The website features I wish more service-based businesses used

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working with service-based businesses, it’s that SO many of them are underusing their websites. Often clients will come to me with the basic pages in order (albeit in not an aesthetically pleasing or highly converting style...), but there's so many features beyond a contact form that can make your website work for you.

And I get it. It’s easy to think of your website as just a business card, or just needing the 'must haves' to look professional. But when used right, your website can be the difference between a visitor bouncing within 10 seconds or booking a call on the spot. I know which one I'd rather.

So let’s talk about the website features I wish more service-based businesses used. Think features that can make your life easier, get you more clients, and actually turn your website into a tool for business growth.

1. Blogging literally pays off forever!

This might sound basic, but I wish more businesses blogged. It’s one of the best ways to showcase expertise, build trust, and boost SEO rankings. But so many businesses ignore it because they don’t see instant results or don't think it's worth the time.

I worked with a client who started a bi-weekly thought leadership blog. Within three months, he saw a 228% increase in website traffic and a 48% increase in contacts. And that was the only change we'd made to his website in that time period. Blogging = power.

And the best part? Blog posts don’t expire. Unlike social media, where your content mostly stops showing up in peoples feeds within a week, a blog post can keep driving traffic for years. And the more you blog and show both your clients and Google all your expertise on your subject, the more your website can perform and the higher it can rank.

What do I suggest?

• If writing feels overwhelming, start with one post per month. Answer FAQs your clients always ask and it's killing two birds with one stone.

• Both Wix and Squarespace have built in tools in their blogging platforms to help you optimise your posts for the best rankings, so don't feel like you need to be a blogging expert to get started.

• Repurpose blog content into Instagram captions, emails, or LinkedIn posts to make it work for you even more. (I recently read 'The Personal Branding Playbook' by Amelia Sordell and she said how "not repurposing your content is like only wearing a good outfit once". Blog posts are the perfect time to start re-wearing that good outfit!).

2. A Call/Booking scheduling tool will save you time

If your business involves booking discovery calls, consultations, or client meetings, please stop relying on only a basic contact form and start using a scheduling tool. It makes the process seamless and I can guarantee it will get you in front of so many more clients than what your contact form is.

I worked with a lawyer who had zero contact form submissions in six months. After integrating Wix Bookings (their website was based on Wix, but if you prefer Squarespace I recommend Acuity Scheduling), she started getting multiple paid consultation bookings and free discovery calls every week. No email back and forth and all the hassle that comes with that, just instant communication and commitment from clients.

What do I suggest?

• Use Acuity (for Squarespace) or Wix Bookings (for Wix) to let clients book calls instantly.

• Set up automated email reminders so clients actually show up.

• Offer both free and paid call options. This works especially well for consultants and coaches where users might already be sold on you and don't even need that discovery call. It's a win win.

3. Shorter contact forms are always easier

What is the current obsession with long and complicated contact forms? I completely get that having a more detailed contact form is very helpful for you, the business. But when designing a website, you need to be designing for the user and not for yourself.

I see so many businesses simply asking for too much information, which could be gathered later in the process instead. People don't want to write out their life or business story just to book a call, so just ask for the information you definitely need.

This still could be more than just a name and email. For example, it can be helpful to give users a checkbox list of prices to see what bucket they fall into. This will help you to avoid having a discovery call with someone who can't afford your services and help you to shape that call around the level of services they can qualify for (saving you both time), but you don't need to ask them exactly what they want from you and all the details about that when they might not yet be sure themself.

You could also consider other contact methods if just a contact form isn't working for you:

• A "Click to Book a Call" button (instead of a form) for higher priced services that require this.

• A WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger chat option for instant inquiries.

• An interactive quiz asking people key questions you'd always ask to give them a programmed result of what service would be right for them and the next steps they could take. It could still ask the same questions, but I think we can all agree a quiz sounds more fun (and gives me an instant answer reward) than a long form.

I truly believe the industry needs to rethink contact forms altogether. Making it harder for people to work with you is only decreasing the amount of leads you'll get.

What do I suggest?

• Test shorter forms and track if conversions increase.

• If your form is long, explain why (e.g., "We ask these questions to tailor your experience". But think of something more fun than that!).

• Consider linking to other contact methods to give your customers a choice, like your social media, Whatsapp, or business email.

4. Interactive pricing pages help clients to self-qualify before they contact you

Have we all seen the age-old internet battled of whether you should display your pricing on your website or not? I'm firmly in the camp of displaying your prices is the best (and in my opinion, only) way.

One of the biggest reasons service businesses waste time on calls that don’t convert is unclear pricing. I get that some businesses need to offer custom quotes (I do too!), but having a pricing page (even if it’s just starting prices) filters out people who simply cannot afford your quality of service (or are potentially looking for something even higher priced). Clients want to know if they’re in the right ballpark before they reach out, and businesses should want to make sure any discovery calls have a chance of actually converting.

Some businesses take this further with interactive pricing calculators, letting potential clients see what their project might cost. This could be in the form of a quiz or a calculator, where clients can add in what services they are looking for (and any other impacting metrics like timelines etc.), with the quiz or calculator bringing back an estimated quote. It's a bit more fiddly to set up, but I think this is such a good idea to start off a client relationship with full transparency, and skips any awkward pricing conversations you'd otherwise need to have as you'll both start on the same page.

What do I suggest?

• List at least starting prices so clients aren’t completely guessing.

• Use a pricing calculator if your pricing is complex.

• If you do custom quotes, explain what factors affect pricing.

5. You need a service page that gives more answers than questions

Too many service pages are just bullet points of what’s included. And those bullet points are full of jargon or industry specific terms that to be honest your user just won't understand.

Beyond the language used, clients don't just buy your service. In fact, often they might not even know what service they need. They are buying solutions to their problems, and more specifically, your expertise to fix that problem.

I’ve personally seen the biggest impact when service pages include:

• A clear problem statement (e.g., "Struggling to attract leads? We’ll help you fix that.")

• The transformation clients can expect (e.g., "From confused to confident about your website strategy.")

• Case studies or testimonials proving results.

• A CTA on every section, rather than just at the bottom.

What do I suggest?

• Rework your services page to focus on the client’s problem, not just your process.

• Add real client results to build trust.

• Include multiple "Work together" buttons throughout the page.

The right website features will make your service-based website work harder for you

If your website is just sitting there, waiting for visitors to magically turn into clients, it’s not working hard enough for you.

Try by starting small and implementing just one of these changes. You can then track the impact and build from there. Whether it’s adding a blog, simplifying your contact process, or reworking your services page, each improvement makes a difference.

Need help making your website work harder for your business? I'd love to help you out! Reach out to me here and let's chat.