In all my years helping clients create websites, I’ve noticed a common theme: Most business owners want to put all the things on their website – especially the homepage. 

I get it. You want to be helpful and informative. You’re passionate about your business. You could talk about it all day. Surely potential customers want to know everything! 

Here’s the hard truth: No one loves your business quite like you do. And in your efforts to be uber-informative, you’re overwhelming potential customers and clients. 

Sorry! I hate being the bearer of bad news. But I know business owners don’t want to waste time, money and energy on marketing that doesn’t work. So, I’m giving it to you straight! 

Your Job is to Tell People How You Can Solve their Problem

Why don’t customers want to know all the things? They’re busy. They’re distracted. They’re bombarded with hundreds (and even thousands) of marketing messages each day. That means you need to get straight to the point. 

Your potential customers and clients are looking to your business in hopes you can solve a problem. 

🔎 The toilet’s backed up. Time to Google “plumber near me.” 

🔎 The doctor told you it’s time to lose a few pounds. Start searching for gyms, fitness centers and personal trainers. 

🔎 Struggling to keep your business finances in order? You go on the hunt for a small business bookkeeper. 

In each of these situations, people are looking for a solution to their problem. That means your website, digital ad or direct mail piece needs to explain how you can solve that problem and how the customer’s life will be better on the other side. And, then give them a way to buy from you (call to action). 

Yep, it’s that simple. 

Plumber, lean into the fact that not only can you fix the toilet but you offer same-day or 24-hour service. 

Fitness center, share how simple it is to get started with an exercise class – the perfect way to alleviate concerns of a workout newbie. 

And the business bookkeeper? Let your potential clients know you can keep their Quickbooks neat and tidy, saving them tons of time trying to do it themselves. 

Notice I never mentioned that the plumber should talk about the various tools they use (who cares?). The fitness center shouldn’t talk about how much weight someone might lift (too intimidating!). The bookkeeper doesn’t need to brag about all the different Quickbooks features they can use (again, who cares?). 

As a consumer, what’s my No. 1 question? Can you solve my problem? 

That’s what you need to explain on the homepage of your website. 

Overwhelmed People Are Going to Walk Away

Let’s look at an analogy: Think about the homepage of your business website as the front of a retail store. 

Carrie Client is walking through the shopping center and pauses in front of your store. She spots a dress in the display window. She does need a dress for her upcoming college reunion. [Guys, substitute dress with sport coat.] 

Carrie Client walks into the store and sees more dresses in the style she likes – cinched waist, pockets. She goes deeper into the store because she likes what she sees (these dresses can solve her problem). 

She tries on the dress and imagines how great she’ll look at the reunion (a picture of success!). She heads to the cash register ready to buy a dress (call to action). 

We have a sale! 

Now, what if Carrie Client paused in front of your store only to find it’s jam packed with dresses, jackets, pants and shirts. Shoes and handbags are wedged in every spare space. 

Wow, feels overwhelming. Carrie Client probably keeps walking. But, let’s assume she goes ahead and steps inside. She’s faced with a sea of clothing racks and tables overflowing with items. Think large, unorganized yard sale. Ugh. 

Carrie Client is busy. She’s on her lunch break shopping for a dress. There’s no way she has the time or energy to sort through this mess. 

She turns on her heel and walks out the door in search of a less overwhelming store.

Maybe that store had the dress of her dreams. The dress that would solve her problem. But she wasn’t willing to sort through all the clothing pieces to find it. 

That’s exactly what happens when you throw too much information at your potential customers. 

So, think about the homepage of your website as the front of a retail store. You want to draw people inside with just enough information that they realize you can solve their problem and make their life, business, family, health better. 

Think of Other Ways to Communicate Details about Your Business 

But, Holly, I really want to share more information! You can. Just don’t overload your homepage. 

Here are some ideas for how you can share additional information about your business without overwhelming potential customers. 

• Create a separate page to detail how your product or service works. Link to that page from your homepage. 
• Add more of your background or a quick list of accomplishments to a separate About Us page. 
• Go deep on your business in individual blog posts.
• Share information in other forms of media: videos, audio, infographics, charts. 
• Add a FAQs section or page to your site. 
• Turn additional content into white papers or a case study. 
• Parcel out additional information into a series of short emails. 
• Save some of the details for your discovery call or free consultation. If you’re a service business or selling a high-dollar item, you might just want people to take the step of booking a call with you. Then, you can give them more information and answer their questions. 

Think about the questions you hear from customers. Determine what they really want to know versus what you think they need to know. Boil it down to what’s clear, concise and compelling – that’s what should go on your homepage.

Plus, check out this video to see if your website can pass the “grunt test.”