You have put work into your website. You want visitors to understand quickly where they are and what they can find. A logo often tells them only the company's name. A short, clear sentence alongside it can explain what you do and for whom.
In 2013, I wrote that every website should have a tagline beneath the logo. That was too absolute. People visit on different screens and often arrive directly on an article or service page. The exact position matters less than whether the page quickly makes its purpose clear.
A promise is different from an explanation
“We make dreams come true” may sound attractive, but I still do not know what service you offer. A line such as “Websites for small museums that want to show their collections online” tells me much more. That example is invented, but it shows the difference: a visitor can recognize themselves in it or decide they need to look elsewhere. Both outcomes are useful.
First write down what you offer, whom it is for, and which problem you help solve. You do not have to squeeze all of that into one slogan. Sometimes a short line under the company name works. Sometimes a straightforward heading above the first paragraph is better. Your main service pages can each have their own specific explanation.
Start with the reader's questions
Look at a page's first impression as if you did not know the company. Could someone find answers to these questions within a few seconds?
- What is this page about?
- Is this offer meant for someone like me?
- What can I see, request, or learn here?
If the copy is made up of broad words such as “innovation” and “solutions,” readers have to fill in the blanks themselves. Be specific first. You can still add personality and style. Clarity does not get in the way of having your own voice.
Check the whole journey
A tagline on the homepage can help, but a visitor may never see that page. Read the headings on your service pages, the title of an article, and the words next to a contact button as well. Do they fit the reason someone arrived there? A general line about your company should not be the only explanation.
Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to look at the page and tell you, in their own words, what you offer. Ask whom they think it is for. If their answer differs from what you intended, rewrite the copy and try again. This does not require a complicated method.
A good tagline need not be clever or funny. If visitors know after reading it whether they are in the right place, it has done its job.