Your local business’s website is important… and the homepage is the most important part of it. Think of it like the digital front door to your business. It’s often the first impression a customer will get of your business, and it should entice them to “come inside” to learn more about your services and get in touch with you.
Key Takeaways
- Your homepage sets the first impression and should guide visitors toward booking or buying.
- Consistent branding and a clear logo help customers instantly recognize your business.
- Visible contact information makes it easy for customers to reach you quickly.
- A clear value proposition explains who you are, what you offer, and why you’re the right choice.
- Authentic photos and video build trust and increase engagement.
- Strong CTAs and simple navigation help visitors take the next step easily.
The vast majority of consumers (81%) conduct online research about a business before making a purchase, with 47% seeking information on the business’s website. So, investing some time into creating a good site from scratch or revamping your current site is definitely worth your while. Since the homepage plays a major role in your website experience, with the other pages branching out from there, it should be your first starting place.
But how do you know what should be included on your local business’s website homepage? We’ve put together our top eight must-haves to help you out.
[Related: Today’s Website: Free Guide for Small Businesses]
1. Your logo and consistent branding
What makes your business and brand instantly recognizable to consumers at a glance? It’s your logo and branding. If you see a green mermaid or a yellow “M” on a roadside sign, you instantly know who those logos belong to. A memorable logo can increase brand recognition by up to 80%.
While your local business might not be quite as famous as those examples, you still want your customers to recognize it across all your marketing channels. Make sure your logo is featured prominently on your homepage, as well as your other brand elements (like your color scheme, typography, and tone of voice).
[Related: Why Brand Consistency Matters for Local Business Marketing]
2. Contact information
A potential or current customer made it to your website, and they have a question about your products or services (or even better, they’re ready to book). Great! Do they know how to reach you?
Research tells us that the average page visit lasts a little less than a minute. So, if a customer doesn’t see what they’re searching for right off the bat, they’re probably going to leave and check a competitor’s site instead. Having all your most important business information visible on your homepage makes it easy for someone to reach you in those crucial 60 seconds:
- Phone number
- Email address
- Physical location (if applicable)
- Business hours
Many businesses also include a contact form to make reaching out even easier.
Quick Tip: Adding your contact information to your website’s header keeps it visible on every page a customer might land on, including your homepage.
[Related: How to Edit Business Hours on Google to Set Secondary Hours]
3. Your value proposition (who you are and what you do)
A visitor shouldn’t have to venture deep into your website to understand what your business is all about—and they won’t. This makes your value prop a must-have addition to your homepage.
When someone lands there, they should immediately understand:
- Who you are
- What you offer
- Why they should choose you
Keep it simple and clear with a strong headline and introductory section to keep visitors engaged, reduce confusion, and highlight why you’re the right choice for them.
[Related: 5 Smart Features Your Website Needs to Drive Revenue]
4. Real, high-quality photos
Users will form an opinion about a website in about 0.05 seconds. When you include authentic, high-quality photos, they help catch a visitor’s eye and build trust by showing them the real people behind your business.
Instead of just pulling in stock images you found online, consider using:
- Photos of your team
- Images of completed projects
- Pictures of your location or workspace
- Before-and-after shots of your work
Not only do real photos like these make your business feel more credible and approachable, but studies also show they drive 20% more engagement than stock photos.
[Related: 7 Tips: Take Better Before and After Pictures]
5. Video content
Along with authentic photos, video is another way to quickly catch a website visitor’s eye and keep them engaged with your homepage. Don’t just take our word for it: the research agrees, stating that including videos on a website can increase time spent on-page by 88%.
Short videos help potential customers:
- Learn more about your services
- See your work in action
- Meet your team
- Hear directly from satisfied customers
Even a simple 30-60 second introduction video on your homepage makes your business website feel more personal and trustworthy.
Quick Tip: Pair your introductory video with your value prop headline and copy for an even stronger impact on your homepage.
[Related: How to easily create how-to videos for your customers]
6. Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
After a potential customer has perused your homepage, what do you want them to do next? Move to another page? Give you a call? Your website needs to guide them toward the next step in their journey.
Strong calls to action (CTAs) encourage users to take action, like:
- “Request a quote”
- “Schedule an appointment”
- “Call now”
- “Get a free estimate”
You want your CTAs to be clear, visible, and repeated throughout your site, so customers always know exactly what to do next. Seven out of 10 small business websites don’t include a call to action, so ensuring yours does can put you ahead of the competition.
[Related: Digital Marketing 101 — Online Advertising Basics for Local Businesses]
7. Reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers
Online reviews play a major role in purchasing decisions these days—nearly everyone reads them before buying.
Which means that displaying reviews directly on your homepage can help customers reach a decision faster. They build credibility and show potential customers that others trust your business right from the jump.
You can include:
- A feed of Google reviews
- Written testimonials
- An overall star rating
- Customer success stories
Social proof like this reassures visitors that they’re in good hands with your business.
Quick Tip: Make sure you always get permission from customers to display their reviews and testimonials.
[Related: Struggling to Get Noticed Locally? Hibu One Makes Reviews Work for Your Business]
8. Simple, clean navigation
While your homepage is important, it’s not the entirety of your website, and it can’t include everything someone might be looking for. If a visitor can’t find what they need quickly, they’ll leave, and 88% of them will never return after a bad experience.
Which is why your site should have simple navigation that users understand. It typically includes pages like:
- Home
- About
- Services
- Reviews or testimonials
- Locations
- Contact
Clear navigation helps everyone who visits your site move through it seamlessly and confidently to find the information they need.
[Related: What makes Hibu Smart Sites smart?]
Let Hibu One handle your website creation for you
Building and maintaining a strong website with an effective homepage takes time and a little bit of know-how. The DIY route isn’t for everyone…especially when you’re already busy running your business.
That’s why we included website creation right within Hibu One, our all-in-one digital marketing platform. When you partner with us, our experts will create a professional, optimized website based on what we know works best for your industry. We make sure it stays up-to-date and works for you to turn visitors into paying customers.
Want to learn more about what Hibu One can do to help your local business grow? Request a Hibu One demo, or call 877-237-6120 for a no-cost consultation today.
