design practices small businesses overlook
Professional service websites bring in leads, and they’re the backbone of many small businesses. There’s a difference of expectation when visiting a blog or a professional service website. Potential customers want to find certain things when they land on your website.

And missing these design basics may result in lost sales.

1. Real Copy – We’re Talking Professionals

Spend the money on hiring a professional to write your copy. You can learn how to write copy, too. Misspellings, bad grammar and lack of proper formatting can lead to lost sales. Copy should be focusing on the clients’ pain points.

Imagery and copy that focuses on pain points and solving the visitor’s problem performs much better than random gibberish on a page.

If you plan to have a professional write your copy, you’ll want to:

  • Vet the professional
  • Pay a higher price for a better copy
  • Provide the writer with information about your business

There are ample opportunities to have good copy written if you’re willing to pay a little more.

2. Use Trust Signals Every Chance You Get

important of client testimonial
Trust is everything in the client-professional relationship. Potential clients are searching for reviews, testimonials and trust signals on a website. Professional services face a lot of competition, and the wrong use of trust signals will not encourage sales.

Instead, a site needs to utilize trust signals to prosper.

I recommend a few things:

  • Yelp reviews
  • BBB ratings
  • Testimonials

If you can get past clients to tape a video review with you, that’s even better. You’ll also want to check out the competition. Credentials are also important. Roto Rooter Ventura, for example, mentions that all of their plumbers are licensed, but they would be able to build even more trust with certifications and associations placed more prominently on their site.

3. Tell Stories When You Can

Storytelling is a powerful sales tool, and customers want to work with professionals that have a personality. Your site’s copy and layout can tell a story in many places. A good way to start the storytelling process is through:

  • An “About Page” that discusses the story of the business
  • Profile pages for key employees that tells their stories
  • Video, when possible, that discusses the viewers’ pain points and how you can help them

It’s essential to tell stories, and this is what makes the best case studies. If a solar panel installer conducted a case study on how much their clients saved per year on energy after going solar, they could make a major impact through storytelling.

Discuss challenges the client and company face. Discuss the results. Reflect on the data.

4. Leverage Your Specialties and Make Them Shine

skills work individual
Specialties are meant to make your profession stand out, yet a lot of professionals tend to ignore their own specialties. You want to do the complete opposite and make these specialties or unique features in your business stand out.

A plumber that specializes in construction and home building can accentuate these traits.

Homebuilders that work on home restorations can use this as a key selling point when trying to make a sale.

Professional service providers that are known for their work in one area become specialists that can be paid more for the work they complete. These professionals, when reliable, will receive more referrals and leads than the competition.