5 homepage copywriting mistakes that cost small businesses thousands

No one knows how to make your site sing and dance like a website copywriter does. Here’s my top tips for what’s holding you back – and some quick wins to help fix it.

Ever been into a crappy shop and walked straight back out again?

If you did, I’m betting it wasn’t part of a large chain (Matalan ‘clothes on floor’ tropes be damned!).

The crummy ones are typically non-chain, manager-owned stores. While they may be excellent in their chosen niche – be it pet supplies or garden furniture – there’s a high chance they have neither the cash nor the experience to turn their shop into something that would rival an established brand.

The same is true of websites.

While there are exceptions to every rule, the websites that tend to make the biggest mistakes are usually small business sites. I’d say once you get past 20 employees, things tend to improve as there’s clearly money floating around – and probably a marketing department.

So this post is not for them. It’s for the little guys. My aim is to give smaller businesses a chance to improve their own websites with relatively little effort.

I've been planning out websites and working as a website copywriter for years, so I'm probably in a better place to share some tips than Whistling Willie, the occasional flute player in the local pub (although his website is pretty awesome. Don't look it up).

Just saying.

Why your homepage is costing you money

When a customer arrives at a website for the first time, they want to see three things really quickly – like, within five seconds:

1 A very clear explanation of what you do.

2 An indication of how this will help them personally.

3 Some kind of trust signals that indicate the site is legitimate.

These three things help create a positive experience – and boost the likelihood of a conversion.

The flipside? It's these horrors, which visitors most definitely do not want to see:

1 Terrible design and/or fonts reminiscent of the Argos website circa 1997.

2 Incredibly slow loading times.

3 Bad reviews.

The truth is that many visitors will leave within about 8 seconds on average – even if your site is great.

But far fewer will leave if your homepage really nails it.

Let’s dive into the five biggest shitshows that make people head for the exit.

Website copywriting mistake 1: Your homepage doesn’t clearly state what you do

I land on websites every day and can’t quite figure out what they do.

Homepages with a hero section that says something like: "Transform your business with intelligent solutions."

That could mean anything. Software? Consulting? Robot employees?

Your homepage's first job is to deliver a crystal clear message – your visitor shouldn't have to guess what you do! They shouldn't need to dig through your navigation menu or scroll three pages to understand your basic offering.

Try this:

Replace vague headline claims with specifics.

Instead of "Intelligent solutions," try "Visitor management software that gives your reception team 6 hours back every week."

Your hero headline at the top is there to let the customer know you can solve their very specific problem. And trust me, no one has ever woken up thinking, “I wish I had some intelligent solutions that would lead to business transformation.” Ever.

Write it down. Cross it out. Try again. Then show it to some people and say, “Do you understand what this business does?”

Website copywriting mistake 2: You're wanging on about yourself instead of your visitor’s problem

Here's something I see a lot: homepages that open with the company's story.

Or homepages at pains to tell you from the get-go that this company is the real deal and is basically better than Apple.

We get it, you're great. But you know – time and place, amigo.

Your visitor arrived because they have a problem. They're not interested in your founder’s lightbulb moment just yet – they want to know if you can solve whatever crap they’re dealing with right now.

It’s such an easy trap to fall into, because it can feel soooo right to start with “Here's who we are" and not "Here's what's broken for you."

But it isn’t.

Try this:

Start with their pain point, not your resume. "Save 8+ hours a week on manual visitor check-ins" beats "We're industry leaders in visitor management" every time.

But what about your impeccable credentials? Sure – let’s have them. But only after you've proven you understand their problem and know how to fix it.

Website copywriting mistake 3: Your CTA is vague (or invisible)

I’m stunned that in 2025 some businesses think a single ‘contact’ in a burger menu is enough.

Your CTA should invite readers to take the next step. These people have arrived at your website because you’ve paid for an ad or spent a fortune on SEO. What do you want them to do?!

Most small business owners don't even realise their CTA is weak because they're so used to their own site that they skip past it. But your visitor has only just stumbled into your domain!

They're reading all this for the very first time!

Try this:

Make your CTA specific and outcome-focused. "Schedule a free consultation" is usually better than "Get started." "See how it works" is usually better than "Learn more." "Start your free trial" is always better than "Sign up."

Your visitor should know exactly what happens after they click – and the ‘prize’ for doing so should be sufficiently enticing to make them want to actually do it.

Website copywriting mistake 4: No social proof (or a single three-star review from Derek in Scunthorpe)

Trust online is everything, and social proof is how you build it.

Small businesses often skip this, or think a line stating “Serving hundreds of customers for 15 years” will cut it.

Nah.

Social proof means logos of companies you’ve worked with; genuine Google or TrustPilot reviews; actual testimonials from people who took the time to say something nice about you.

Tip: try to get your social proof in early – just under the hero header and intro text. It can do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Try this:

Use real, specific social proof. A one-line testimonial from a well-known company is worth its weight in gold.

To make the most of it, consider linking your testimonials to case studies showing actual results. Imagine how impressed a visitor would be if they see:

• A brand name they recognise>>

• A glowing endorsement with a quantifiable result>>

• A photo of the person leaving the review>>

• A link to a solid customer case study that clearly shows how you helped this client.

It can be a good idea to pop in some additional social proof (a quote, for example) wherever your visitor might be having second thoughts about buying – such as your contact page (if you offer a service), or a product page for everything else.

It’s like someone standing at the till booming, “Hey, these guys really are great!” to everyone in the shop.

Website copywriting mistake 5: Your homepage tries to do everything (and ends up doing nothing)

This is so easily done – especially if your site has been around for a long time. In fact, I may even be guilty of this one myself (I am, for the record, redesigning my site as we speak. Ahem).

Some basics: if we’re talking about a landing page people have arrived at after clicking on an ad, the consensus is to stick to a single CTA.

You don’t have to hold fast to this rule for a homepage – but still. Be strategic. Homepages have more flexibility, but a wild blend of "Book a consultation!", "Download our guide!", "Join our community!", "Watch our video!", "Read our blog!", "Check out our case studies!", "Sign up for our newsletter!" and more can be overwhelming.

I can definitely see the appeal of offering a visitor lots of choices – after all, you want them to merrily wander around your site and get a feel for you.

But, in most cases, it’s better not to do this. Pick no more than 3 or 4 things you WANT them to do, and stick with those.

And prioritise the most important one.

Try this: 

Decide what you want your visitor to do. Just one thing. Then structure your homepage around making that action obvious and irresistible.

For most B2B companies, that would be a consultation or a demo. E-commerce? Head to a product page or browse a collection. For an SaaS firm, it's probably a free trial.

Once you know your primary goal, every other element – headline, subheading, images, social proof – should that one action.

Example:

Header: Be measurably better at X

Intro: This solution will answer your problem

CTA: Book a free discovery call

Social proof: “I’m from a well-known company and this product helped us hit targets 20% quicker”

CTA2: Find out how we can help you, too

When all five homepage mistakes compound

The above mistakes rarely exist on their lonesome. And when they stack up, they multiply exponentially.

An unclear headline + a vague CTA + zero social proof adds up to a homepage that's not just underperfoming: it’s broken. Your visitor lands, feels confused, and leaves within seconds.

But you don't need to bejazzle your entire website. You don't have to hire an agency or spend thousands.

You just need to:

• Clarify what you do in your headline.

• Lead with your visitor's problem, not your credentials.

• Make your CTA specific and outcome-focused.

• Add genuine social proof (and in the right place).

• Decide on one primary goal.

• Work with a UK website copywriter – if you’re struggling. While most of my web copywriting gigs cost a couple of thousand, homepage quick-fixes are available, too. And they’re miles cheaper.

If you’d like to see all of the above summed up in a lovely PDF, my free homepage copywriting guide is just what you need!

Written by Mike Peake, UK freelance website copywriter and website content writer.

E: hello@bymikepeake.com

T: +44 (0)208 133 4306

Need help with your web copy? Get in touch for a friendly chat or a free quote. And head here if you're looking for my freelance copywriter reviews.