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From the Blog
What’s the best way to design your website if your company provides a service? Many businesses don’t sell products but rather a service—think real estate agents, coaches, financial advisors, dentists, and more. If that’s you, this post covers the essential elements your website needs to attract and convert clients.
Unlike selling a product, simply stating what you offer won’t cut it for a service-based website. You need something more. You need to build credibility.
Having worked with many service providers to launch or optimize their websites, I’m sharing insights on how your website generates credibility so that you can have more leads for your business.
This article will help you ensure your website is discoverable, builds credibility, and generates leads. Stick around for a bonus section on turning visitors into clients.
Coaches, recruiters, lawyers, consultants - these professions may be different, but their websites all need to have 3 core elements to be successful. Having these elements (and not skipping any) will make sure your business will be successful.
Every service-based website needs three core elements:
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These elements help visitors to your website immediately answer these questions:
Your home page should clearly state what you do. About 50-60% of visitors drop off after scanning just the first part of your homepage. That’s why it needs to answer, "What do you do?" fast. Make it relevant, attention-grabbing, and easy to understand.
A strong approach: clearly define what you do and for whom, e.g., “Fractional CTO for scaling tech companies” or “Financial advisor for young high-net-worth individuals.” Don’t just describe your service—explain the benefit to your target audience.
Some might wonder: Isn’t that too descriptive? What about personality? It’s great to be aspirational, but if you’re a small business, vague slogans like “I’m loving it!” or “Just do it!” won’t help. You need a balance between aspirational and clear messaging. I’ve worked with many companies whose copy was too vague and, as a result, struggled with high bounce rates because visitors didn’t understand what they did.
Next to the “what”, your home page is also where you showcase previous work, testimonials and all the essential things you think a new client may want to know about you. But “what do you do” is the centra question you want to have answered.
Once visitors understand what you do, they need to see why you’re the right choice. That’s where your About Page comes in. For example, on my site, Sparkr, my about page is the second most visited page after the homepage.
Your about page should tell your story and highlight what sets you apart. Here are some elements to include:
A straightforward contact page is crucial. Make it easy for visitors to reach out via email, phone, or a contact form. Depending on your business, you may also want to include a phone number and a map (for local businesses) or just an email and form (for digital services that aren’t location-dependent).
Some businesses offer one clear service (e.g., a dentist), while others have multiple. If you provide different services, consider creating individual pages for each. For example, a marketing agency might have separate pages for SEO, paid ads, and web design.
This approach not only helps visitors understand your offerings but also improves SEO. Google prefers having one page per keyword, so a page specifically for “SEO services London” will rank better than a general services page.
Each service page should outline:
If you’re in industries like real estate, investing, or recruitment, your website needs to showcase available listings—whether it’s properties, investment opportunities, or candidate profiles. In this case, you’ll need a dynamic database that automatically updates when new items are added.
Technical side note: If your website doesn’t already have a database, you’ll need one. A dynamic page pulls new listings directly from your database and keeps content fresh.
If your work is visual (e.g., design, branding, architecture, marketing), a portfolio page is essential. Showcasing your previous work is one of the most powerful ways to build trust.
Pro tip: Keep the design minimal so your work stands out. Avoid unnecessary colors, backgrounds, or distracting elements.
Even if your work isn’t traditionally visual, you can still showcase your expertise. A lawyer, for example, could highlight successful case studies.
A blog builds credibility and helps with SEO. It’s especially useful for fields where trust is key, such as law, finance, and real estate.
A blog allows you to:
For some niches a blog is a more logical decision than for others. So for example a blog can be a great idea for a lawyer or a freelance journalist. But if you’re a bit creative, a blog is also a great idea. A real estate agent, for instance, could post about “What to Look for When Buying Your First Home.”
Do you want to get even more creative? Host a podcast. While not strictly needed, a podcast will do wonders for your business. Have you already checked Growth Architects, the podcast of Sparkr?
Most first-time visitors aren’t ready to buy. They need more touchpoints before making a decision. A lead magnet helps you stay on their radar.
A lead magnet is a free resource (e.g., a guide, checklist, or ebook) that visitors receive in exchange for their email address. Think of it as the start of a conversation.
Once someone downloads your lead magnet, you can follow up with valuable emails, nurture the relationship, and eventually convert them into a client.
If you’re a service provider, this guide will help ensure your website covers all the essentials to attract, engage, and convert visitors. Need help implementing these changes? Let’s talk!
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