Clear headline: what you do in plain language
One sentence anyone can understand in 3 seconds.
Homepage Essentials
Homepage Checklist
Check the essentials your homepage needs before you publish. Work through 44 practical checks covering clarity, trust, conversion, accessibility, SEO and measurement.
01
First 5 Seconds (Above the Fold)
Sub-headline: who it's for and outcome
State your ideal customer and the result you deliver.
One primary CTA visible without scrolling
Contact, Book, or Buy button in the hero area.
Supporting hero image or video
Real people, product, or work — not generic stock.
Logo linked to home, consistent branding
Logo clicks to homepage, colours and fonts match everywhere.
02
Navigation & UX
5–7 navigation items maximum, with plain labels
Keep the menu short: Home, Services, About, Work, Contact, etc.
Sticky header on scroll
The header stays visible as people move down the page.
Mobile menu works and is thumb-friendly
Use 44px or larger tap targets and a menu that opens cleanly.
Contact or phone option in the header
Keep the phone number or key CTA visible at the top.
Fast load: under 2.5 seconds on mobile
Test with PageSpeed Insights and compress images.
No pop-ups blocking content on first visit
Avoid instant newsletter or chat pop-ups.
03
Trust & Credibility
Two or three customer testimonials
Use a full name, suburb and real outcome — not just initials.
Trust signals: ABN, experience and Google reviews
Show your ABN, years in business, memberships and star rating where relevant.
Real contact details, not just a form
Include an address, phone and email in the footer and contact page where appropriate.
About snippet with a real photo
Add a short founder or team introduction with an authentic photo.
Media or client logos, if applicable
Only use logos you have permission to display.
04
Content & Copy
Benefits, not just features
Translate what you do into what the customer gets.
Scannable headings, bullets and short paragraphs
Avoid walls of text; keep paragraphs to two or three lines where possible.
No jargon or AI filler
Write as you would speak to a customer.
One goal per section
Give each section a single job and next step.
Current copyright year
The footer should show the current year, not an outdated one.
05
Conversion
Primary CTA repeated two or three times
Repeat the same button label in the middle and near the bottom.
A secondary CTA for visitors not ready to buy
Offer a lower-commitment option such as Learn more or View work.
Contact form has only three or four fields
Name, phone or email, and message are usually enough.
Click-to-call works on mobile
Phone numbers should open the phone app when tapped.
No dead ends
Each section leads to a relevant link, button or next step.
06
Design & Accessibility
Contrast of at least 4.5:1 and fonts 16px or larger
Use clearly readable text and avoid pale grey on white.
Useful alt text on images
Describe each meaningful image's purpose for screen readers.
Keyboard navigation and visible focus states
Tab through the page and confirm every control is reachable and clearly outlined.
No auto-playing video with sound
Videos should be muted by default or click-to-play.
Consistent spacing and alignment
Use the same spacing, grid and heading sizes throughout.
07
SEO Essentials
Title tag under 60 characters with keyword and location
Example: Plumber Adelaide | Same Day Service | ABC Plumbing.
Compelling meta description under 155 characters
Use an active, benefit-led summary with a call to action.
One H1, followed by H2s and H3s in order
Use a logical heading hierarchy without skipping levels.
Compressed images with descriptive filenames
Use adelaide-kitchen-renovation.jpg rather than IMG_1234.jpg.
HTTPS active and sitemap submitted
Confirm the padlock appears and the sitemap is in Search Console.
08
Legal — Australia
Privacy Policy, Terms and ABN in the footer
Link to the relevant legal pages and show a valid ABN.
Cookie consent when analytics or advertising requires it
Use a clear notice for tracking technologies where required.
No misleading claims
Don't promise '#1' status or guarantees you cannot prove.
Copyright and disclaimer where needed
Show the current year and add a disclaimer when the content requires one.
09
Analytics & Tracking
Google Analytics 4 or similar is installed
Confirm a current visit appears in the real-time view.
Conversion goals are set
Track enquiries, phone clicks and CTA clicks as events.
Helpful 404 page with a home link or search
Give lost visitors a friendly way back to useful content.
Favicon and social sharing image are set
Check the browser tab and how the link looks when shared.