TAL .034: How to Write a Better Website Service Page

If you operate or market a service-based business, this letter is for you.

I’m going to explain how you can make your service pages better – just by answering 13 questions.

1. The Problem

Most website service pages aren’t good.

Go look.

Pick a vertical, Google an appropriate local keyword (like ‘family lawyers Gold Coast’), and click on one of the top-ranking services pages.

Often, those pages will be either:

• incredibly thin and ranking solely via links and domain authority
• verbose paragraphs of synthetic copy.

Why?

One reason: service-based businesses tend to be more localised (with smaller marketing budgets) or more reliant on business development (which de-prioritises building effective websites).

But it’s also because writing a good service page is hard.

2. The Solution

When you’re creating a service page, roleplay a buyer and answer these six questions:

1. What is the service?
2. Why do I need it now?
3. Why should I choose it over similar services?
4. What outcome will I get from buying this service?
5. What proof is there that I’ll actually get the promised outcome?
6. Is it clear what I should do after visiting this page?

How much you focus on each one depends on problem and category awareness.

If your ideal customers have low problem and category awareness, spend more time on questions 1, 2 and 4.

If they have high awareness, focus on questions 3 and 5.

Now, make your page even better by answering the following questions on behalf of your buyer (which we covered in issue .031 of The Arete Letter):

1. Is the service within my budget?
2. Is the value added worth the price, relative to the rest of the market?
3. How reliable/effective is the service, relative to the rest of the market?
4. How effectively does the product/service address my use case(s)?
5. How quickly can the service be delivered?
6. What level of customer service will I receive?
7. What specific capabilities, features or aspects are included?

Certain questions are sometimes better answered during the sales process, but give buyers as much information as practicable.

If you sell a service with highly variable pricing, for example, consider putting a minimum/starting price on your page to disqualify unsuitable buyers.

(Certain extremely exclusive services can benefit from a less-is-more approach to service pages, but they’re the exception to the rule.)

3. Implementation

Tech Needed:

• Word processing software like Microsoft Word
• Project management software like Asana

Ease of Uptake: Easy

1. For each service you sell, indicate at which point in your customer journeys each question will be answered.
2. If you don’t have customer journey maps, build them. For this exercise, focus solely on customer journeys that include website touchpoints.
3. If some questions are answered after a sales enquiry has been made (such as pricing), see if they can be answered in whole or part on your website instead.
4. Aggregate the questions that will be answered on your website. The first set of six questions should be answered on every service page.
5. When a project to create a landing page for a service comes up, add the questions for that service to your copywriting and reviewing tasks (either in the task description or as sub-tasks).
6. Check that the final page clearly and obviously answers all questions.
7. If you have existing service pages, review them while roleplaying a buyer – or, better, have an actual buyer review them and then answer all applicable questions in a recorded interview.

If someone is visiting a service page on your site, they’re probably evaluating you as a potential vendor.

Give them the information they need.

Make it easy for them to choose you.