You need the question because you can't choose who turns up.
"...you don't have all that much control over who's coming to your website." Andrew Yedlin, conversion copywriter, writing for Copyhackers
Who turns up on your homepage
An ad can be aimed at one kind of person. Your homepage gets everyone. On a normal day, that means:
- Someone who heard your name and has no idea what you do.
- Someone using a rival app or a spreadsheet, wondering if switching is worth the trouble.
- Someone who's already sold and only wants the price.
- Someone doing homework for their boss.
- Someone who isn't here to buy, like a customer looking for the login or a person after a job.
Each of them needs something different. They also won't wait. People often leave a web page within 10 to 20 seconds, according to usability researcher Jakob Nielsen.
So one page has only seconds to help five different people. The simple way to do that is to let each person pick their own road.
The question and the buttons
Put this right under your headline and the line that explains it:
What brought you here today?
| Button | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| I'm new. What does this do? | A short video or page that shows the product working |
| I'm comparing it with what I use now | A page on why people switch to you, and why some don't |
| What does it cost? | Your pricing page |
| I'm ready to try it | Your sign-up page |
Four rules keep it working:
- Use the words your buyers use. "See how it works" tells people more than "Explore the platform."
- Send every button somewhere different. If two buttons lead to the same page, make them one button.
- Stop at four. A fifth button makes people stop and think, and they came here to avoid that.
- Leave out your customers. They already look for the login link in the top corner.
Pick the question that fits your product
"What brought you here today?" is the safe choice. A different question can work better if your buyers split in a clear way.
| If this is true | Ask this | Example buttons |
|---|---|---|
| People use it for very different jobs | What do you want to get done? | Chase late invoices, Send quotes faster, Get ready for tax time |
| You sell to one person and to big teams | Who is this for? | Just me, A small team, A big company |
| Most buyers are leaving something else | What do you use now? | A spreadsheet, Another app, Nothing yet |
Here's how to choose. For each answer, ask what you would show that person. If two answers would get the same page, it's the wrong question.
Say what you do first
Nobody can answer a question about a product they don't understand. If your headline says "Work, reimagined," your buttons will get a shrug.
The top of the page has to say what the product is and who it's for. "Invoicing for freelancers who hate chasing late payments" does both. Show that line to a friend for five seconds, then take it away. If they can't tell you what you sell, fix the line before you add any buttons.
The rest of your homepage answers the questions visitors already have. Build it in this order:
- The top. What is this? Is it for me? Your own question goes here too.
- Proof. Does anyone real use this? Show customer logos and short quotes from real customers.
- The problem. Do you get what my day is like? Describe the mess they're in now, in their words.
- What it does. What will I be able to do? Pick the three main things and show real screens.
- How it works. How hard is this to set up? Three short steps are plenty.
- Worries. Will it work with my other tools? Can I cancel? Answer the ones you hear most.
- One last button. What do I do now? Repeat your main button at the bottom of the page.
How the big names ask
Big software companies ask this too. They just do it quietly. Here's what three of them were doing in November 2026:
- HubSpot shows two buttons at the top. One gets you a demo of its premium software and the other starts you on its free tools. The hidden question is "how serious are you?"
- monday.com lets you pick your team from a row, such as Marketing, Sales or HR. The hidden question is "who are you?"
- Notion lists jobs under "See what Notion can do," such as automating weekly reports or dealing with support tickets. The hidden question is "what do you want to get done?"
They can be quiet about it because many visitors already know their names. A stranger on your site doesn't know you yet. You'll get more from asking out loud.
What to leave out
The gradient behind your headline took three weekends. Your visitor scrolled straight past it, looking for the pricing link.
Visitors came to get something. Don't charge them for it up front. On a first visit, leave these out:
- Email address. Ask for it after you've shown them something worth it.
- Phone number. It tells them a sales call is coming.
- Job title or company size. Ask only if the answer changes what they see next.
- Budget. Show your price, and they can work that one out alone.
- "How did you hear about us?" It's a good question, but it can wait until after sign-up.
The test for every question is the same: what will I do differently with the answer? If you can't say, cut it.
When a second question is fine
One more question can work after the first click. Someone who tapped "I'm comparing it" could see "What do you use now?" and then land on the page for that tool. That's a good job for your saas comparison pages.
Stop at two questions. Any more and it starts to feel like a form.
Put it up this afternoon
- Find the real reasons. Read your last 20 sign-ups, sales emails or support chats. Write down why each person came, in their words. If you don't have 20 yet, ask five people who could be customers.
- Write your buttons. Use the three or four reasons that came up most.
- Add them as plain links. You don't need a survey tool. Each button is a normal link styled to look like a button, so any site builder can do it.
- Make sure each page is ready. A button that leads to a weak page wastes the click. Look at pricing page examples from tools your buyers also consider, and show your price as plainly as they do.
- Count the clicks. In Google Analytics, go to Reports, then Engagement, then Pages and screens. See how many views each button's page gets before and after you add the buttons.
Your pricing page also gets clicks from your menu, so the count won't be perfect. That's fine. If one button is far ahead, you'll see it without exact numbers.
What the answers tell you
Give it two weeks, or longer if you don't get much traffic. Then look for the button that wins.
| Most people pick | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "What does this do?" | Your top line isn't clear, or many visitors have never heard of this kind of tool | Rewrite the line, then make the short video |
| "I'm comparing it" | People are shopping around before they pick | Say plainly who you're better for, and who you're not |
| "What does it cost?" | They're close to deciding and the price comes first | Put the price, or a "from" price, on the homepage |
| "I'm ready to try it," but few sign up | The trouble is your sign-up step | Sign up yourself on your phone and cut every extra step |
| No button gets much | The buttons don't match why people come, or the wrong people are coming | Ask five visitors what they expected to find |
From here it's plain conversion rate optimization: change one thing, then see what moves. If you pay for ads, send those people to a page built for that ad. They already know why they came. Track your landing page conversion rate on its own. That just means how many of them sign up.
When a button isn't enough
Buttons are great at sending people to the right page. They can't tell when someone is stuck, and they can't ask why. A visitor wondering "Is this overkill for a team of three?" may just leave.
That's the gap we built Possible for, so remember this is our own product talking. Possible is an AI built on real sales psychology. It asks each visitor the right question at the right moment, remembers what they say and guides them to a sign-up or booking. It's free to start, and you can read more about our AI sales assistant for SaaS. If you sell one simple product to one kind of buyer, four buttons may be all you need.
Questions about SaaS homepages
What should a SaaS homepage include?
It needs a clear line saying what the product is and who it's for, plus proof that real people use it. Then come the problem you solve, the three main things it does, how setup works and answers to common worries. Add one short question near the top so each visitor can find their own way.
What is a SaaS website?
It's the website of a company that sells software you use online. Its main job is to explain the software and get people to try it, buy it or book a demo.
What the heck is SaaS?
SaaS stands for "software as a service." You use the software through the internet and usually pay monthly or yearly. You don't buy it once and own it. Zoom and QuickBooks Online both work this way.
What are the top 10 SaaS websites?
There's no official top 10. Good ones to study are Notion, HubSpot, monday.com, Airtable, Zapier and Calendly. On each one, see how long it takes to learn what the product does and who it's for. Copy what's clear and skip their looks. Being famous lets them get away with things you can't yet.
Is SaaS growing or dying?
It looks like it's growing. The research firm Gartner expects spending on software to rise about 15% in 2026. That covers all software, not only SaaS, and AI is a big part of the reason.
Should my homepage offer a free trial or a demo?
Pick one main button based on how you actually sell. If people can start alone, use the trial. If they need to talk to someone first, use the demo. Show both only if you really sell both ways, the way HubSpot does.
Should I ask my question in a popup?
Put it on the page first. A popup covers the thing they came to read, and they haven't even learned what you do yet. Save popups for later in a visit, or for people about to leave.
Go deeper on conversion tactics.