and the whole site, across 10 areas) and hands you a plain-English rewrite of your first screen plus the prioritised list of everything else costing you customers. €197, delivered in 48 hours as a PDF plus a short video walkthrough. See a real sample first, then decide.
Or see a sample €197 audit to know exactly what you get.
Prefer to call or text? +31 6 1514 7952 (Paulo · NL · WhatsApp available · weekdays).
Frequently asked questions
How much text should be on my homepage?
The first screen should be tight: one clear headline sentence, a line of support, and one button. Below that, a few short sections (trust, how it works, a little detail, the button again) are plenty. More words rarely help — clarity does. If a stranger cannot tell what you do in five seconds, the problem is never that you wrote too little; it is that the first line was not plain enough.
Should I use a clever slogan or tagline?
Not as your main headline. A slogan like "Excellence, delivered" feels nice but tells a stranger nothing about what you sell or whether it is for them — so they leave. Lead with the plain, literal sentence; you can keep the slogan as a smaller line underneath if you love it.
What is the single most common homepage mistake?
The first screen not saying what you do, who for, in five seconds. Owners read their own homepage and it makes sense to them — because they already know the business. A first-time visitor does not, and a vague headline plus a big photo leaves them guessing. It is the number-one reason a small-business homepage loses customers.
Where should the contact or "buy" button go?
In the first screen (so nobody has to scroll to act), and repeated once or twice further down. Make it one bright, obvious button with action words — "Get a quote", "Book now", "Order online" — not a faint "Contact" link buried in the menu.
Related, in plain English
- My website gets traffic but no sales — where it leaks — an unclear first screen is leak #1
- Why isn't my website getting customers? — the 8 most common reasons, with the fix for each
- Is my website any good? A 5-minute self-check — score your first screen and 7 other things that matter
- See a real sample audit — exactly what the rewrite looks like for €197
Cite this guide: GrowthFriction. (2026). What should my website homepage say? https://growthfriction.com/what-should-my-website-homepage-say/. Published 2026-06-18 · By Paulo de Vries · GrowthFriction.