4 Things Clients Want to See on Your Website Before Buying from You
As a service-based business owner, you didn’t build (and aren’t continuing to run) your website for fun.
You want it to help you land clients!
However, it can be somewhat of a guessing game for newbie business owners to figure out exactly what aspects of their website are boosting their business – and what they should be adding in order to make their website even more attractive to potential clients.
To eliminate some of the guesswork, today I’m detailing four things potential clients want to see on your website before buying from you!
This comes from experience as a Squarespace and Showit website designer for coaches and creatives.
1. Professionalism
This may sound like a given, but you would be surprised just how many factors come into play in making a website look “professional.”
Besides the basics like perfect spelling and grammar, as well as a nice logo, things like high-quality images (that you own or have the rights to,) cohesive design, and a layout that makes sense are all important.
Having high-quality images on your website (that clearly aren’t selfies or blurry stock images) does wonders for your website.
It lets potential customers know that you were either willing to invest the time into taking professional photos for your website, or willing to invest the money to pay for them – making them more likely to invest in you, too.
In addition, it (combined with design) makes your website more aesthetically pleasing.
Speaking of design, a cohesive and aesthetic website design is something potential clients look for when choosing who to hire.
Though you might be tempted to DIY your website to save money, this is something you definitely don’t want to take shortcuts on.
Like investing in photos, investing in your website’s overall design will send a positive message to potential clients, letting them know you take your own business seriously.
It’s one of the best steps you can take in putting your best foot forward from the get-go – and attracting clients right off the bat. (And, you can learn more about what I offer here!)
Not sure if you’re ready to invest in a professional Squarespace or Showit website designer? Click here to learn more!
2. Connection
You can do everything right in terms of website design – but if your copy and style don’t speak to potential clients, they are going to look elsewhere for the services they need.
For this reason, it’s important to invest in a copywriter to make sure your content expresses the exact message you want to send – and eloquently.
In addition, you should craft the aesthetic of your site (with your website designer and logo designer) to ensure it matches who you want to attract.
The demographics of your target audience are important to consider here.
How old is your ideal client?
Are they male or female?
While a website geared toward middle-aged men might feature a less flashy color palette and simple fonts, a website geared toward young women (especially in any creative industry) might boast bright, fun colors and groovy fonts.
The possibilities are endless – but it’s important to keep your target audience at the forefront of your mind when creating your website’s image.
3. Testimonials/Case Studies
You can tell your clients just how much you can help them all you want - but without solid testimonials and/or case studies to prove how valuable your services are, potential clients are going to be hesitant to book with you.
For this reason, testimonials and case studies alike are a great way to enhance your website and convince clients to hit that “book” button.
Testimonials, in short, are just positive snippets about what it’s like to work with you from previous clients who you’ve helped.
They are often found in quotations on websites, followed by a name.
If at all possible, avoid anonymous testimonials, as potential clients can be skeptical of where these reviews come from. Are they written by you? All from one person?
Attaching a name (with permission) to the testimonials allow your audience to see your legitimacy.
Best case scenario? Ask for a video testimonial!
With these, they’re clearly not fake and enhance your credibility compared to a written testimonial.
Case studies are different from testimonials. They should cover concrete results or successes you’ve had working with clients, showcasing the work you’ve done.
As a Squarespace website designer, case studies are imperative to my website’s success! You can check out an example here.
They are an easy blog post idea if you aren’t sure where they will fit in on your website.
4. Framework/Methodology
Lastly, being able to clearly express exactly how you can take clients from point A to point B - i.e. exactly what you can do for them with your services - is instrumental to booking clients.
Clients don’t want to read vague explanations like “I will help you make more sales by helping you improve your business practices.”
They want to read clear sentences with a purpose such as “I will help you make more sales by helping you identify your target audience and creating social media content that attracts them.”
But you can go deeper with this by laying out each step of the process.
For example, my website design framework is:
Design
Strategy
Messaging
SEO
You can see how those are 4 distinct areas.
A health coach’s framework might be 1) mindset, 2) nutrition, and 3) fitness.
A great piece of info to include here is the expected timeline when working with you, as well as what potential clients should expect at each benchmark.
If you work with clients over a period of months, clearly lay out what you will do each month and what successes they will see each month. You can also include your pricing here!
Try to keep this as specific as possible so clients don’t get any unexpected surprises after booking - and to avoid common questions about your services constantly flooding your email!
If you are ready to turn your website into an online hub that secures clients for you instead of constantly updating a website that just isn’t working, I’m here for you! I’ve worked with dozens of entrepreneurs to create stunning and conversion-focused Showit and Squarespace websites. I would love to work with you and help you create a website that not only attracts potential clients, but convinces them to hit “book.” I’ll see you in my inbox!
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