When someone lands on your website, the top of your homepage—the part they see before scrolling—does the heavy lifting. It’s your business handshake, your elevator pitch, and your lead generator all in one. In web design, we call this space “above the fold.” For service-based businesses, getting it right can be the difference between someone bouncing—or booking.

Here’s the no-fluff formula for a high-converting homepage:

A Clear Homepage Headline

Tell people exactly what you do and who you help.
Example: “Modern Bookkeeping for Busy Tradespeople.”
This isn’t the place for clever puns or vague slogans. As much as I love puns, it’s clarity over creativity—always.

A Subheadline That Builds on It

Think of this like your “how” or “why.” What makes your approach different or worth caring about?
Example: “We handle the numbers, so you can focus on growing your business.”

A Strong Call to Action

What’s the next step? Schedule a consult? Fill out a form? Download a guide? Make it obvious, make it click-worthy, and only give one option here.
“Book a Free Call” beats “Learn More” any day. Yes, I know I did both on my site but I like to bend the rules.

A Visual That Supports the Message

This could be a photo of you, a video intro, or even a clean mockup of your service in action. The key is: don’t just decorate—reinforce your message.

Simple, Strategic Navigation

Your top navigation bar shouldn’t be a junk drawer! Keep it minimal: 3–5 links max. If they want to explore, let them—but don’t overwhelm right away. If you have a lot more pages, put links at the bottom of the page.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Fluffy or confusing copy
• A cluttered layout with too much going on
• No CTA (or too many competing ones)
• Forgetting to check how it looks on mobile

Quick Test: Show your homepage to someone unfamiliar with your business. Can they tell what you do, who you help, and what they should do next—in five seconds or less?

If not, it’s time for a tweak. Your homepage doesn’t need to be fancy—it needs to work.

If you realize you need some website updates and don’t want to DIY it, book a call with me!