Homepage layout: order the sections by the questions visitors ask
A good homepage layout answers the questions a new visitor has, in the order they have them: what is this, is it for me, what does it cost, can I trust it, how do I start. Each section should answer one of those. Sections that answer none of them are the ones to cut.
Think in questions, not sections
Templates arrive with a fixed stack: hero, features, testimonials, pricing, FAQ, footer. That stack exists because it fits the average software product, not because it fits a dentist, a bakery or a wedding photographer. Start instead from what someone arriving on your homepage wants to know, write those questions down in order, and give each one a section. The order of sections then follows the order of doubts.
A sequence that suits most small businesses
| Visitor question | Section that answers it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| What is this, and is it for me? | Hero | Name, one specific line, the main action, one concrete fact |
| What exactly do you offer? | Services, menu or products | Real items with prices, durations or sizes |
| What does it cost? | Prices, inline or a pricing section | Inline prices often make a separate section unnecessary |
| Can I trust you? | Reviews, work, credentials | Real names and specifics only |
| Who are you? | A short about block | A face and two or three sentences; the full story can go on an About page |
| What about my specific worry? | FAQ | Cancellation, parking, allergies, turnaround times |
| How do I start? | Booking, contact or order section | Repeat the main action, with the form or calendar itself |
| Where and when? | Footer | Address, hours, phone, email, legal links |
Not every business needs every row. A plumber's homepage might be hero, services with call-out prices, area covered, reviews and a contact form. A photographer's might be hero, work, about, packages and an enquiry form. The point is that each section is there to answer something.
Sections that rarely earn their place
- “Why choose us” with three icons. Usually restates the hero in adjectives. Replace it with the actual offer.
- Statistics with no source. “500+ happy clients” invites doubt unless it's true and checkable. Specific, verifiable facts work better.
- A logo wall of clients you can't name. If you can't get permission, leave it out.
- A newsletter block on a site with no newsletter plan. A form you never use collects addresses you'll never write to.
- A long team grid for a three-person business. One photo and a sentence each, or fold it into the about block.
- A second hero halfway down. Big headline, background image, another button. It breaks the flow of answers.
Homepage design best practices for order and length
- Put the offer high. On most small business sites the services or menu should be the second section, directly under the hero.
- Repeat the main action at natural decision points, after the offer and at the end, rather than in every section.
- Keep the homepage a summary. If a section grows long (a full menu, a whole portfolio, a detailed FAQ), give it its own page and keep a short version with a link.
- Make section titles specific. “Cuts and prices” beats “Services”; “What clients say” is fine, a quote with a name is better.
- Let length follow content. There's no ideal number of sections. Five well-chosen ones beat ten generic ones, and a single long page is fine if every part answers something.
Accessibility and structure
Each section should start with a real h2, in the order shown, so screen reader users can jump between them. Landmarks help too: header, nav, main and footer let assistive technology skip straight to content. If you reorder sections, the HTML order should change with them, not only their visual position.
Planning and reordering in Anticode
In Anticode, the Architect talks the request through before anything is built. It asks up to three questions where the answer changes the build and then shows a short plan with the site's name, kind, sections, look and features. That's the moment to check the order against the questions above: if the plan has a section that answers nothing, or misses your prices, say so before pressing Build it.
After the build, sections can be reordered by dragging them or with up and down buttons in the visual editor, and the HTML order changes with them. If a homepage gets crowded, ask for separate pages: Anticode supports Work, Shop, Services, About, Pricing, FAQ, Book and Contact pages, with the homepage keeping a summary. The multi-page website page explains when that's worth doing.
Questions people ask
What should go on a homepage?
What you offer, for whom, what it costs, why someone should trust you and how to get started, plus the practical facts in the footer. Anything that answers none of those can go.
How long should a homepage be?
As long as it takes to answer the main questions. Many small business homepages work well with five to seven sections; more is fine if each one is useful.
Should prices go on the homepage?
For most service businesses, yes, at least as starting prices. Visitors who can't find a price often leave rather than ask.