The 6 Basic Things You Need on Your Service Based Website

Ok, it's time for a pop quiz!

What do the following songs have in common?

• ?“Lively Up Yourself” by Bob Marley
• “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
• “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction
• “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles?
• “Break On Through” by The Doors?

No, they are not songs I played at my wedding. I got married in the woods. ;)

If you guessed that all of those songs have two chords, you are correct!! Show them what they’ve won, Vanna.?

I love music – to play, to sing, and to dance the shoulder pump to while driving my car. I even named my business after music, Songbird Creative.?

But, you know what I love even more than music? Simplicity!?

Call me lazy, but I crave efficiency. If there’s a shortcut, emoji, or app for that, sign me up! ??

When websites first came on board about a billion years ago, they were complicated and massive, with pages and pages of information and resources and links. Sites took a very long time to build and required a team of coders and designers. Back in the day, there was no DIY-ing of a quick Google or GoDaddy site on your lunch break.

Thankfully, that has changed with the explosion of social media. Your website no longer has to carry the burden of being the end-all resource for your business with all the latest news and events. We have endless other platforms for that.

In fact, some people choose not to have a website all together and just use their LinkedIn or Instagram page. That's fine, but if you do think it's finally time for a website to act as your home base for your service-based business, read on for my simplest recipe of what you need.

Your Website is Your Business Card

I like to think of the modern day website as a digital business card. Remember those? Like a business card, it should display just enough information in a clean and clear way to get people to reach out to you or follow you elsewhere. It can be simple.?

Let's flash back to elementary school English class and the 5 W’s -- the who, what, when, where, and why of telling a good story. Well, it’s almost the same recipe for creating a website for a service based business. When someone lands on your site, they should learn, at a minimum, the following info:

1. Who you are – Your name or business name
2. What you offer (including a few examples or a portfolio if appropriate)
3. How you can help them – in a sentence or two
4. Why you can help them better than anyone else – a short paragraph called 'About Me'
5. How to get in contact with you – a form or link to an email
6. Where they can follow you on other channels to get the latest scoop – icons

That’s it! Really.?

So if you’ve been putting off building a website because it seems too complicated or onerous, fear not. Building a website can be the equivalent of a two chord song – clean, simple, and it might stick in your head for long periods of time. "Don't break my heart, my achy breaky heart." You're welcome. #earworm

Tired of doing everything solo? At Songbird Creative, we provide elegant and simple websites, design compelling free offers, write email sequences, create beautiful branding packages, and help hone your message for solopreneurs ready to fly from DIY (doing it ALL yourself)!