The anatomy of a services website
When looking at optimising your services website, maximising leads is obviously a priority. It is also important to understand how services websites differ from other types of sites, particularly from the perspective of potential customers.
Buying a service is often a more complex process than deciding on a product. With a product, you can check customer reviews, watch how-to videos, sign up for a free trial, etc. You don’t always have the same risk-reducing opportunities when buying a service.
In addition, buying a service often involves entering into a relationship with the provider that could last months or even years. So, not only do you need to learn whether the service can deliver on your requirements, but you also have to figure out if you can work with the company.
Furthermore, there is also usually an investment in resources where your own team works with the service provider, making it even more important to get the decision right.
Your website plays an important role in answering questions, addressing concerns, and giving confidence to people looking for the services that you offer.
In other words, a services website is not about what you do. Instead, it should explain how you can help the customer, what makes you different, and what the customer can expect.
Sorting the basics first
When creating a website for your services business, there are important steps to take before you even start with any of the design or content elements. Top of that list is understanding your customers:
Who are your customers, and what are their buyer personas?
What motivates your customers to look for the services you provide?
What problems are your customers looking to solve?
What are the main priorities your customers will have when looking for a service you provide?
What are the common objections?
What makes a customer choose you rather than one of your competitors?
Having answers to the above questions will make it easier to create a website that will appeal to your customers and deliver on your objectives.
Home pages that tell a story
There are several essential elements that you should include on the home page of your services website:
A headline that grabs attention. A good example on the Folio Digital website is ‘High-end lead generation websites with reduced cost and effort’.
A sub-heading that focuses on buyer motivation.
A clear call to action (CTA) at the top of the page. The ‘Book a presentation’ CTA on Folio Digital is an example. You should also include secondary CTAs further down the page.
Visuals to enhance the design.
Your value proposition, i.e., why a customer should choose you.
A list of the services you offer.
Social proof, such as testimonials or examples of customers you work with.
Navigational elements (buttons and links) so visitors can find other content on your site.
Information about you, where there is a short description of ‘who we are’, possibly with a face-behind-the-brand image.
Your portfolio, case studies, or examples.
Other tips that will help optimise your home page:
You are selling your time, so you need to establish your credibility. Use images, testimonials, client logos and other forms of social proof or credentials.
Be specific about what you offer and why you are a better choice than your competitors. Don’t assume that listing your services or explaining how you have helped other customers will be enough. After all, a visitor might not be able to properly connect what solutions you offer unless you are clear and specific.
Demonstrate flexibility, i.e., that you will tailor your services according to the requirements of your customer.
Finally, include sufficient information on your home page. Many owners of services websites take the view that people don’t want to read through loads of information, particularly on the home page. They say visitors just want a quick overview, and if they are interested, they will get in touch.
However, this misses the point of how people search for services on the internet. People want to find detailed information so they can decide whether the provider can deliver on their requirements.
It’s true that visitors won’t read loads of text. What they will do, however, is scan the page, looking for the information they need. You must make sure your home page has that information and that it is easy to skim-read.
What makes a great About page?
About pages will differ from one business to the next, but they need to be customer-focused, rather than merely backgrounders on your company and people. The essential elements include:
What you do and what makes you different. This part should be a high-level overview focusing on customer-oriented results, not a mechanical description of the services you provide.
Who you provide services to, with examples of your customers.
How you operate. On Folio Digital, for example, we describe our process.
The story of your company and/or brand.
Your priorities and passions.
Your values. Check out the Folio Digital About page as an example. We have an Our Purpose section that includes our philosophy and values.
Company faces and introductions.
Read our detailed article about the Company Profile / About page here.
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Answer your customer’s questions at the right stage on the buyer journey with our content map.
Services pages that generate leads
The most important thing to remember with your Services page is to focus on benefits to the customer. To do this, it can be helpful to create a list of key features and then write down how your customers benefit from each of those features.
Other important tips for your Services page include:
Make it clear to visitors that you understand their pain points, i.e., the reason or motivation that has them looking at your website and searching for services like those you offer.
Talk directly to the visitor using ‘you’ in your content more than you use words like ‘we’ or ‘us’.
Make the text easy to read by using bullet-point lists. Breaking up the content into sections with descriptive sub-headings also helps.
Avoid jargon. Instead, use everyday language with a professional, conversational tone.
Be as specific as possible with everything you say. For example, if you say you provide the fastest turnaround, back that up with facts and specifics. After all, generic marketing phrases are easy to write, plus everyone uses them. Including specifics on your Services page makes it more authentic and will ensure it stands out from the rest.
If you offer complex services or your services are tailored to a range of different clients, consider creating a page for each service instead of putting them on a single Services page.
Be clear about the geographical area you cover.
Include social proof and elements that add credibility to what you are saying. Examples include testimonials or case studies.
Other crucial elements of effective services websites
Your Home page, Services page, and About page are not the only elements you need on your services website. Other critical aspects include:
A portfolio of past work.
Your contact details.
A pricing page, if applicable – i.e., if you think it will help generate leads or sales.
A process page.
CTAs on every page.
Clear and crisp design where the design of the website enhances the content.
Bonus tip
Optimising your services website is not a one-time task. To get the best results, you need to constantly assess and improve. So, for example, try different CTAs to see what works, reword how you present the benefits of your services, or look again at your value proposition to see if it is resonating. And keep your blog and case studies up to date for ongoing search engine points.
When doing this, always focus on your website’s visitors. After all, a services website shouldn’t be about the things you do. It should be about what you do for your customers.