“Let’s include EVERYTHING on the homepage!“
If you’ve ever thought this, know that it’s the digital equivalent of trying to cram your entire life story into a 30-second elevator pitch — overwhelming, confusing, and ultimately ineffective.
I see this all the time with business owners who are so passionate about their work, that they want to showcase every service, every credential, and every achievement right on their homepage. The result? A cluttered mess that sends potential clients running for the back button.
I was talking with a potential client the other day who owned a consulting firm. She was eager to attract clients and wanted her website to reflect her extensive expertise. She put a lot of effort and energy into her website — specifically her homepage because she heard it’s the most important page of the entire site.
But it wasn’t working, and she couldn’t figure out why.
Her homepage was packed with information.
- It provided in-depth details about her services
- It highlighted her achievements
- It told her story
- It featured client success stories
- It had multiple options to contact her
It was crammed full of everything SHE wanted to communicate. No wonder she felt frustrated and reached out to see why she wasn’t seeing the number of leads she expected and how I could help fix the issue.
As a professional copywriter who maps out website strategies and writes website copy for all sorts of businesses, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint three big mistakes blocking her from a full lead pipeline.
Your Homepage Is Not a Dumping Ground
Let me be perfectly clear: Your home page isn’t a dumping ground for every little bit of information a website visitor might be interested in. Its job? To lead website visitors deeper into your website to continue learning.
Every detail matters to you because it’s your story, your experience, and your passion.
- You want to make certain that people know about everything that you offer and ensure that nothing is missed.
- You also want to showcase everything your business has to offer because you’re proud of your work, and you want potential clients to see your expertise.
It’s natural to think that more information will lead to more inquiries. But the reality is, too much information can overwhelm visitors and drive them away.
How an Overloaded Homepage Backfires
My client thought she was being helpful by throwing EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink onto her homepage. Her approach? Pile on information like she was preparing for a digital information apocalypse:
- Information Overload
She listed every single service, sub-service, and micro-service imaginable. Her homepage read like a 50-page encyclopedia of her consulting offerings. Spoiler alert: No one was reading that. - Too Many Call-to-Actions
Imagine walking into a store where every salesperson is simultaneously screaming at you to buy something different. That was her homepage. “Book a call!” “Download this!” “Subscribe here!” “Read my blog!” “Look at my certifications!” “Check out my awards”. Talk about decision fatigue. - Content Clutter
She crammed in blog post snippets, client testimonials, certifications, and probably her elementary school perfect-attendance award for good measure.
The result? A digital disaster that would make any user’s brain short-circuit.
Visitors didn’t get clarity — they got confusion. Instead of feeling drawn in, they felt overwhelmed. They didn’t book consultations. They didn’t download a resource. They did exactly one thing: hit the back button.
Moral of the story: Your homepage isn’t a dumping ground for every single thing you’ve ever done. It’s your digital first impression and you’ve got to make it count.
3 Signs Your Homepage Needs a Serious Declutter
Is your homepage too crowded? Look for these signs:
- Your bounce rate is through the roof
If analytics show people landing on your homepage and immediately leaving, that’s a huge red flag. They’re not finding what they need or they’re overwhelmed by what they see. Either way, you’re losing potential clients before the conversation even starts. - You can’t explain your homepage in one sentence
Look at your homepage and explain what it communicates in a single breath. If you find yourself saying “Well, it shows this, and that, and also mentions these things, and highlights our credentials, and…” — you’ve got a decluttering job ahead of you. - Visitors need to scroll endlessly to see everything
If your homepage feels like an infinite scroll of information, you’re asking too much of your visitors. Most people won’t scroll past what they initially see unless you’ve given them a compelling reason to do so.
The Lightbulb Moment
I helped my client realize that cramming too much into her homepage was pushing people away, and it just needed to explain what her business does and guide potential clients to one clear next step.
Simplicity and clarity is always better than overwhelming detail.
We worked together to create a clear, more focused homepage that is easier to navigate. Now, visitors quickly understand the purpose of her site and engage more with her content, and ideal clients understand what she offers and know what to do next.
The result? More inquiries and more paying clients.
How to Create a Homepage That Actually Works
People are busy and impatient online. They scan, they don’t read. They need to know within seconds if your website has what they’re looking for.
Think of your homepage as a welcome sign, not an encyclopedia. It points people in the right direction, not telling them everything at once.
Here are 5 simple ways to make your homepage work better:
1. Write a headline that grabs attention
Keep your headline simple and clear. Tell people exactly what you do, who you do it for, and how it helps them. Don’t get fancy or clever — get to the point. You’ve got about 3 seconds before someone decides to stay or leave. Make those seconds count.
2. Put the important stuff at the top
Use the space people see first (without scrolling) to answer the questions visitors have in their minds: “Is this what I’m looking for?” and “Can they help me?”. Skip the fluffy welcome messages and generic stock photos. Instead, show what makes your business different from competitors right at the top.
3. Organize your content from most to least important
Think of your homepage like a newspaper — the big headlines and important stories go at the top, with less critical details below. Guide people from the broad “here’s what we do” at the top to more specific information as they scroll down.
4. Be smart about your buttons and links
Every page should tell visitors what to do next. Want them to call you? Book a consultation? Sign up for something? Make it obvious. One clear button works better than five competing options. If you need multiple buttons, make the most important one stand out.
5. Focus on solving your visitor’s problem
Think about why someone is on your website in the first place. What are they trying to figure out or fix? Make it crystal clear that you understand their problem and have the solution they need. Speak directly to their needs, not just about how great your business is.
Remember, Less Is More on Your Homepage
Follow these tips and your homepage will start turning visitors into leads. You’ll stop overwhelming people with your life story and start guiding them to what they (and you) actually want — conversions.
Your homepage isn’t the place to word-vomit everything you’ve ever done. It’s the appetizer, not the seven-course meal. Keep it simple, make it clear, and for the love of all things digital, tell people what to do next!
Still have a homepage that looks like it was designed by a committee with conflicting goals? Let’s talk about how we can fix that mess and make your website work harder, so you don’t have to.
