The real problem: the wrong sender
On many SME websites the homepage opens with the company history, then the values, then a vision. From the company's point of view that makes sense: people are proud of what they have built. Visitors, however, arrive with other questions. Does this company solve my problem? Does the offer fit my situation? Can I trust them? And what should I do next?
The longer a visitor has to search for these answers, the more likely they are to leave and contact a competitor. A carefully designed website can still generate few enquiries if it is written from the wrong perspective. That is the core idea of a customer-centred website: rather than the company explaining itself, the site answers the target group's questions in the order in which they arise.
The biggest lever is often not more reach, but more impact on the visitors who are already there.
Company view versus customer view
| Typical company view | Visitor's question | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| In business for over 30 years | What is in it for me? | State the concrete benefit, with experience as supporting evidence |
| Our values and our vision | Can you solve my problem? | Show typical customer problems and solutions |
| Detailed company history | Am I in the right place? | Name the target group and service area clearly |
| Long list of every service | Which offer suits me? | Group offers by situation or customer type |
| Lots of information, no guidance | What should I do now? | Offer one clear next step per page |
The company history does not have to disappear. But it belongs on an About page, not in the spot where a new visitor decides within seconds whether to keep reading.
What a homepage has to do
- Say in one sentence whom the company helps, with which problem, and in which region.
- Name the main offers the way customers search for them, not by internal product names.
- Provide evidence of trust: real project examples, verifiable references, certificates or memberships relevant to the offer.
- Remove uncertainty: process, timeframe, pricing logic or at least the factors that drive the price.
- Offer a clear route to contact: phone number, short form, response time.
In Switzerland, language adds another layer. If you serve customers in several language regions, your key pages should not merely be translated but written for each region. A clumsy translation quickly suggests that the company does not really serve those customers.
Trust comes from evidence
Claims such as highest quality or personal service appear on almost every website and therefore convince hardly anyone. Verifiable details are more credible: full company details, an address, real photos of the team and the work, concrete examples showing the starting point and the result, and clear information on service area and availability.
Legal basics also build trust. A website that collects personal data through contact forms needs an understandable privacy notice under the revised Swiss Data Protection Act. For certain online offers, Swiss unfair competition law also requires clear information about the provider's identity. Have the specific requirements checked by a specialist, as they continue to evolve.
A quick test
Ask someone from your target group who does not know your company to look at the homepage for ten seconds. Can they then say what you offer, to whom, and how to contact you? If not, that is where to start.
How to approach the rework
A customer-centred website does not necessarily mean a complete rebuild. Often it is enough to reorganise and rewrite the most important pages.
- Collect the ten most common questions from sales conversations, phone calls and emails.
- Check which page answers each question today, and close the gaps.
- Start with the homepage, offer pages and contact page; they have the greatest effect.
- Test the website on a smartphone, where many first contacts take place.
- Measure not just visitor numbers but enquiries and their quality, and compare before and after.
A common mistake is to change nothing after the relaunch. Offers, questions and search habits evolve. Updating content regularly keeps the website relevant for visitors and search engines alike.