How to write a homepage headline that names the reader and the outcome
A homepage headline has one job: tell the right visitor, in a glance, that they're in the right place. Name what you do or the outcome you deliver, and for whom or where, in plain words. Write ten versions, pick the clearest, and test it on someone who doesn't know your business by showing them the page for five seconds.
What the headline has to carry
Visitors arrive from a search, a map listing, a social post or a friend's message, often on a phone and in a hurry. Before they read anything else, they need answers to three questions: what is this, is it for me, and can I get it here? The headline answers the first and usually the second; the line beneath it and the main button answer the rest. A headline that tries to be memorable before it's clear fails all three.
Five patterns that work
| Pattern | Example | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| What you do, where | Boiler repairs and servicing across north Leeds | Local services |
| Outcome for a named reader | Bookkeeping that keeps sole traders ready for tax day | Professional services |
| The thing itself, described | Small-batch coffee, roasted on Tuesdays, posted on Wednesdays | Makers and shops |
| The problem, solved | Your dog walked at lunchtime while you're at work | Everyday services |
| What happens when they act | Book a sports massage in the next 48 hours | Booking-led businesses |
Notice what they share: concrete nouns, a real place or reader, and no metaphors to decode. Each would look wrong on a competitor's site in a different town or trade, which is a good sign it's specific enough.
Write it in five steps
- Write down the one action the home page exists for: book, call, enquire, buy, visit.
- List your facts: what you sell, who buys it, where, and the one or two things customers say they chose you for.
- Write ten headlines, two in each pattern above. Don't edit as you go.
- Cut to three by deleting any that need the logo or a picture to make sense, any with words a customer wouldn't use, and any longer than about twelve words.
- Pair each finalist with a supporting line of one sentence that adds the next most useful fact: price range, hours, area, speed, a credential.
Run a five-second test
A five-second test is simple: show someone the top of the page for five seconds, hide it, and ask what the business does and who it's for. Use people who don't know you, ideally customers or people like them, and test on a phone screen because that's where most will see it.
- If they can say what you do and roughly where, the headline works.
- If they describe the photo, the headline isn't doing its job; it's being out-competed by the image.
- If they give the wrong trade, your wording is too abstract.
- Test three versions on three people each rather than one version on nine. You're looking for the clearest, not a statistic.
Headlines on an Anticode site
Anticode drafts the headline from your request, so the facts you give decide how specific it can be. Its Critic checks headlines against two common habits of AI-written pages: the "X, not Y" formula and headlines made of two clipped fragments, and a single word recoloured or italicised for emphasis. The design gate blocks publishing pages that contain stock AI phrases. Those catch the clichés; they can't tell you whether the headline is clear to your customers, which is what the five-second test is for.
To change it, edit the text in place in the visual editor, or ask for a new one in a sentence with the facts you want included. The visual editor also sets the headline scale, which is worth reducing if a longer, clearer headline wraps onto too many lines on a phone. The homepage layout guide covers what sits around the headline, and the call to action guide covers the button beneath it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Your business name as the headline. It's already in the header; the headline should explain it.
- Welcome messages. "Welcome to our website" spends the most valuable line on nothing.
- Puns that need explaining. They work on a shopfront people already stand in front of, rarely on a search visitor.
- A list of everything. "Plumbing, heating, gas, electrics, bathrooms, kitchens" reads as a directory. Lead with the main thing and list the rest below.
Questions people ask
How long should a homepage headline be?
Usually six to twelve words. Shorter is fine if it's still clear; longer often means two ideas that belong in the headline and the line beneath it.
Should the headline be clever or clear?
Clear first. A clever line can work as a supporting sentence once the visitor already knows what you do.
Should I put my location in the headline?
If you serve a local area, yes. It tells visitors and search engines straight away that you cover them.