You know your business needs a website. Then someone asks you to send over the content, and suddenly you're staring at a blank document.

What do you say about yourself? How much detail do people need? Do you have to write a whole page about every service?

I’d start with the conversations you already have with customers. Before someone hires you, they usually want to know a few things: can you help with their problem, do you work in their area, and how do they get started?

Your website is a good place to answer those questions.

Say what you do and where you do it

Put this near the top of the page, in words your customers would use.

“Quality solutions for all your needs” could describe almost any business. “Interior and exterior house painting” gives someone something useful right away.

Then say where you work. If you serve Vernon and nearby communities, name the areas you actually cover. If customers come to you, include your location and opening hours. If visits are by appointment, make that clear too.

You don’t need a clever slogan before you can explain the basics. A visitor should be able to tell whether they’re in the right place without scrolling through the whole site.

Explain your services enough to help someone choose

You probably have a short answer ready when someone asks, “What kind of work do you take on?” Start there.

List your main services and give each one a brief explanation. Include details that affect whether someone should contact you: residential or commercial work, one-time jobs or ongoing service, and any limits on what you offer.

For example, a cleaning business could explain whether it handles regular home cleaning, move-out cleaning, or both. Someone looking for help shouldn’t have to guess.

If a service needs more explanation, it can have its own page. For a simpler business, a few clear sections may be enough.

Show your actual work

If photos help explain what you do, use them. Finished projects, products, your workspace, or the people doing the work can all give visitors a better sense of your business. If you have before and after pictures, even better!

Add a short caption when the photo needs context. What was the job? What did you do? A sentence or two can make a photo much more useful.

You don’t need a professional photo shoot to get started. Clear, well-lit photos from your phone can give you something to work with. Choose a small selection that shows the kind of work you want more of.

Only use photos you have permission to share, and check with customers before showing their property or identifying details.

If your work is harder to photograph, explain your process instead. A bookkeeper, for example, could describe what a new client needs to provide and what happens during the first month.

Introduce the person behind the business

An about section doesn’t have to be your full life story.

Tell people who you are, what experience you bring, and how you approach the work. If you’re the person answering the phone and doing the job, say so. A photo of you or your team can help put a face to the name.

Specific details are easier to understand than broad claims. If you’ve worked in your trade for ten years, that says more than calling yourself “passionate about excellence.”

Keep it honest and write the way you’d introduce yourself to a new customer.

Include a few customer reviews

If you have reviews or testimonials, choose a few that say something about the experience of working with you.

A review mentioning clear communication, showing up when promised, or how you handled a particular job gives a visitor something concrete to consider.

Use the customer’s actual words and make the source clear. If you’re sharing feedback from a private email or text, ask permission first.

If you’re just starting and don’t have reviews yet, you can still explain your services, show what you can, and make the next steps clear. Add customer feedback as it comes in.

Answer the questions people ask before booking

Think about the questions you answer by phone, email, or message every week. Those are good candidates for your website.

Pricing is often one of them. If you have fixed prices, include them. If every job needs a quote, explain what affects the price and what information you need to prepare one. If you use a starting price or range, make it clear what it covers.

Make it easy to get in touch

Once someone is ready, give them a clear next step: call, email, request a quote, or book an appointment.

Use a contact method you actually check. If you’re usually on a job and can’t answer the phone, tell people how best to reach you and when they can reasonably expect a reply.

A contact form should ask for the information you need to start the conversation. That might be a name, a way to reply, the location of the job, and a short description of what they need.

You can collect the finer details once you’ve spoken to them.

Start with five questions

If you’re stuck, write down the five questions customers ask you most often. Then answer each one the way you would if they called you.

That gives you a first draft in your own words. Add your main services, a few photos, a short introduction, and your contact details, and you have useful material for a website.

The wording can be polished as you go. Getting the basic information down is the first step.

If you’re putting together a website and need help figuring out what belongs on it, get in touch. Tell me about your business and what customers usually ask, and I’ll help you work out what to include.

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