The test every homepage has to pass
In the first five seconds, a visitor decides whether this site is for them — before they've read a single sentence closely. If that decision isn't made for them clearly, they leave, and no amount of content further down the page gets a chance to change their mind.
What visitors are actually scanning for
In those five seconds, people are looking for three things, in this order:
- What is this, in plain language
- Is it for someone like me
- What do I do next
How to pass the test
Put the answer to all three in the hero, above the fold, in language a stranger would understand without context. If you can't explain what you do in one sentence up there, neither can your visitor.
