Start with your customers' questions
Write down the questions people ask you on the phone or on the job. Those are your website's sections. Most small businesses end up with some version of these:
- What do you do, and where?
- How much does it cost?
- Have you done this before? Can I see?
- How does it work? What happens after I call?
- Why should I pick you?
- How do I get in touch?
A fill-in-the-blanks homepage
- Headline: [What you do] in [where]. For example: “Dog grooming in Marrickville”.
- One line under it: who it's for and what makes you different. “Calm, gentle grooming for nervous dogs, by appointment.”
- Button: [Book / Call / Get a quote].
- Services: one short paragraph each. Say what's included and, if you can, a starting price.
- Your work: three to six photos with a line about each job.
- How it works: three or four steps from first contact to job done.
- About: two or three sentences about you, in the first person. A real photo helps.
- Questions: the five things people always ask, answered honestly.
- Contact: phone, email, form, and your hours.
Write like you talk
- Use “you” and “I” or “we”. Talk to one customer, not “clients”.
- Short sentences. One idea each.
- Specific beats impressive. “Same-day call-backs” says more than “unparalleled service”.
- Cut words like “solutions”, “passionate” and “one-stop shop”. Everyone uses them, so they say nothing.
Tip: Record yourself explaining your business to a friend, then type it up. That's usually a better first draft than staring at a blank page.
What not to write
Don't promise results you can't guarantee, invent reviews, or claim to be the best or the cheapest unless you can prove it. Apart from Australian consumer law, customers are good at spotting it, and it costs you trust.