How to write an effective services page in 6 steps

It’s all too easy to get tongue tied when you sit down to write your services page. All too easy to get caught up in the idea of “selling” and forget the bigger picture. This anxious mindset can surface for every page of your DIY website copy, but there’s just something about service pages that keep us really stuck.

Today, we’re going to sift through the details so you know exactly what needs to happen on this page. We’ll carve a clear path you can follow to write your copy from a place of excitement–not one of angst or confusion.

GATHER VOICE OF CUSTOMER DETAILS 

The very first step to writing an effective sales page is not actually sitting down to write.

First, we want to collect what’s known as “voice of customer data (VOC).” Voice of customer data is the language of your ideal customer. It’s how they communicate what they think and feel (especially what they think and feel with regards to your offers and industry).

One of the biggest reasons business owners get stuck writing copy is because they feel they need to create the perfect language out of thin air. But that’s not the case. 

The best language for your copy will come from your ideal audience. It’s out there. It’s up to you to unearth it and assemble it.

Two types of VOC: General and Specific. 

Specific VOC is made up of language from actual clients/customers you’ve served. They have specific things to say about your specific business.

General VOC comes from broader research, we have to go out searching for it. This is language from the type of people you would LIKE to work with and those you consider your ideal customer.

Steps to finding general VOC

If you’re new to business or have not yet worked with clients you consider to be “ideal” then you’ll want to start with general VOC. This can be a bit tricky because it’s hard to find ideal clients talking specifically about your type of offer, so you’ll need to use some inference skills in your research. 

1. Create a space where you can save snippets of language from your research. This can be a google doc, spreadsheet, or notes app.
   
   

2. Brainstorm keywords: make TWO lists.
   • One list should include words that would resonate with your ideal client in general (think about hobbies/interests they may have)  Ex: Journaling, hiking, home decor, gardening, minimalism, cottage core, meditation, energy healing etc.
   • The second list should include words related to your business/offer. Ex: Mindfulness, yoga poses, financial planning, meal plans, trauma healing etc.
     
     

3. Search those keywords! Enter them into the search bar of Tiktok, Instagram, Pinterest, Podcasts, Youtube. You can also look to book titles that have these keywords
   
   

4. Explore content related to these keywords and take note what people are saying.
   • What do they want more of in life? 
   • What do they want less of?
   • What are they frustrated by
   • What are they in need of or interested in
   • What are they confused or unsure about
   • Hesitant or resistant to?
     
     

5. Now you have a list of thoughts, quotes, and perceptions related to the personality of your ideal client. This will be used to set the tone of your copy. You also now have a list of thoughts and language around your industry/offer. These quotes will be used as prompts or sentence starters for your services page copy.
   

Steps to finding specific VOC

If you’ve been in business for a while and have worked with ideal clients then you can rely on a specific voice of customer data!

1. Create a space where you can save snippets of language from your research. This can be a google doc, spreadsheet, or notes app.
   
   
2. Begin searching for language that illustrates client:
   • Frustrations
   • Needs
   • Desires
   • Questions
   • Hesitations
     
     
3. Sift through the following places to find specific VOC:
   • Contact forms
   • Discovery calls
   • Client questionnaires
   • Email correspondences
   • In person/virtual meetings (recording these can help)
   • Surveys to email list or past clients
   • Testimonial/review forms 
   • Comments on content you’ve shared
   • DM’s
     
     

Thoroughly researching VOC before writing service page copy will make the rest of the process so much easier and prevent you from staring too long at a blinking cursor.

UNDERSTAND YOUR OFFERS 

The next step in crafting service page copy is to flesh out the details of your offer. Think about this step (and the previous one) as gathering the ingredients for a recipe. It’s much easier to bake if you have everything readily accessible from the start.

Here’s what you need to know about your offers before writing the copy:

What’s included?

Define the process from beginning to end. What will the tangible experience look like for your clients? You might make a simple bulleted list of the onboarding, in process, and offboarding steps. 

You will also want to define the actual deliverables? What will your client receive when they book with you? Ex: coaching calls, workbooks, templates/guides, a certificate, a personalized action plan on X topic, etc.

Bonus tip: Is there any step or deliverable you could add to your offer based on research you found from voice of customer data?

Features vs benefits?

When we make purchases we might try to logically justify why we need this particular product or service. But at the core, we all make investments based on our emotions.

 “How is this going to improve my life/situation?”

 “How will this make X task/challenge easier?”

We make investments based on “benefits” not “features.” As the famous example goes: A hardware store isn’t really selling a quarter inch drill, they’re selling the result that drill will bring: a quarter inch hole. The benefit? The customer will be able to finish the project they are working one that requires a quarter inch hole.

Be sure to define the features of your offer. Ex: length of coaching calls, number of pages in workbook. Then define the benefits of your offer. Ex: newfound confidence, clarity on X matter, peace from overwhelm, restored sense of joy.

When it comes time to write the copy, you’ll want to include the features, but emphasize the benefits!

Offer name?

Next consider the name of your offer. Much like naming your business, naming your offer can leave you feeling stuck. Here’s a few ways to tackle it:

• Use a descriptive name: tell the audience exactly what it is. This can be great for standalone offers.
  • Ex: Nutrition coaching, Financial planning, Reiki healing, Yoga classes
    
    

• Use an emotional name: use symbolism to evoke a certain feeling. This can be great for offers that have tiers or packages.
  • Ex: a wedding photographer who loves gardening might name their photography packages: “The seedling experience,” “The full bloom experience,” “The bouquet experience.”
    

Hush offers?

The last thing you should know about your offers is if you will openly advertise all of them. Will you have any “hush offers” that are not directly listed on your services page? Maybe you offer a mini package to one of your services, but only mention it in your services guide or discovery call once a potential client has reached out. 

The benefit of this would be you can have more flexibility to meet clients where they are at without directly encouraging every visitor to select a smaller package.

SHOULD YOU HAVE ONE SERVICE PAGE OR MULTIPLE?

Every page on your website should have a specific goal. You don’t want to include too much information with conflicting goals on one page. The number of service pages you have on your website will depend on the type of service you offer.

When to go with multiple service pages:

• When you have multiple standalone offers
  • Ex: maybe you offer business finance planning, done for you tax services, and personal budget planning services. Each are very specific and ideal clients of each would have different goals.
    
    
• When your offers cater to different audience segments
  • Ex: maybe you offer client facing services as well as education for individuals looking to get started in your industry. You’ll want to keep those pages separate.
    
    

When to go with one service page:

• When you only have one service
  
  
• When you have one service with multiple tiers or packages.
  • Ex: Wedding photography with multiple timelines, life coaching packages, spa treatment packages.
    
    
• When your services build on each other
  • Ex: I offer brand and website design on one page because once a brand is completed a client might upgrade to have a website designed as well! The goals are linked. This would also be beneficial if you offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes of your service.
    

START WITH A FORMULA 

Finally, it’s time to start writing the copy! To prevent yourself from getting stuck (or intimidated by a blank document) start with an outline and a formula.

One of the best copywriting formulas to use for a services page is the acronym: PAS. This stands for: Problem, Agitation, Solution. Think about this formula as an order for writing (a recipe to follow), and a way to lead the reader through an emotional journey from the top of the page to the bottom where they can ultimately make a decision. 

Simply add the acronym to your word doc and begin answering the following prompts under each category. (Here’s where you’ll want to fall back on the voice of customer data you created in the first step.)

1. Problem
   1. What challenges is your ideal client facing?
   2. What is frustrating, scaring, or stressing them out?
   3. Where do they feel stuck, trapped, “off” or unsure?
      
      
2. Agitation
   1. How is this challenge, problem, or stressor really impacting their life?
   2. What is the long term impact of dealing with this problem?
   3. What are they missing out on by not addressing this problem
      
      
3. Solution
   1. What would life look like if they no longer had this problem?
   2. How would they feel, exist, or live without this burden? How would they be transformed?
   3. What possibilities would this transformation open up for them?
      
      

Once you have this rough outline filled out it’s time to start turning those notes under each category into actual lines of copy! Sort your ideas from most important to least important to decide what could be a headline, a subheadline, and paragraph copy. 

Bonus tips: Don’t feel the need to get the perfect wording right away. If you’re stuck on a line, highlight it and come back later. Just keep writing. Additionally, be sure to read this blog here on how to craft your headlines with SEO keywords in mind! 

INVESTMENT DETAILS

Pricing in website copy is a fairly controversial topic. There’s lots of opinions out there, but here’s my take. If you landed on a site and found no price listed for a service you were interested in, what would your first thought be?

More than likely you’d think: “It must be really expensive if they’re afraid to list the price. I’ll look somewhere else.”

If you go to a real fancy restaurant you’ll see wording like “priced at market value” or no price listed at all. Customers at these restaurants are expecting to spend a lot to indulge in the experience. 

But you’re not a fancy restaurant. While your ideal clients will be willing to invest in your service in exchange for a desired benefit and transformation, they’ll probably want a ballpark of what they can expect to pay.

Best practices for service pricing:

• If you don’t want to list an exact price for a service (perhaps because it will differ on the needs of the client), consider listing a “starting at” investment or a range. You might add a line below that says “contact for a custom quote.”
  
  

• Steer clear of words like “cost” and “price.” Opt for the word “investment” to help potential clients view your service as something with lasting value for their life, not simply something to spend money on.
  
  

• Offer payment plans to help meet clients where they’re at.
  
  

• Avoid the “for only $19.99” infomercial cliche. Using words like “just,” “only,” or “but wait, there’s more,” can really cheese out your copy. It’s also much more professional to use whole numbers for investments. You won’t be fooling anyone by saying your service is $598.00. Own it and list it as $600!
  

FINISHING TOUCHES

When all of the ingredients (the VOC and offer details) have been mixed together and when the copy formula has been followed (the recipe), then it’s time to make the dish shine!

Personality sprinkles

It’s always good to save the witty, personality-packed language until the end. That way you know you’re prioritizing clarity around the offer first and foremost. But here’s your chance to sprinkle in little references to your favorite music, books, hobbies, ect. Into the copy!

For example, as you weave your way through my website you’ll catch references to Harry Potter, Hogwarts houses, and patronuses. Not enough to deter anyone who isn’t interested in the story, but just enough to pull in any visitors who are into it!

Testimonials

It’s good practice to spread testimonials throughout your entire website instead of keeping them on one page. It’s also wise to display testimonials in a few ways, in a few spots on your services page. 

Once you start working with ideal clients be sure to set up a system for collecting great testimonials so you have lots of options to pull from. You can display full reviews or pull out key quotes to break up the body of the services page copy.

CTA’s

Finally, you’ll want to include a clear Call To Action (CTA) on your services page! What do you want the viewer to do next? While other website pages might have a goal of downloading a freebie, reading blogs, or exploring the site more…the goal on this page will be to move them closer to working with you!

Your CTA might be:

• Book a discovery call
• Ask about custom pricing
• Chat about availability
• Begin your project
  
  

The CTA should be listed at the bottom of the page, but depending on the length of the page you might list it a few times throughout. Be sure to check out this post on writing CTA’s for other pages and business tasks.

And there you have it! A clear plan on how to DIY your services page for your website. This is a golden opportunity to connect with your ideal client. To show them that you truly understand where they’re coming from and what would support their life.

Have fun and don’t put so much pressure on yourself to get it right the first go. (As always, we’re not fans of perfectionism around here). Words have power, wield yours wisley.