Visitors do not read a homepage; they scan it for answers. If the answers are missing or out of order, they leave — not because the business is wrong for them, but because it was too much work to find out.
The five questions
Check your homepage against these, in this order:
- Am I in the right place? — A headline that names the audience or the problem they recognise.
- What exactly do you do? — One plain sentence, no metaphors.
- Why should I believe you? — Evidence near the top, not buried in a footer.
- What does working with you look like? — Two to four steps or offers, each with a clear scope.
- What should I do now? — One primary next step, repeated, not five competing buttons.
Common gaps
The most frequent gap is question three. Many homepages make a promise and then jump straight to a contact form. Even one specific example, a short description of your process or a list of what is included can bridge that gap.
The second most frequent gap is question five. When every section ends with a different call to action, nobody knows which one matters. Decide the main next step and let everything else support it.
How to test it in ten minutes
Show the homepage to someone outside your industry for ten seconds, then hide it. Ask them to answer the five questions. Wherever they hesitate, your page is hesitating too.
