Steps to Create a Service Website that Attracts Quality Leads

For a local service business, the goal of its website is quite straightforward – to make its target audience understand the service and take some action. However, many small businesses have created websites full of vague descriptions, irrelevant photos, and contacts that no one actually uses.

The problem mostly starts with the planning phase, where the emphasis is placed on design and not the decision-making process of a visitor. It becomes possible to build an initial structure, try out layout options, and create content for the website using a free website builder without going into complex technical details.

The hard work comes in creating the content that would answer questions of your visitors and give them reasons to contact you.

For example, the plumbing firm can get many customers per month requiring emergency maintenance, drainage, or water heating services. They all will have varying queries, and will visit the website with different intentions.

The customer who has a problem with leakage of the pipe requires immediate assistance; the other who is thinking about the renovation of his bathroom will need information about the services and their schedule.

Build Service-Specific Pages

One common mistake that most small service companies make is placing all their services on one page.

For example, a cleaning company may try to describe all its services, including residential cleaning, office cleaning, carpet cleaning, and post-renovation cleaning, in one long paragraph on one page. Prospects need to go through the entire text in order to find what they need.

The creation of pages for each particular service can help solve the problem because such pages will be devoted to describing the particular service, when clients usually need it, and how the service is booked. It is also a good idea to create special pages for certain queries.

For example, an air conditioning company may create pages about installation, seasonal service, repair, and commercial systems. The installation service needs to include information about the consulting process, choosing the equipment, phases of the work, and factors affecting the cost.

Content must convey the concerns of customers. Customers searching for the installation of an air conditioning system may be interested in learning if their current electrical wiring needs any alteration, where the outdoor unit is going to be placed, and whether installation requires entry into various rooms of the house.

Answering these questions helps build trust even before the first phone call is made.

A proper service page must include:

• Detailed description of the service performed and the problems which this service helps to solve.
• Information on the location in which the service is available and availability of appointments.
• Photos of completed projects and working technicians.
• Either pricing information or an explanation of how prices are set for particular jobs.
• Answers to the most common questions regarding preparation, time, and materials used for a job.
• Contact possibility for mobile devices.

All these things will help to determine if the company can perform the requested service. In addition, they will give search engines necessary information about the web page.

Include the Intent of Local Search in Your Content

Local businesses rely greatly on search queries that are related to certain cities, neighborhoods, and areas of operation. A person looking for an electrician in Bristol expects to see specialists working in Bristol. A website featuring the name of the city only in the footer gives very little geographic context.

Location-related information fits perfectly into descriptions of services. The electrician contractor could talk about how their crew rewires homes in Bristol and other nearby regions, and set up appointments for home inspections and renovation.

It is not required to use the same name of the city in every paragraph. The search engine knows where you work using your business information and other services.

Businesses working in several locations should be careful about location pages. Posting twenty similar pages with just a different city name will provide very little value. Each location page should have a specific purpose.

A roofing firm that is present in three counties will have pictures of work done in the local area, details of local building conditions, and details of the geographical areas in which it operates.

Information on roof repairs in a coastal town could cover such issues as salt exposure, wind damage, and local maintenance issues.

Google Business Profile information is also important. The company name, phone number, address, and working hours should be consistent on all channels.

A local presence is based on pertinent data, correct data on the business itself, and real servicing of the areas that the business talks about.

Reduce Friction in Contact Forms

A contact form causes friction for the customer. Websites have to ask people for such detailed information as the whole address, date for the appointment, budget of the work, type of building, and required services.

Such information will definitely be necessary at some point, but demanding it right away will make customers run away who were just looking for the initial conversation.

The basic form will always contain the name of the client, contact information, and a short description of the problem. The additional fields must be meaningful.

For instance, a relocation company will require the collection and delivery postcodes in order to provide an adequate estimate.

The usability of mobile devices must be considered as well. There are many customers looking for local companies while coping with some urgent problems. Inconvenient drop-down menus, small-sized texts, and buttons placed below large images cause frustration.

Several small changes can help customers connect to your company more easily:

• Ensure that your primary contact form is short and obvious.
• Create clickable telephone links for customers viewing your website on their mobile phones.
• Inform customers about when they can expect a reply.
• Offer contact information where service information is offered.
• Test all forms following website updates to ensure that the submissions reach you.

Also, the confirmation message is important. Customers must be informed about whether the message has been received and what will happen next.

An explanation of how the team usually responds during working hours is useful if it describes the process in the company. This will help to establish expectations for the customers and prevent them from posing the same question in different ways.

Provide Details from Your Real Business to Gain Credibility

Terms like “quality service” and “customer satisfaction guaranteed” are present on thousands of business sites. They offer nothing in terms of understanding a business.

Landscaping can give details on how it prepares its soil before putting turf, fixes drainage, or chooses plants for shady areas. The repair firm can show pictures of the broken equipment, explain the problem, and give details of the completed job.

Customer testimonials become helpful if they relate something concrete about the particular services and circumstances. A testimonial where a person writes how a technician diagnosed a recurrent electrical problem tells much more than a five-star rating.

Credibility is achieved through providing verifiable information. When appropriate, the websites must have information on the business registration, qualifications of the employees, insurance details, and a clear description of services offered.

Photography needs to be considered. Images of real people, vehicles, workshops, and completed projects are needed for clients to see whom they can expect to visit their property. The images should be relevant, of proper size, and accompanied by descriptions where necessary.

Last but not least is the performance of the website. The loading of the pages must be smooth, the navigation through them should remain the same, and all relevant information must be available without too many clicks.

Checking for broken links, out-of-date prices, and unprocessed inquiries can prevent minor technical problems that can affect the inquiry process.

Service websites gain their value if their content answers all the questions of the clients. Services that are described clearly with local data, contact details, and examples of completed works provide an opportunity to decide for the visitors. All pages must have enough information to understand the service and take appropriate actions.