A homepage rewrite, before and after

Key takeaways

This homepage rewrite example follows an illustrative UK heating firm through a before-and-after rewrite of its hero, trust line, services, proof and call to action. It shows the pattern most rewrites follow: replace slogans with specifics, move proof up, rename services in buyers' words and give one clear action with what happens next.

• Hero: slogan replaced with service, area and speed.
• Trust line: review score and Gas Safe added under the hero.
• Services: renamed in buyers' words with one line each.
• Action: one button, with what happens next beside it.

What is the illustrative business?

This homepage rewrite example uses an illustrative business, not a client: a heating firm with six engineers covering Leeds and surrounding towns, offering boiler repairs, servicing and installations. Its homepage gets steady traffic, mostly people searching its name, but few enquiries. The design is fine; the words are the problem.

• Why your homepage is not converting visitors into customers
• Fix the words or the design? Where homepage problems sit

How does the hero change?

Before and after, with the reason.

• Before: 'Warmth you can rely on.' After: 'Boiler repairs, servicing and new boilers across Leeds.'
• Before: 'Welcome to our family business.' After: 'Most repairs same or next day. Fixed price before we start.'
• Before: buttons 'Our services' and 'Contact'. After: one button, 'Get a fixed quote'.

• Homepage hero section: the five parts that convert
• 'Welcome to our website': the wasted first line
• Tagline vs headline: what your homepage really needs

How do the proof and services change?

A trust line goes directly under the hero: '4.9 on Google from 212 reviews · Gas Safe registered · Fully insured'. The six icon tiles labelled 'Heating', 'Gas', 'Maintenance' and so on become three services in buyers' words: 'Boiler repairs', 'Annual servicing' and 'New boiler installation', each with one line and a link.

• The trust bar under your hero: what goes in it
• List your services on the homepage without overwhelm

How do the call to action and process change?

A three-step 'How it works' section is added: 'Tell us the problem (2 minutes)', 'Get a fixed price (usually same day)', 'Engineer arrives (often next day)'. The button repeats after it and at the end, with 'We reply within 2 working hours, 8am to 6pm' beside it.

• A 'how it works' section that removes the unknowns
• Microcopy: the small words beside your homepage buttons
• How often to repeat the call to action on a homepage

What stays the same?

The design, colours, photos of the team and the page structure stay. The URL, title tag and core service words remain, so search rankings are not put at risk. This is why a rewrite is quicker and cheaper than a redesign.

• Rewrite or redesign a homepage that does not convert

What does this look like in practice?

In real projects the pattern is similar: most of the change is in the first two screens, the services are renamed, proof moves up and the action becomes single and clear. We judge the result by clicks to the next step and enquiries over the following four to eight weeks, not by how the page looks.

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

Homepage rewrite checklist

• Replace slogan and welcome lines with specifics.
• Add a trust line under the hero.
• Rename services in buyers' words.
• Add three how-it-works steps with times.
• Use one button, repeated, with microcopy.
• Keep URL, title and core service words.

• Rewrite or redesign a homepage that does not convert
• Homepage conversion checklist: 20 checks

Next step

Write your own before-and-after table for the hero, trust line, services and button. Change those four things first.