When you get down to it, building a great service website is pretty straightforward. All you need is great design, clear and compelling copy, and ritual sacrifices to Google’s SEO gods, right? Well, even though the website-building process can seem to be a daunting task, there are some turn-key tips we can give you to help your site rank better on Google and communicate effortlessly with your site’s visitors. Below are some easy tips for optimizing your website’s performance.
1. Put your business phone number in the header.
Sometimes your website will attract cold leads who want to read all your information and consider their purchase first, but many website visitors may just be looking to talk to someone from your business. To ensure your site is ready for people who want to speak with you over the phone, make your phone number highly visible in your website’s header.
2. Include a quick lead form in the hero section
A great website should generate qualified leads. When customers aren’t sure which button to click on or what information to read next, it can lead to them bouncing off your site. This leads to one of the most important considerations: is your website guiding your leads toward more meaningful interactions with your brand as soon as they visit your homepage? If you’re not sure, keep reading with your website in mind.
The first thing your website visitors will see when they pull up your site is the hero section. The hero section is at the top of the first page your customers will see (usually above the fold). It’s the place your customers should find out the key highlights of your business via the headline and any accompanying text. To ensure your site engages its visitors clearly, include a quick lead form in your hero section. This will help you collect email addresses and stay top of mind–even if a visitor doesn’t buy from you right away.
If your business incorporates a quick lead form in its hero section, you’ll be rewarded with more customer interaction and the opportunity for future sales with engaged prospects.
3. Include all your services on your home page with photos linking to individual pages
In your search to learn how to make a service website, try including every service you have on your home page. We recommend including every service you offer in a single, easy-to-read section on your home page. Why? We’re glad you asked!
Having a complete list of all your services makes it easy for your customers to see what you offer at a glance. If someone visits your site because they need one specific service, this section will let them know exactly what you offer. People really appreciate when sites do this because it takes out all the guesswork for the customer.
You should also consider pairing each service with a bright photo that corresponds to that service offering. Then link each of those services to individual pages–one for each service. This makes it easy for your customers to find what they’re looking for. Ultimately, this will lead to more leads and more clients for you. It’s a win-win scenario!
4. Be concise, not cute
As the saying goes, less is more (except when binge-watching The Office, of course).
The bottom line is that you don’t want to lose potential customers to a confusing message. Instead, try to communicate your service offerings as simply as possible, without using filler words. Really make an effort to stick to the bare bones of what you offer. This can take some thought, but it’s always well worth it in the long run. If your text is streamlined and to-the-point, you’ll likely rake in more traffic and more sales.
In addition, when writing your main tagline and other website copy, we strongly recommend using what’s called inverted pyramid structure. Inverted pyramid structure is a form of writing used by journalists. In this style, one begins with the most important information first, then progresses to other general information, followed by the least important information.
When writing your tagline for your hero section, focus on the single most important piece of information your customers are looking for, such as how your service offering exceeds other services offered in your area. Using inverted pyramid structure will ensure your website visitors walk away with the most pertinent information about your business.
5. Blog (or Vlog) about your service offering
According to an article published by youbiquity, publishing your own blog content comes with a host of benefits. By investing time in writing great content for your audience, you’re building your business’s authority and credibility. People who read your article and appreciate the content will be drawn to your brand’s website and social media accounts. Aside from that, you’ll also be building your site’s credibility with Google’s search engine. There’s no doubt about it: improving your SEO rankings will lead to more website visitors in the long run. The result will be more leads and sales for your business!
6. Display testimonials prominently on the page
One of your goals for your website should be to communicate trust and authority with your website visitors. What better way to demonstrate your value to potential customers than by showing reviews from actual clients/customers? According to this article by HubSpot, “Your testimonial page serves as a platform to show off how others have benefited from your product or service, making it a powerful tool for establishing trust and encouraging potential buyers to take action.” Are you showing your website visitors what your previous customers have said about your business? If not, maybe that’s something to try going forward.
Are you thinking about hiring an agency to build your service website?
Consider working with a small business web designer like Eldie Web Design and Marketing. We build great quality websites for a wide variety of clients, including small and medium-sized businesses.
We hope incorporating these simple tips will help you build a better website and attract more customers. If you liked these tips and found them helpful, please leave a comment below to let us know! We always love hearing from our readers. Also, check out our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages for more original content from Eldie Web Design and Marketing. See you in the next article!