Your website gets visits, but the phone doesn’t ring and the forms stay empty. In most cases, the problem is neither the traffic nor the design. It’s a homepage that doesn’t say quickly enough what you do, who it’s for, and what to do next. Here are the five fixes I apply first on every website.
1. A headline about your client, not about you
“Welcome to our website” or your business name in big letters means nothing to a visitor who’s just discovering you. Within a few seconds, they want to know if they’re in the right place. Your headline should answer a simple question: what do I do, and for whom?
On Andréanne Martin’s website, the old homepage mostly showcased her name. The new one says on the very first screen what she does and who it’s for, with two clear actions. You can compare the before and after in her case study.
2. One main action, visible without scrolling
Book a call, request a quote, sign up, buy: choose the most important action and make it obvious on the first screen. When three buttons of equal weight compete for attention, visitors often pick none of them.
For a coach, that action is almost always the discovery call. It’s the action I build websites for coaches around.
Then repeat that action at the right moments: after you present your services, after the testimonials and at the bottom of the page. A visitor who’s convinced should never have to scroll back up to find out how to contact you.
3. Proof next to every promise
Everyone says they’re professional, attentive and passionate. What convinces people is proof: testimonials with a real name and a real photo, client logos, case studies, numbers when you have them. Place them next to the promises they back up, not on a page nobody visits.
A video of a happy client lasting just a few seconds is often worth more than a long paragraph about your values.
4. Answer objections before anyone raises them
How much does it cost? How long does it take? How does it actually work? Is it for me? If your homepage doesn’t answer these questions, visitors leave to find the answers elsewhere, often with a competitor.
A well-written FAQ section, a visible price range and a process laid out in a few steps clear up most of these doubts. Showing their prices scares a lot of business owners, but it’s also what filters out the inquiries that aren’t a good fit for you.
5. A fast page, designed for mobile
A large share of your visitors arrive on their phone, sometimes on an average connection. A heavy page that takes several seconds to load loses some of them before they even read your headline.
For Groupe Horizon, the redesign made the homepage half as heavy as the old one, with more content. The before and after measurements are in the case study. Also check your page on your own phone: buttons that are easy to tap, text you can read without zooming, a form that’s simple to fill in.
Three design habits that cost you clients
Some design trends lose you inquiries without you even noticing.
The auto-rotating carousel at the top of the page. It cycles through several messages, so none of them gets read in full. One strong message that stays put almost always converts better.
The pop-up the moment someone lands. Asking for an email before the visitor even knows who you are means asking for a commitment too early. Wait until they’ve read your page, or until they’re about to leave.
Light gray text on a white background. Elegant in a mockup, painful to read on a phone in full sunlight. Good contrast takes nothing away from the design.
Measure before you change everything
Before you redo your page, write down where you stand: number of visits, number of inquiries received, most viewed pages. Your platform’s analytics are often enough. Then change one thing at a time, and compare over a few weeks. You’ll know what actually works, instead of guessing.
Where to start?
Open your homepage as if you didn’t know your business, and ask yourself three questions: do I understand what’s being offered within five seconds? Do I know what to do next? Do I have a reason to trust this? If one answer is no, you know which fix to make first.
Want an outside perspective? Book a discovery call: we’ll look at your page together and you’ll leave with a list of concrete fixes, whether you work with me or not.
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