The problem section: show visitors you understand

Key takeaways

A problem section on a homepage describes what buyers are dealing with now, in their own words, before you present your answer. It tells visitors you understand their situation. Keep it to three or so concrete symptoms, avoid frightening people and move on quickly, so the page feels like help and not a lecture.

• Use the buyer's words, taken from real enquiries.
• Describe symptoms they would recognise.
• Keep it to about three points.
• Move straight to how you solve it.

What does a homepage problem section do?

A homepage problem section creates recognition. When visitors read their own situation described accurately, they trust that you understand it, which makes your solution easier to believe. It works especially well when buyers are not sure what they need, because they can recognise the symptoms long before they know the right service name.

• How to create a high-converting homepage for an SME
• Use your customers' own words on your homepage
• Is your homepage about you or your customer?

How do you write it?

Take phrases from enquiries and describe the situation as customers experience it. Use short, concrete statements, not abstract ones. 'You are chasing invoices at 9pm' is stronger than 'Inefficient accounts receivable'. Three such lines are usually enough, then a bridge sentence that leads into your offer.

• Weak: 'Poor operational efficiency.'
• Strong: 'Your best engineer spends Friday afternoons on paperwork.'
• Weak: 'Website underperformance.'
• Strong: 'People visit your site, then call your competitor.'

• Research your buyers before you draft a homepage
• Finding customer journey pain points, on and off your website

Where should the problem section go?

It normally sits directly after the hero, before you list services. The hero says what you do, and the problem section confirms the visitor is in the right place. On pages where people arrive already knowing what they want, such as a local emergency service, it can be shortened or removed.

• Which homepage sections can you leave out?
• A plumber's homepage built for urgent calls

How far should you push the fear?

Not far. Naming a real problem helps, but heavy fear tactics feel manipulative and can create regulatory issues in sectors such as health and finance. The CMA has warned about pressure and misleading practices online. Aim for 'that sounds like us' rather than alarm, and state the risks accurately.

• Dark patterns: conversion tricks that break UK law

When should you skip it?

Skip it when the need is obvious and the visitor only wants a provider, such as restaurants, shops and simple repeat purchases. A person searching for a Sunday lunch does not need their hunger explained. In these cases, lead with the offer, the proof and how to book.

• A restaurant homepage that fills tables
• An online shop homepage that moves shoppers to products

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with service firms: the page jumps straight to a list of capabilities, and buyers who cannot name their need never see themselves in it. Adding a few lines that describe a bad week in the buyer's own terms often does more than another paragraph on the firm's expertise.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Homepage problem section checklist

• Collect phrases from enquiries.
• Write three concrete symptoms.
• Avoid abstract business language.
• Keep the tone calm and accurate.
• Add a bridge into your offer.
• Skip it if the need is obvious.

• The last section of a homepage: how to close the page
• Choose between two homepage headlines without an A/B test

Next step

Find three sentences from recent enquiries in which customers describe their problem. Put them on your homepage, almost unchanged, and see how much more it sounds like them.