The tone, flow and usability of a service industry website is not something to overlook, because this can be the difference between someone picking up the phone or submitting an enquiry or simply moving to the next on the list. Many businesses focus on appearing professional (which, of course, is important), but neglect the need to be approachable.

If you’re selling products online, there are a number of ‘plan b’ scenarios for customers to have the confidence to make that initial purchase – some examples of these are shipping & returns policies or buyer protection with payment providers like PayPal. When you’re selling a service, however, it’s perhaps of even greater importance to build trust, as what you’re really selling is the faith that your business will meet their needs.

You can’t simply return a bad service.

That’s why it’s imperative to get your online presence right in order to build trust & confidence, but also to inform & set expectations.