Build for the first screen on a phone
Eighty per cent of new visitors to a small business site arrive on a phone. Most of them never scroll past the first screen. That makes the first screen the most valuable space on the entire site. Treat it as such. Write it last, not first. Test it on a real phone, not a desktop browser pretending to be one. The headline that works on a 27-inch monitor often disappears under the address bar on a phone.
The seven blocks of a small business home page
A home page that does its job is built from seven blocks, in this order. Most pages don't need anything else. Many pages can drop one or two of them. Almost no small business needs more.
1. The clarity block
On the first screen, in plain language: who you're for, what you do for them and what to do next. Three lines and a single button. "Reliable plumbing for landlords across north Bristol. Same-week appointments. Request a callback." That's the clarity block. It's the most important hundred words on the entire website.
2. The why-us block
Three short reasons a stranger should choose this business over the next three options on the list. Not adjectives. Specifics. "Same plumber every visit. Fixed prices for the ten most common jobs. Twelve years working with letting agents." The why-us block answers the quiet question every visitor has after the clarity block: "why you and not them."
3. The what-we-do block
A short list of the actual services or product collections, with a one-line description of each and a link through to the relevant page. This is the page's traffic-control job: it sends the right visitor to the right next page in one click. Avoid icons without words. Avoid vague labels like "solutions" or "packages." Use the words real customers use.
4. The proof block
Two or three short, real testimonials with the customer's name, role and, if possible, a small photograph. Or three real, named case studies if you have them. Or a row of recognisable customer logos if you have permission. Strangers don't believe a small business about itself. They believe other customers.
5. The how-it-works block
Three to five short steps describing what happens between the enquiry and the result. "You request a callback. We confirm a time within two working hours. We arrive in a marked van and give you a fixed price before starting work." The how-it-works block lowers the perceived risk of getting in touch. It's especially important for service businesses.
6. The about block (short)
Two or three sentences with the owner's name, a real photograph and a clear statement of who the business is for. Not the full about page; a teaser that earns the click through to it.
7. The repeat call to action
The same button as the clarity block, repeated at the bottom of the page. A visitor who has scrolled all the way through is the most likely to act. Don't make them scroll back to the top to do it.
- Headline names the customer and the outcome in plain language
- One short subline, no buzzwords
- One primary button with a verb ("Request a callback", "Book a 15-minute call", "Get a quote")
- One trust signal visible without scrolling (a recognisable customer name, a star rating or a trade body badge)
Three real first screens
Service business: the bookkeeper for tradespeople
Headline: "Monthly bookkeeping for trades businesses turning over £80k to £400k." Subline: "One bookkeeper, fixed monthly fee, your numbers ready by the 10th." Button: "Book a 15-minute call." Trust signal: "Trusted by 47 trades businesses across the south west." That's the entire first screen. Every word earns its place.
Local trade: the plumber for landlords
Headline: "Reliable plumbing for landlords across north Bristol." Subline: "Same-week appointments. Fixed prices on the ten most common jobs." Button: "Request a callback." Trust signal: "4.9 stars from 132 landlord reviews."
Online shop: the small homewares brand
Headline: "Honest homewares, made in small batches in Yorkshire." Subline: "Free UK delivery on orders over £40. Every piece guaranteed for two years." Button: "Shop the latest collection." Trust signal: a row of three real customer photographs from the brand's hashtag.
What not to put on the first screen
Five common mistakes. A stock photograph of generic happy people. A headline that could belong to any business in the sector. A header menu of seven links and no clear primary action. A pop-up that fires the moment the page loads. An autoplaying video that delays the page by two seconds and obscures the clarity block. Removing any of these five usually lifts enquiries within a week.
What to do this week
Write the first screen of your home page in plain text in a notebook before touching the website. Three lines and a button. Read it to a person who's never used your business and ask them, in their own words, what the business does and who it's for. Rewrite until they get it right in ten seconds. Then publish it.
Make the offer clear: nowhere on the entire website is the principle more important than on the first screen of the home page. The previous chapter chose the page list. The next chapter, Writing pages people actually read, sharpens the words on every other page on the site.
