Selling Yourself
Whatever you do to make money you are either selling a product or a service. I use the word ‘service’ in a dual way in this article. I use service in the traditional sense, but also to mean product, or item. Anything you sell be it a physical product or a verbal consultation is a ‘service’ in this article.
The dilemma of the Services pages in your website is the need to show enough detail to exhibit your competence, while at the same time not showing every detail, giving the viewer the confidence to contact you. Like all other aspects of the site, it is about delivering relevant information effectively.
The foundation of the services database is the services introduction page. This summarises your services and allows people to click for more information, and then there are the Services pages themselves.
Competitor Analysis
It is essential that you do your homework on your Google and Local competitors. You need to see the language they are using to talk to the same potential customers as you are. This doesn’t mean you should copy them, but you do need to be aware of their approach to the same people and make sure you ‘compete’ effectively.
Services - Introduction Page / Summary Page
At the top of this page you need to write a short introductory paragraph. Do not mention in it the items that are listed below in the services list, this is redundant. This intro should be used to reinforce the quality of your services, the geography of your operations and a Call to Action.Examples
Lawn care service
Our 15 years’ experience of helping home owners in the Auckland area means we are able to offer a diverse range of services. Please click on each for more information. If you would like to arrange an obligation free quotation please call us on 09 7348 2847.
Lawyer
As you can see from our services list we are able to offer a wide range of legal services. If you would like to arrange to visit our Lower Hutt offices please call us on 04 876 543.
Mobile Phone Shop
If you want a mobile phone to suit your lifestyle, we offer a wide selection of new and refurbished phones. From our Hamilton base, we deal with customers all over New Zealand. If you have a specific phone in mind and we have not listed it, please call us on 0800 FIND A PHONE and we can discuss getting it for you.
These are simple to read, but at the same time relevant and contain the keywords that Google will pick up on, including the service and the location.
If we are honest few people will actually read them. They will skip them and look at the services listed on the page, but even a short descriptive sentence like those above will be read by Google, which is very important.
Layout
The order in which you display your service is important. There are many ways to do this, and the sort order system built into the CMS allows you to be in control.Order by…
Price – It is common for online shops to have summaries ordered by the price of an item
Popularity – Placing the most popular item at the top of the list makes it easy for the people looking for that service to find it and click. Remember your aim is to reduce friction and get people to the detail the level of detail they desire before they buy or contact you.
Profitability – If you want, you can put your most profitable services at the top of the list. If you only have half a dozen items to list, the order will seem random, but the viewer will see what you consider to be your top service and they will perceive that because it is at the top it is what you are best at.
Newist First – A permutation of ordering is to feature new services at the top of the page. This will allow the viewer to consider something they may not be looking for, but it will plant the idea in their head you conduct this service or sell that product range.
Range – If you have a set of identifiable product ranges or styles you can order by these. If they are ‘known’ to potential customers they will be relevant, but if they are your descriptions of the range this will be a little less relevant to the client and you may want to consider a different way to order things, perhaps by style, colour or applications. It is essential not to confuse people with your own classifications of things rather look toward their perceptions and need to help them find what they are looking for. You will notice this is the approach we have taken in grouping articles in this whole manual.
However you decide to order your services in the summary, you need to monitor and adjust things throughout the life of your website. If, for example, a service you wish to sell more of is not being enquired about, you need to understand and adjust how it is displayed on the services summary (and other) pages.
It is essential you ask your customers how they found out about you. Also, if they didn’t choose to ask about the service you wanted to sell, ask them if they knew you did that. Market research is not just done with non-customers, the best market research to develop your marketing messages is done by asking your current customers for feedback on your methods.
Images
The images you use to illustrate your services are crucial. By using the right image you can reinforce your service message and increase the confidence the viewer has in you. The image needs to enhance the message not distract from it. Don't just put a picture of your van if you are a mobile locksmith, put a picture of you at work in a home so people can visualise and think of you helping them. If you offer cleaning services, a picture from an interesting angle, without giving too much detail will help to create that link. An image of a half clean half dirty desk etc.You have a few seconds to gain the interest of your viewer. You have to do the equivalent of throwing salt in their eye to break their concentration and make them read your detail. Keeping your images interesting is essential. The chances are that the viewer of your site will also be looking at those of your competitors so you need to ensure you present yourself well.
Do not just take images off other websites. Make sure you have the rights to use them. Your suppliers will often have photo resources for you to use. See the article about images for more information. Above all on your Services pages do not try to explain every little aspect of your service. You are trying to let the viewer know you are capable of helping them, answer their initial questions, but get them to call you and ask more focused questions, that allows the sales process to start.
Services Entries
The aim of each entry is to show your competence in this service. This, in turn, will build confidence in the mind of the reader and allow them to make the decision to call you or click and buy. The danger of the services entry is writing too much and going from 'informative and interesting' to 'waffling and boring'. Try to keep it short and to the point. Things you should include in your service entries include:By keeping it brief and to the point, giving the client enough information to decide to call you and ensuring that you are accurate with your claims and description, your service entries will remain interesting to the potential client.
- Your skills in the area of the entry
- Experience you have
- The quality/diversity/unique options of your product range
- Unique techniques or machinery you have to conduct the service
- Benefits to the client
If you are selling a product range from another supplier, do not just copy and paste the standard description that ever other reseller is using. It is important to put this information in as people will be expecting it, but you need also to make it interesting. Use an example of use or a unique feature as a key element in an introductory sentence. Yes, if you have 100’s of products this is a lot of work, but you don’t have to do them all at once so you can focus on the most important or the featured products to get things started.
Whether product or service you need to remember a Call to Action to each service/product entry. This could be a simple ‘call us to discuss’ or a ‘click now to buy and have this widget delivered direct to your door’.
Service Examples
Accountant (occupation) – Bookkeeping Services (service)
Sometimes keeping on top of the day to day paperwork can become a hassle, especially if you are busy. If you are out visiting customers, preparing quotations and conducting the work, sometimes the last thing you want to do is the books. This is where we can help. We can do your day to day 'books' to give you a clearer picture of the position your company is in.
Our bookkeeping service will help you withWe can also offer a weekly collection service to ensure that everything is up to date. Don't let the paperwork slow you down. Let us help you to do more work and be confident in the knowledge that your books are being done correctly. If you would like to talk about your day to day bookkeeping needs, please call our office on 03 698 4562.
- Day to day record keeping
- Bank reconciliation
- Cashflow
- Tax planning
Builder (occupation) - Alterations/Renovations (service)
Whether it is a simple matter of moving walls or renovating a bathroom, through to a complete internal rebuild, our team of skilled and qualified tradesmen have many years of experience in working with families to make the house they have, to be the home they want it to be.If you are intending to make alterations to your home, please call us. We will visit your home and are happy to discuss your plans without obligation. The reason we prefer to visit sites is so we can: understand the layout of the home, understand the scope of what you wish to do, have a look around for any potential issues, and get to know you a little more so we can work happily with you.
- Walls moved
- Doors moved
- New rooms added
- Bathrooms renovated
- Kitchen rebuilds
Alterations to existing homes can be challenging and by trying to understand the situation before we start means we are able to anticipate issues and work out ways, within your budget, to minimise them. Call us on 04 896 2365 to arrange a meeting. We are even able to come outside of working hours and weekends for your convenience.
From the above examples, you can see that entries do not need to be long or overly complex. Neither do they need to be filled with wild statements or industry jargon just to try to impress the reader. It is better to speak simply and explain what you do and the successes you have had. The use of a short sharp bullet pointed list also helps to focus the mind of the viewer onto specific aspects of the service. When combined with an interesting or point making image, well written, short blocks of text are an effective way to promote your services.