Three website pages every service based business needs
Not all pages on your website are created equal. Some are essential to serving your potential customers to tell them about who you are, what services you offer and how they can work with you. Get those three, plus your homepage, nailed and you’re on the right track!
Before I dive into the specific pages, I want to quickly touch on your navigation. Not only do I think that the pages I’m speaking about below are the most important, but I also think these should be the ones that win that coveted spot in your menu.
WEBSITE NAVIGATION
The menu bar along the top of your website is also known as the top navigation. It should be simple and include the most important content on your website, it doesn’t need to include every single page on your site. Those that don’t make it to the top menu can be linked in your footer, or from within these pages.
Think about how clients will get to know you and what you offer and arrange the menu accordingly. This will differ slightly depending on what services you offer in your business but typically, as I mentioned above, people will want to get to know you, find out about your services and how you can help, and then how they can actually work with you. So in terms of your navigation that would mean:
ABOUT | SERVICES | WORK WITH ME
Less is always more - keep things simple and don't overwhelm potential clients with too many options.
THE ABOUT PAGE
The about page is one of the most important pages on your website. Why? Because people are nosy!
I don't know about you, but when I visit the website of someone I'm planning to work with I always check out their about page to get to know them better, find out what they're like and see if we have things in common.
I think it's human nature to want to make some kind of connection with the person your working with and your about page is a great place to do that.
(Site note - of course the about page is part of a larger puzzle that includes all the ways you show up online so people can get to know how awesome you are, but that's for another time!)
Some service-based business owners like to use their about page to really describe their ideal client and how they will be able to help them, rather than actually talking about themselves.
I do understand this way of thinking, you want to show as often as possible why you are the perfect fit for your target audience, however, in my opinion, your about page should be about YOU.
Use all of the other pages on the website to sell your service, but use the about page to tell your story.
Your story will connect you to your ideal client. You don't need to worry about using your about page as a promo for the thing you sell, because ultimately people buy from people they connect with.
So, you don't need to share every. single. detail. about your life, but do share how you got where you are and why you do what you do - whilst keeping it relevant to your clients.
Oh - and don't forget to include a photo of your lovely self too!
SERVICES PAGE
Laying out the services you provide in a clear and easy to understand way, will be vital in serving potential clients.
Your services page should quickly speak to your ideal client through a short statement and call to action at the top of the page.
Next, tier your services in a way that makes sense for your business. Using my own website as an example in the images above, you can see that I have arranged my three core packages from most comprehensive/highest price to the least comprehensive/lowest price.
This takes potential clients through the different level of service I offer and easily select which sounds like the right fit for them.
Alongside each service is a bite-sized but focused blurb describing the value of the service. From here website users can click through to learn more detail about that particular package.
BOOKING PAGE
Three great ways to kick off the process of booking in are:
- Direct all enquiries to a contact form that has been customised to gather all the important bits of information you need to know before taking the next steps
- Connect your website to a booking software such as Celendly or Acuity to allow clients to book a call straight into your calendar
- Add a booking form that is connecting to your project management software, such as Dubsado, and add your clients directly into your project onboarding workflow
Whichever option you go for, it should sit on an uncluttered page on your website, free from distractions so as soon as your potential client decides to reach out, they do just that and don't get sidelined!
Related: Three ways to save time in your business with a website
As well as including a link to your booking/contact/work with me page in your menu, it’s a good idea to include buttons links throughout your website to this page, as this is ultimately where you want everyone to end up.
Great spots for a ‘book now’ button are at the top of your homepage, towards the bottom of your homepage (after you’ve introduced yourself), your about page, your services pages...everywhere really!
Hopefully this has given you some insight into the pages that you really need on your website. There’s no need to go crazy with content, as long as the most important bits of information are covered, then you are using your website to its fullest potential.
If you’d like to chat about a website for your own service-based business, use the button below to get in touch.
(see, put them everywhere!)
