When someone visits your website, they decide quickly if they want to stay. You have about five seconds to make a good first impression. If people do not see what they are looking for right away, they will leave and try someone else.
That means your website must show who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch within the first few seconds.
Say What You Do Right Away
At the top of your homepage, your website should clearly say what your business does. This is called your headline. It should be simple and easy to understand.
For example, if you own a tree care company, your headline might say:
“Tree Removal and Trimming in Bremerton”
This tells visitors exactly what you do and where you do it. No guessing. No confusion.
If you are not sure how to write a strong homepage, take a look at these ideas for what every home service website needs to generate new customers. It breaks things down in a simple and helpful way.
Tell People What to Do Next
Once people know what you do, they should know what to do next. This is your call to action. It could be:
- Get a Free Quote
- Call Now
- Book an Estimate
Your call to action should be easy to find. Put it near the top of the page. Use a big button. If people have to scroll to find it, you might lose them.
Some business owners focus too much on design and not enough on action. If your website looks pretty but does not help people take the next step, it will not grow your business. This idea is explored more in our post about why good looking websites can still perform poorly.
Keep It Simple and Fast
Your website should be fast to load and easy to read. Most people visit websites from their phones. That means your site should look good on small screens and load quickly.
Avoid tiny fonts, long paragraphs, and fancy designs that make things hard to read. Use clear words, short sections, and large buttons.
You can test your site speed for free using PageSpeed Insights. And if you want to better understand why people leave websites quickly, here is a helpful article about what bounce rate tells you about your site’s performance from FullStory.
Want Help Building a Website That Works?
At Harpley House, we build websites that do more than just look good. We help you turn visitors into customers. If you are ready for a site that works harder for your business, learn more about our website development services.
We keep things simple and focused on results. Your website should help your phone ring, not just sit there looking nice.