Finding More Clients with a Simple Website Journey

As your business grows, and you're ready to raise your prices, launch a new service or start a podcast. Your website needs to reflect the value of what you do. You have the expertise, but you need a website that clearly communicates that to your dream clients.

This post was originally an episode of Process to Profitability, which means you can listen to it instead of reading, if that’s what you prefer!

I have recently launched my newest service, a Website Design in a Day VIP Intensive, where I work with clients to create a simple four page custom-designed to Squarespace website that allows them to feel confident in raising their prices to the level that they deserve. This VIP Intensive day helps to take service based business owners from a DIY website that doesn't reflect their brand, or their expertise, and really gives you a website that looks and feels professional, and that you're confident to share with potential clients and in your networking. Learn more about a VIP Day.

The reason that I can do this is in one day is because I have a process that has been honed over the past six years in business. And we concentrate on the four main pages that your website needs that we're going to go over today. But let's start by talking about why a simple website is the best choice for many service based businesses.

I have seen a lot of websites in my time as a business owner and a website designer. And I have found that a lot of them are really complicated. There are lots of different pages, funnels, opt-ins, pop-ups, all kinds of stuff. And while those may work for some people, they can be distracting for a lot of our website visitors. People aren't sure where to go next, or what it is that you really focus on in your business, because there are so many things being thrown at them.

So many of us have felt the pressure in our businesses to do things just like everybody else is doing. And that means our websites tend to look similar. We look to other people in our industry for inspiration. And we end up with a website that looks and feels very much like other people who are doing similar things to what we do. And that's not bad because when the industry has a standard, it does help people to know what to expect when they land on your website instead of throwing the entire box out and starting from scratch.

But we can think about websites differently.

When you are a service based business, you're not selling products or having a big online course, you can really do a lot with a simple website. The reason that I think simple websites work so well for many service based businesses is because you are concentrating on the pages that actually get people to learn about your business to see whether or not they are a good fit, and then to take action on their next step.

Using a simple website to find more clients

When you have lots and lots of pop ups and funnels and different pages for people to navigate through, they tend to get confused. They're not sure which option is best for them. And so instead of doing all of that, you can concentrate on making sure they know that they are in the right place, that you are the right person for them at this moment in their business or not. And then you can help them to learn as much as they need to know to take action, whether that's getting into contact with you, signing up for an email list, or purchasing your program.

These types of websites work for a variety of different industries. But most of the people that I've seen doing this successfully have a few things in common. They are service-based businesses, meaning that they provide a service to a client, or they have some kind of course or membership that is the main thing that they offer. They don't have lots of opt-ins, funnels, webinars and different things to choose from. They are focusing on one membership or course that they can really dive into when somebody comes to their website.

The other thing that I've noticed about these people is that while they have been in business for a while, they really want to continue to show up and serve people. They are not interested in growing a humungous email list or Instagram following. The vanity metrics aren't what's important. What's important is growing their business in a way that is authentic and comfortable for them, and serving their clients or their students really well in that. They want people to know that they are the right fit or not so that when those people take the next step, whether it's jumping on a sales call, or signing up for a program, they know that they are already pre-qualified and ready to take action.

The reason a simple website is so effective for these type of businesses is because you are getting the people exactly what they need when they need it.

It's not salesy or pushy, because there are people who will come to your website multiple times over months or years before they decide to work with you. And they're looking for different things at different times.

Now, when I say a simple website, I don't want you to think that there are no pop-ups or opt-in pages or signups. What we're really talking about here is the front end of your website, what people see when they click on your link in Google, or they navigate to it through your social media profile. Everybody is going to have back end pages of their website to make things work, whether that's a webinar that you send people to when they sign up for something, or an application form for your program. Those are all back end pages that people don't see until they're ready to take action. So what we're talking about here today in a simple website, is those front pages, the things in your main menu, that help people get to know you as a business, and what you stand for, and who it is that you work for.

So if you think that a simple website is what's best for your business, in addition to this, a simple website is beneficial because it actually helps you get things launched. So many of us spend months, or even years working on a website that we never launch, because it's not perfect. There are so many things to test and connect and set up that we get overwhelmed. And I totally understand that. I have been there. When we decided to keep our website design and our website pages really simple, it's easier to get things launched because you don't have as much content to create as many things to test or things that could go wrong. You can launch with something simple and then add to it as needed as your business grows.

How do we create a design on a simple website that really speaks to our clients and customers?

Because here's the thing, design speaks. It tells people as soon as they land on your website what it is that you do, and that you are professional, you're put together, and you are worth the investment that you are asking from them. I recently spoke to my coach about my VIP Intensive days and we were talking about messaging and she shared that when she raised the price on her coaching program, she knew that she needed a new website because her current one didn't even talk about the thing that was in her coaching program. She was going to charge more, because people get so much value out of what she does, and her website really needed to reflect that value.

When your website is out of date or off brand, or it just doesn't work very well, people notice. And it makes them nervous to invest, because they're not sure that your business is as put together as it might seem, or as they hope when they want to work with you.

Your website needs is a strategic journey

You want to move people who have never heard of you, or who have found you on social media, or have listened to you on a podcast, from landing on your website to taking action through a strategic, planned journey through your site. Many times, this looks like someone landing on your homepage, then clicking through to learn more about you learn about your services and then get in touch with you. But it doesn't always have to look like that. Depending on the action that you want somebody to take, you might change it up a bit. Maybe you want them to sign up for your newsletter and so you focus on highlighting your opt-in or the awesome information you share every week when you send emails. Maybe you want somebody to buy your low priced offer, a strategy session or some kind of a guide or a webinar. Then you would send them to that instead of to a call to get more information about working with you.

No matter what that end goal you have in mind is you need to plan your website to direct people to that goal. What do people need to learn about you and about what you do in order for them to want to take action if it's the right fit? And then, what action should they take? We need to make all of those things clear as somebody moves through your website.

What exactly does a simple website entail?

These are the four pages most businesses need on their website, a home page, an about page, services or a sales page, and then a contact page. This could vary a little bit, depending on your business, but those are the four pages that I recommend every service-based business have. The thing that might vary the most is the services or sales page, because the actual content could vary depending on what it is that you are trying to tell your dream clients about.

A homepage that grabs attention.

You need to share right off the bat, what it is that you do and who you work for. If you are not super confident and writing copy, like I am, you can think about this as "I help blank to do blank through blank." So I help service based businesses raise their prices and feel confident through custom-designed websites. That's a really easy way to communicate what you do, who it's for, and the transformation that you bring. You will also want to include some information about your business, your mission statement, what drives you.

I also recommend giving people kind of a three option, choose your own adventure section, where you send them to different pages depending on where they are in their journey and what they might need from you. Generally, I send people to the about page to learn more about you, the services page to hear about your services, and then possibly a blog or your contact page if you don't have a blog, or podcast. This allows people to choose what they need to learn from you in order to take that next step. It also helps people who have been to your website before and are just ready to move to the next thing or to check on your services one more time before a call.

I also recommend including a sign up for your newsletter, as well as testimonials on this page. So you're really giving people the options that they need in order to take some kind of action with you and some reassurance through those testimonials that you, in fact, can do what it is that you say that you do.

An about page isn’t just about you

It's also about the people you work with. So your about page should talk about your journey, and your services and who you are in that frame. So while it is fun to share about your journey in business, you need to tailor it to the people who are going to be coming to your website. They don't need to know about all of the different majors you had in college and the parties you went to and fraternities and sororities. They need to know about how you transformed your business and got to where you are today. That gives them the confidence to know that you have been where they are and you can help them. This is a page where you can have some fun though. You can share fun facts about you, interests, maybe a quiz where you share you know your answers to different questions. The other thing that is an absolute must on your about page is a headshot of you. If you don't have a picture of you anywhere else on your website, it needs to be here. People buy from people and so they want to see your face.

Use your sales page to share exactly how you can help

The next page is your services or sales page and the content on this page is going to vary based on what it is that you offer and how much information people need in order to make a decision. In your services page, you will want to tell them what it is that you do, who it's for, give an outline of your framework, and then give them a way to take action. You also want to include some testimonials here and you might need an FAQ section to answer any questions they have that come up frequently. On a sales page, which is going to be a longer page, you're going to need things like all of the modules that are involved in what they do and different case studies of people who have joined your program, for example. You'll also want testimonials, that same FAQ section, you know what it is that you walk them through. People just need more detail when they're buying something like a course or a program or a membership, because they're not necessarily going to jump on a sales call with you. The goal of your services page should be to get them to apply or to get on a sales call with you so that you can answer any other questions they have, make sure you are a mutual good fit, and then answer any objections. The goal of a sales page is to get them to actually purchase, sign up or apply to your program. So you might need different information depending on which one you're offering.

Don’t forget your contact page

This is a page I find many people do not think about when they start designing their website, but it's really important. But it can also be pretty simple. On a contact page, I always recommend having some kind of a welcome blurb that lets people know, you know, that you're excited to hear from them. You can also set boundaries early on by sharing your office hours and your expected response time. For me, this looks like sharing that I am only in the office on certain days of the week for certain hours and I don't respond to requests outside of those hours. That helps people know upfront that they're not going to be getting an email back from me in 45 minutes, it might take a couple of days. You'll also want to include your email address, social media links, and potentially a phone number if people can contact you that way.

And then you'll need to have a contact form. Your form might look a little bit different depending on what you're offering, but I try to keep it fairly simple. Instead of asking for every detail that you might need to know from somebody, get the basics that are the most important to know whether or not they are a good fit, and then jump on a call with them.

The reason I say this is because so many people might not know the answer to all of those questions. So choose the one or two that are most important for you to know that yes, this person could be a potential client or No, I don't think they're ready for work with me. Then make sure that form actually connects to your email address and works so that you will get all of that information and can get in contact with people about taking the next step with you.

A good website sells for you

Simple websites can help you to sell in your business, it's your best employee, because it is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, so that when somebody emails you or jumps on a call, they just have a couple questions. They're already pre-qualified to work with you. They already know what it is that you do, and they're excited about it. So really what you're doing on those sales calls or in those emails is making sure that you answer any final objections that they have and answer any small detail questions instead of having to sell them on your whole process and what it is that your business does and why they would even need to work with your business. This makes it easier for you as the business owner because you are not spending your precious time with people who are not a good fit to work with you. And that's important both for you as the business owner and for them as potential clients. We don't want to work with clients who are not going to be a good fit, because we're not going to be able to give them the results that they need and help them in their business.

I really recommend that if you are in a place in your business where you know your website does not reflect the level of expertise that you bring and you want to raise your prices and launch a new service, but you know your website doesn't look as good as it should. I recommend you think about creating a simple website has a clean design, that reflects your brand, that moves people to take action. And then work on setting that up so that you can actually get more of what you do out into the world.