Content By Lui Nobrega · Apr 29, 2026 · Updated Oct 26, 2026 · 5 min read

What to Put on Your Home Page

Your home page gets a few seconds to do its job. Most home pages waste those seconds on a welcome message. Here is a checklist of what belongs there instead, top to bottom, with the research behind it.

The first screen: before anyone scrolls

The fold is the part of the page people see before they scroll. People spend most of their viewing time near the top, and they only scroll if the top gives them a reason. So the first screen has to answer three questions: what do you do, where, and how do I reach you?

  1. Your logo and business name in the top left corner. That is where people look for it first. See: Homepage Design: 5 Fundamental Principles (opens in a new tab)
  2. A one-line headline that says what you do and where. "Family Dentist in Cheshire, CT" does that in five words. "Welcome to Our Website" tells a visitor nothing at all.
  3. One main button for the thing most visitors came to do: call, book, or get a quote. Label it with what happens, like "Book a cleaning". Generic labels like "Learn more" do not tell people what they will get.
  4. Your phone number, as a link that dials when someone taps it on a phone. See: What Makes a Website Easy to Use?
  5. A real photo of your place, your team or your work. Skip stock photos. People tend to skip images that are only decoration.
  6. A menu with your main pages where people can see it, not hidden behind a small link.

Further down the page

People who scroll are interested. Give them the reasons, the proof, and the same next step again.

  1. Three real reasons people pick you. Same-day appointments. Twenty years in this town. Free estimates. "Great service" is what every competitor says, so it means nothing.
  2. Your main services, each with one short line and a link to its own page. Show real examples, not just category names.
  3. Proof: a few real customer reviews and photos of real work. See: How to Answer Reviews the Right Way
  4. Where you work: your town, or the towns you serve, and your hours. See: Local SEO Basics: Getting Found in Connecticut Searches
  5. A short line about who you are, with a link to your About page for people who want more.
  6. The same main button again near the bottom, so nobody has to scroll back up to find it.
  7. A footer with your business name, address or service area, phone and hours. Keep them exactly the same as your Google Business Profile. See: Google Business Profile + Your Website: A Power Pairing

What to leave off

  1. Welcome messages. Turn them into a headline that says what you do.
  2. Sliders that change on their own, and videos that start playing by themselves. Moving content distracts people, is often mistaken for ads, and can disorient some visitors.
  3. Walls of text. People scan. Use short paragraphs and clear headings. See: Writing Website Copy That Sounds Like You
  4. Five buttons of the same size. If everything stands out, nothing does. Pick the one that matters most.

The parts Google shows

Two lines of text in your page's code shape how your home page can look in Google results. Ask whoever built your site where to edit them.

  1. The page title. Name your business and say what you do, for example "Your Business Name, Family Dentist in Cheshire, CT". Google advises against vague titles like "Home" and against repeating the same keywords. See: Influencing title links in Google Search (opens in a new tab)
  2. The meta description. One or two plain sentences that sum up what you offer and where. Google may show it under your title. Google says the home page is one of the first pages that should have one. See: How to write meta descriptions (opens in a new tab)

Test it in five minutes

  1. Open your home page on your own phone. Without scrolling, can you see what you do, where, and how to contact you?
  2. Show it to someone who does not know your business for five seconds. Then ask what you do and what they would tap first. If they cannot say, rewrite the top.
  3. Tap every button and the phone number. Make sure each one works.
  4. Check how fast it loads on a phone. Paste your web address into PageSpeed Insights and look at the mobile results. See: PageSpeed Insights (opens in a new tab)

Helpful links

Common questions

What is "above the fold" on a website?

It is the part of a page you can see before you scroll. Its size changes with the screen, so put the most important things as high on the page as you can: what you do, where, and your main button.

Should my home page have a slider or a video?

Usually not one that moves on its own. Usability research finds that moving content is often mistaken for ads, and that carousels which change by themselves can disorient people. One strong, real photo and a clear headline do more.

How long should my home page be?

Long enough to answer what you do, where, why people pick you, and how to reach you. For most small businesses that is the first screen plus a few short sections. Details belong on their own pages.

Sources and further reading

The takeaway

Say what you do and where, give one clear button, show real proof, and repeat the button at the bottom. Then test it on your phone and on a stranger.

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