Seven homepage mistakes that quietly cost you enquiries
Your homepage has a few seconds to convince someone to stay. Here's what usually goes wrong.
Visitors decide very quickly whether a website is worth their time. Most homepages that underperform make the same handful of mistakes.
1. A headline that says nothing
"Welcome to our website" or "Excellence in everything we do" tells a visitor nothing. Your headline should say what you do and who it's for, in plain words. There is a formula for getting to that sentence.
2. Talking about yourself, not the customer
Count how many sentences start with "We". Customers care about their problem, not your history. Lead with what they get.
3. No clear next step
If there are six buttons all asking for different things, people often choose none. Pick the one action that matters most and make it obvious. A landing page takes this further and has only one.
4. Hiding the proof
Reviews, client names, awards and results build trust. Too often they're buried at the bottom or on a separate page nobody visits. Bring them up.
5. Slow on mobile
Most visitors are on a phone. Large images, heavy scripts and pop-ups that cover the screen all drive people away before they've read a word.
6. Jargon
Industry terms feel precise to you and confusing to customers. If your mum wouldn't understand a sentence, rewrite it.
7. Making contact hard
Long forms, no phone number, no idea what happens after you get in touch. Keep forms short and tell people exactly what to expect next.
None of these fixes need a new website. Most can be made in a week, and they often make a noticeable difference to enquiries.
Founder of oXo Creatives, founded 2013. Roles at Meta, Google, PlayStation, King and NatWest.
Want help with websites?
New sites, landing pages, and fixes to the pages you already have, so more of the people who visit actually get in touch. Typically a few weeks, depending on the number of pages and whether a developer is involved.
