A home page tells a visitor, in its first heading and sentence, what the business does, for whom and where. Most visitors decide from that whether to read on, so the rest of the page backs it up and shows them how to buy, book or get in touch.

What should the first heading say?

What you do, in the words a customer would use to look for it. "Wedding cakes in Bristol, made to order" tells a visitor and a search engine more than "Welcome" or "Baking with passion". The sentence under it adds the detail that sets you apart: who you are, how long you have done it, or what you do that others nearby do not.

What else belongs on a home page?

Four things, in roughly this order:

• What you offer, with prices where you can give them. A price, even "from £40", answers the question most visitors came with.
• Proof: photographs of your own work, premises or products, and what customers have said, with their names if they agree.
• How to buy, book or get in touch, with one button for the main thing you want visitors to do.
• For a business people visit: the address, a map and the opening hours.

How long should it be?

Long enough to answer what a new customer asks before buying, and no longer. Detail beyond that goes on its own page, such as a page for each service, linked from the home page.

What should I leave off?

Claims a visitor cannot check, such as "the best in town" or "unbeatable quality"; stock photographs of people who do not work for you; and anything out of date, such as last year's events or a closed branch. Each one costs the page some of the visitor's trust.

How do I write it in plain words?

Write the way you would explain the business to a customer on the phone: short sentences, the names customers use for things, and "you" and "we". Read it aloud; a sentence you stumble on needs splitting.

How does it work on miow?

miow can write the first draft from a description of the business, which you then change by typing on the page; see Build a site from a description. Prices go in product and service blocks, opening hours and the map in a locations block, and quotes from customers in a testimonial block; Add a block lists them all.