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Where and Why Your Service Process Should Be on Your Website
The powerful effects of sharing your unique working methods
by Sarah Marshall
The way you work is one of your selling points. But how much detail should you include about your unique process on your website and on which pages?
Where your method goes on your website depends on its relevance
If you’re selling a new, revolutionary way of doing things, then your process is probably already front and centre in your website copy. But, for the purposes of this blog, let’s assume that the way you deliver your services feels very similar to others in your field.
In fact, you may think there’s nothing special about your process, which is why you might not even have it documented. But lots of your competitors probably think the same and that’s why outlining how you work can really make you stand out to potential customers.
Having said that, most of us don’t need an entire website page dedicated to our process. It takes up valuable space on the navigation bar and most people won’t ever click on it because it’s not something they’re consciously searching for. Plus, it can come across as a little self-involved.
Instead, you want to weave your methodology into the copy on other pages so it reinforces the rest of your messaging and paints a compelling picture for prospective clients. Here are three places you can add your process to your website along with the specific function each one serves and examples from my own site.
Hint at your process on your Home page
Purpose
Differentiation and curiosity.
Level of detail
A simple phrase says a lot about the experience of working with you and makes visitors want to know more.
Effect
Touching on your process can overcome unexpressed concerns or include a promise that subtly sets you apart from the competition from the outset.
Example
In the mini bio on my Home page, I offer an “easy collaboration that gives you full control over the end results with minimal demands on your time.”
This is both a promise and addresses potential concerns.
Outline your method on your service and sales pages
Purpose
Professionalism and trust.
Level of detail
An overview of your method split into a maximum of 7 points.
Effect
This description shows you know what you’re doing and provides clarity, which creates trust and removes doubts.
It conveys more of the value of your services and positions you as the expert who will lead the process.
Example
I call my process the Seed Words Method and it appears on all my service pages, with slight variations to suit the service.
The method has 5 points and several steps are tightly packed into each one. To keep it short, the intro actually covers two more steps.
Fully describe the way you work in a blog post
Purpose
Education and preparation.
Level of detail
A detailed insight into what it’s like to work with you, including anything clients need to do before you work together.
Effect
Going through your process step by step reassures hesitant buyers, the ones who want to understand everything before moving forward. It also makes people who’ve never worked with someone in your field before feel more informed and confident about asking the right questions when they book a call with you.
This type of post should include lots of keywords, so it’s great for people who are searching for services like yours on Google.
Lastly, it will save you answering the same questions over and over, as you can share the post with anyone who enquires about your services, especially if they need to do some work before you can get started.
Example
In the post that describes my full website copywriting process, I include lots of the details that often come up on discovery calls but that aren’t necessary on my main service page.
Read the article to see how it speaks directly to a prospective client.
ARTICLE
Have you defined your process?
If you haven’t got your process written down somewhere, I recommend you remedy that in 3 steps:
- Think about previous clients and how you worked with them. Write down all the steps you followed. If you haven’t had any clients yet, think about what you plan to do.
Then look at how other people in your field describe their process and see if you can identify anything you do or would do differently. - Summarise everything into 3 to 7 steps and be sure to include the details that make you unique, no matter how small.
Although you will inevitably use ‘I’ to describe your process, try to use ‘you’ and ‘we’ where possible to be more inclusive. For most service-based businesses, an informal me-to-you tone works best. - Lastly, see if you can come up with a name for your methodology. It doesn’t have to be clever, it just has to be clear.
If you don’t know how valuable your services truly are, defining your methodology will help you see just how much you do for clients, which can be a wonderful confidence booster.
And adding the way you work to your website not only looks very professional, but creates a subtle but powerful sense that your prospective client is in safe hands.
Get an outsider’s perspective
Often we’re too close to our own business to see what’s special about how we deliver our services. And writing a succinct description or choosing a name is tricky.
Although I’ve given you some pointers here, there’s an art to sewing your process seamlessly into your website copy.
So, if you need help defining, naming and placing your methodology on your website, book a call with me.
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