🔥 The 5-Second Test

Imagine this.

A buyer clicks your ad.

They land on your homepage.

They have 5 seconds before they decide to scroll, click, or leave.

That’s not a metaphor. That’s the literal average.

And in those 5 seconds, your homepage has 1 job:

To answer 3 questions.

– What does this company do?

– Who is it for?

– Why should I care?

Most homepages fail this test. They open with jargon. 

Or, a vague tagline that sounds inspiring but explains nothing.

Or worse, they talk about themselves before ever speaking to the customer.

And just like that watching this on HBO Max BTW and really like this season so far, the click you paid for becomes a bounce.

A missed opportunity.

A tiny leak in your funnel that keeps dripping revenue while nobody’s watching.

So…here’s your challenge:

Take a screenshot of your homepage. Just the above-the-fold section.

Show it to someone outside your company.

Give them 5 seconds.

Ask those 3 questions.

If they hesitate, squint, or start guessing…

You’ve got a clarity problem.

Not a design problem. Not a performance problem.

A clarity problem.

How to fix it fast:

Write like your buyer is skimming while juggling a coffee and deciding between you and your nemesis competitor brand. 

– Start with a headline that tells me exactly what you do. No poetry. No wordplay.

– Follow with a subheadline that explains your value. 1 sentence. Solve a problem. Make it about me, your customer.

– Use contrast, spacing, and visual flow to guide my eyes, not overwhelm them.

– Give me 1 clear CTA. Don’t make me choose. When I say CTA, I mean this type:

Great design isn’t decoration. It’s direction.

Great copy isn’t clever. It’s clear.

The ad gets attention. But the homepage has the opportunity to set the stage for every buyer that lands. 

It’s where someone decides if your brand is worth their time. 

Make the experience clear, fast, and impossible to ignore.

MEME OF THE WEEK