Service providers’ websites all look alike: a home page that presents the business and its story, with the useful information further down. Yet a client who lands on that site is almost never looking for the business’s story.
The short answer: five pages are enough. What you do, prices, practical information, booking, and the legally required notices. A short site stays up to date; a long one never does.
What you do, in words people understand
This is the most-read page, and the one most often written in trade jargon. A client doesn’t always know the name of the service they need.
Saying it simply avoids calls and misdirected requests. The same goes for what you don’t do: stating it is a service in itself, and it saves both sides a pointless appointment.
Prices, at least a range
A client who can’t find a price assumes it is high, and moves on to the next provider. It is the most common conclusion, and it is rarely wrong.
Not everything can be priced in advance, and you can say so: listing your common services with their prices and stating that everything else is quoted on request is more than enough.
Practical information
Hours, service area or address, accepted payment methods, usual lead time. None of this wins anyone over, but leaving it out drives people away.
A single source, kept up to date, is better than three places you have to remember to keep in sync. And exceptional closures are announced in that same place.
Booking, front and center
A button at the top of the page, not just in a menu. It is what turns a visit into an appointment, and it is the only part of the site whose effect can be measured.
A site that brings these elements together is quick to build and easy to maintain: that is the purpose of the website builder, designed to be updated without any technical help.
What makes almost no difference
The business’s story, the team photo, the introduction text. These are read by people who are still hesitating, after they have found everything else.
Placed first, they drive away those who were looking for a price or availability. Placed after, they finish convincing.
What to avoid
A site that displays poorly on a phone. That is where the decision is made.
A contact form as the only way in. It captures those willing to wait for a reply, not the others.
Outdated information. An expired price online will be held against you on the day of the service.
What this changes in practice
Fewer calls about practical questions, fewer misdirected requests, and appointments booked by clients who knew what to expect.
Looking for software for your business? RDV360 brings together the calendar, online booking, client records and the website. See RDV360 plans.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages do you need?
Five are enough: what you do, prices, practical information, booking, and the legally required notices. A bigger site is not read more closely, it just takes longer to keep up to date.
Should you display your prices?
A client who can’t find a price assumes it is high. Showing at least a range, or the price of your most common services, avoids calls and misunderstandings.
Do you need a blog?
Only if you plan to keep it going. Three articles from two years ago do worse than no articles at all: they give the impression of a business that has stopped looking after it.