Most homepages are pretty. A few are even clever. But way too many are slow, confusing, bloated, or (gasp) pointless.
Your homepage isn’t just a first impression. It’s your pitch deck. Your storefront. Your sales rep. And when it doesn’t immediately guide someone to the thing they care about most? They bounce.
That’s not dramatic. That’s data.
The Reality: Friction Kills Conversions
When we say “friction,” we mean anything that makes a user stop and think in the wrong way:
- Is this the right link?
- Where do I find the menu?
- What is this company even doing?
And while a confusing homepage is annoying for anyone, it murders revenue for your brand, especially when you’re operating without the bandwidth to constantly tweak or rework your site.
For QSR Brands:
Your digital experience should mirror the speed and simplicity of your service. Whether you’re using a platform like Toast or Square’s site builder, those drag and drop tools often fall short when it comes to performance and flexibility. A custom QSR website is the only way to give your brand the speed, control, and polish it deserves, especially when you’re juggling menus, promos, and mobile users across multiple locations.
For Startups:
You’ve got 8 seconds (on a good day) to convince a potential user, investor, or partner that your product matters. If your homepage is all fluff and no clarity, you’re not just losing traffic. You’re losing trust and wasting the efficiency gains that a well-built site should be delivering.
The Common Offenders We See Daily:
We don’t just design for aesthetics, we design for impact. At House of Giants, we look under the hood. We ask: Is this actually helping your user? Is it moving the business forward? Most agencies stop at “looks good.” We keep going until it works better. Because when your homepage confuses people, slows them down, or feels like a consultant designed fever dream, you’re not just missing clicks, you’re losing customers.
Here are a few things we see all too often:
- Too Many CTAs: Pick a priority. Nobody’s clicking six buttons.
- Overdesigned “above the fold”: It’s not a print magazine. Users known to scroll, which means “above the fold” on a website is irrelevant. Don’t pack the kitchen sink into your site’s hero.
- Unfriendly UX: Too many sites are designed to impress the client, not serve the user. Looks cool on a moodboard, but confusing in real life. If your customers have to think twice, they’re already gone.
- Slow Load Speeds: This is 2025. If it doesn’t feel instant, it feels broken.
- Disconnected Architecture: The homepage says “premium brand,” but the user journey says “templated chaos.”
The Fix: Strip It Down. Then Build With Purpose.
You don’t need more sections. You need the right ones, in the right order. Here’s what high performing homepages typically include:
- A Clear, Punchy Headline: What problem do you solve, and who’s it for? Say it quickly, and from your soul.
- One Primary CTA: Don’t make people choose their own adventure. Lead them to the next best action.
- Credibility Elements: Trust bar, review count, “as seen in,” whatever makes your audience feel safe trusting you.
- Mobile First: Your homepage should double as a mobile sales funnel.
Why “Free” Site Builders End Up Costing You
If you’re using a drag-and-drop builder like Toast or Square, chances are you’ve already felt the friction:
- Limited flexibility and zero customization
- Sluggish performance during peak hours
- A mobile experience that’s more meh than modern
- A UX that feels like it was designed for someone else’s business
Whether you’re a growing QSR brand juggling multiple locations or a startup scaling fast, these cookie cutter tools weren’t built with you in mind.
You need a custom QSR website or a startup ready platform that reflects how your business actually runs.
We build multi-location restaurant websites and scalable startup platforms that load fast, look sharp, and convert better. No templates. No limitations. Just web development that actually fits your business.
How We Help
At House of Giants, we design and develop websites that don’t just look great—they perform.
- For QSR brands, we build conversion-driven digital storefronts that make ordering feel effortless.
- For startups, we create homepages that clarify, convert, and scale with your product roadmap.
You don’t need another consultant throwing jargon at your team. You need a partner who understands how to design for growth, streamline operations, and protect your team’s bandwidth.
Ready to Ditch the Homepage Headaches?
If your homepage feels clunky, unclear, or like it was designed for someone else entirely—let’s talk. We’ll help you transform that digital front door into an experience that sells.