3 Things Every Website Homepage Needs

9 hours ago
2 min read

Your homepage has one job:

To make people stay.

You have seconds - not minutes - to show visitors they’re in the right place. If your homepage doesn’t immediately communicate clarity and direction, most users will leave without exploring further.

Over the years, I’ve reviewed countless small business websites. The problem is rarely effort. It’s rarely budget.

3 Things Every Website Homepage Needs

It’s usually structure.

Here are the three essential elements every effective homepage must have.

1. Clear Positioning

When someone lands on your homepage, they should instantly understand:

What you do
Who you help
What problem you solve

This should be obvious within the first 5 seconds.

Many businesses fall into one of two traps:

Vague, generic messaging (“Welcome to our website”) – Overly clever headlines that don’t explain anything. Your headline should be benefit-driven and specific.

Instead of:“Creating Digital Experiences”

Say:“Strategic Website Design for Growing UK Businesses”

Clarity converts. Confusion loses enquiries.

If visitors have to think too hard about what you do, they’ll leave.

2. An Obvious Call-to-Action

Once visitors understand what you do, they need to know what to do next.

This is where many homepages fail.

Common mistakes include:

No visible contact button above the fold• A “Contact” link buried in the navigation• Too many competing buttons• No clear next step
Your homepage should guide people.
Examples of strong calls-to-action:
Book a consultation• Request a website review• Get a quote• Schedule a call

The call-to-action should be:

Clear Visible Repeated strategically

If users have to hunt for how to contact you, many simply won’t.

3. Mobile Optimisation

Over 50% of website traffic is mobile.

In some industries, it’s significantly higher.

A homepage that looks good on desktop but feels cluttered, slow or awkward on mobile will quietly lose business.

Mobile optimisation isn’t just about shrinking content. It’s about:

Clear spacing
Legible typography
Fast loading speed
Clickable buttons
Simplified layout

Mobile users are often more impatient. If your page feels heavy or confusing, they’ll exit quickly.

Google also prioritises mobile performance in rankings. So this affects visibility as well as conversions.

Why Structure Matters More Than Design

Many business owners assume that if their website isn’t converting, they need a redesign.

Often, they don’t.

What they need is:

Better positioning
Clearer messaging
Stronger calls-to-action
Improved structure

Design supports strategy - it doesn’t replace it.

A beautiful homepage without clarity and direction won’t generate enquiries.

A strategically structured homepage will.

A Quick Homepage Self-Check

Ask yourself:

Can a stranger understand exactly what I do in 5 seconds?
Is there a clear next step on screen without scrolling?
Does my homepage feel simple and clean on mobile?

If the answer to any of these is no, improvements are usually straightforward.

Small structural changes often make a measurable difference.

Final Thought