Website Tips ·
You know your business. You know what you do well, how you help your customers, and how much work goes into delivering a good experience.
But when it’s time to put that into words for a website, knowing where to start can be difficult.
What pages do you need? What should you say? Which photos should you use? And what if you don’t have any of those things ready?
You don’t need to figure it all out before contacting us. At Sites In One Day, helping you gather your ideas and turn them into a useful, professional website is part of what we do.
Start with a conversation about your business
Before thinking about page layouts or choosing pictures, we want to understand your business or organization.
We’ll talk about:
- What products or services you offer.
- Who your customers are and what they need.
- Which services you most want to feature and grow.
- Where you work and the communities you serve.
- What makes your approach different.
- What you want someone to do after visiting your website.
You don’t need polished responses. Explain your business the way you would to a new customer—we’ll help you build from there.
Focus on what your customers need to know
A useful website helps visitors answer a few important questions:
Do you offer what I need?
Clearly explain your main products or services. Use familiar language and give people enough detail to understand whether you’re a good fit.
Do you work with people like me?
Describe the customers you serve and, where relevant, your geographic service area.
Why should I choose you?
Share your experience, approach, and the details that make working with you different. Specific examples are more helpful than broad claims about being “the best.”
What should I do next?
Make it easy to call, request an estimate, schedule an appointment, or ask a question.
These questions give us a starting point for deciding what belongs on your website.
What does that look like for your business?
The right website content depends on what your customers need to know before contacting you. For example:
- An electrician in Bowie, Maryland: Start with the services you offer, the areas you travel to, your qualifications, and how someone can request an estimate. Photos of completed work can help explain your capabilities.
- A dental practice in Reston, Virginia: Introduce the team, explain the services available, and help new patients understand what to expect at their first visit. Make appointment information easy to find.
- A catering business in Washington, DC: Show the types of events you serve, sample menus, photos of your food and presentation, and the information customers should provide when requesting a quote.
You don’t need all of this written and organized before we talk. Perry and our team can help you decide what matters most and turn the information you already have into a clear, useful website.
You probably have more useful material than you realize
Website content doesn’t have to begin with a blank document. Information you already use in your business can help us get started.
Useful materials might include:
- A brochure, service list, or menu.
- Descriptions from estimates or proposals, with private customer information removed.
- Photos of your work, products, location, or team.
- Your logo and existing business cards.
- Questions customers regularly ask.
- Professional credentials, certifications, or awards.
- Testimonials you have permission to share.
- Information from an existing website that is still accurate.
Even a collection of project photos on your phone or a list of common customer questions is a useful starting point. We can help identify what’s worth using and what needs more explanation.
Don’t worry about writing everything yourself
Writing for your website can feel different from talking about your work. That doesn’t mean you have nothing to say.
Tell us how you explain a service to a customer. Share what people often misunderstand. Walk us through what happens when someone contacts you.
Perry and our team can help organize that information, identify gaps, and develop wording that sounds like your business. We’ll agree on the level of content assistance included in your project before work begins.
You’ll review the content so we can make sure it accurately reflects your services and the way you work.
Choose photos that help tell your story
Good website images should help visitors understand your business and feel comfortable taking the next step.
Depending on what you do, that could mean photos of completed projects, your team, your workspace, or the products you sell.
If you don’t have suitable photos yet, we can help you decide what to capture and discuss other image options. You don’t need to delay the first conversation until every picture is ready.
Start with the essentials and build from there
You don’t need a large website to make a useful introduction.
A typical small-business website might begin with a home page, service pages, an about page, and clear contact information. The right structure depends on what you offer and what your customers need to know.
As your business develops, you can add featured projects, answers to common questions, additional services, and other useful content.
We also keep search-friendly organization in mind as we plan the site, with clear headings and information about your services and locations. The goal is to make your website easy for visitors to understand while giving search engines a clear picture of what your business offers.
What should you have ready for our first conversation?
Just a basic idea of your business and what you want the website to help you accomplish.
If you have an existing website, send us the address. If you have examples of websites you like, those can help, too. Let us know about your budget, any target launch date, and the questions you’re trying to work through.
Everything else can start with a conversation.
At Sites In One Day, we take the time to learn about your business and help you put the pieces together. You bring your knowledge of what you do. We bring the experience to help turn it into a website that introduces your business, answers questions, and encourages people to get in touch.
Explore our website design process or let’s talk about your website.