The Most Common Service Page Mistakes to Avoid

Copywriting Tips

May 4

Written By Emily

9 service page mistakes killing your sales

Are you struggling to get clients through your website? Most service providers severely underestimate how optimised a service page needs to be to make sales.

It’s not enough to explain your services and expect your clients to understand the value. You need take them on a journey that convinces them they need your services to get results.

But it’s so easy to make mistakes that put clients off and make them click away.

So in this post, I’m going to share all the common service page mistakes I see clients make when creating service pages and how you can avoid them to boost conversions on your service page.

The 9 Most Common Service Page Mistakes to Avoid

1. Irrelevant Links

This is by far one of the most common mistakes that I see on client service pages.

It’s tempting to give your potential clients links to your testimonials, case studies, social media pages, and other fun pages.

But when they click on those links, they’re not buying your services.

The more links you give a potential client, the more chances they have to leave your service page and never become a client.

Put yourself in your client’s shoes. You land on a service page, and the services seem good, so you start scrolling through them to learn more. But you’re still on the fence – you need to be convinced to buy.

And then, you see a link to the service providers' Instagram page, so you click over to learn a bit more about them.

But you get so caught up in their Instagram posts that you never actually go back to the service page, and you decide to be a lurker for a while.

If your client never had that social link, you could woo them and convince them that your services are perfect for them.

So go through your service page and remove all irrelevant links, including ones to:

Social media pages
Testimonial or case study pages
About pages
Other services or products

The only link on your service page should be to book a call with you or buy your service.

sale

2. Weak Language

Which of these sentences sounds stronger?

“I think that if you put in a lot of time and effort, you could see results in a few weeks.”

“If you dedicate 4 hours a week, you’ll see results within one month.”

The second one is miles better, right? That’s because the first one is filled with weak language that skirts around committing to any particular stance or result.

Your clients are looking for the best person to invest in. They want an expert that knows what they’re talking about.

Weak language is a clear sign that you don’t believe in your services, so why should they?

Weak language is easy to miss, so here are a few common phrases to remove:

I think…
You might…
Really
Maybe/Could
Amazing (this one is overused – choose a more interesting adjective!)
In my opinion…
A lot/some/a few (be way more specific)

3. Lack of Storytelling

service provider working on her service page content

Your service page should take your potential client on a journey through a story. If there’s no story to your service page copywriting, visitors won’t be engaged.

Think of your service page like a story:

Introduction – introduce your client’s problem and the trouble they’re having.
Build anticipation – show your clients you understand and have solutions that can help.
bring in your services as the hero of the story – focus on solutions and the value you provide
Include different POVs – testimonials will solidify your claims and help people trust your story.
Get them lost in the fantasy of the story – build a picture of what their life could be like with your solutions.
Build to the big finale – that’s your service process, pricing, and what it’s like working with you.
The ending – a click-worthy CTA that clients can’t help but hit.

If your content plan doesn’t lead your potential clients on a journey down your service page, you’ll lose them mid-way, and they’ll click away.

Keep them engaged in the story with a clear structure and interesting storyline.

4. Lack of Testimonials or Social Proof

The first thing I do when I land on a new website is check testimonials. Whether it’s a new spiralizer from Amazon or a service from a small business, I want to know that others have already had a good experience.

If you don’t have any testimonials on your service page, visitors won’t build trust with you, and you’ll never make the sale.

Sprinkle in testimonials throughout your service to give your potential clients consistent reminders that people know, like, and trust you.

If you don’t have testimonials yet, start with character testimonials from friends and colleagues!

There is someone on this earth who has something nice to say about you, so there’s no excuse for having no social proof on your service page.

5. Poor-Quality Graphics

You already know that your website needs high-resolution images. Grainy, poorly lit graphics are going to scare clients away.

But that’s not what I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about generic stock images.

Too many stock photos on a website put visitors on edge. They start to wonder if there’s a genuine person behind the brand and lose trust.

If you can’t afford to hire a professional photographer right now, here are a few free tips to quickly improve your graphics:

Include at least one photo of you on your service page.
Use natural light to give your photos a crisp look.
Set your phone up on a surface so your entire body is in the shot (a window sill or chair will work!).
Use customisable illustrations give your page a more unique look.
Avoid generic stock photos of hands typing or models smiling.

Canva is a great copywriting tool for creating customised, high-quality graphics for your service page.

6. No Scan-ability

Nobody is reading every word on your service page – our attention spans are way too short.

Instead, visitors will scan through the content and pick out titles, highlighted text, bullet point lists, and anything else that you make stand out.

Visit your service page on your mobile and only read the headlines, bold text, and other highlighted text. Does it still make sense? Have you highlighted the most important information?

Scanners should still get all the value of your service page without reading every word. It’s tough to achieve, but it will boost your conversions!

Want to boost traffic to your service page? Learn my secrets for ranking on Google in the next guide!

7. No Clear Outcome

Your clients aren’t looking for services; they’re looking for outcomes. However, one of the things my clients struggle with is focusing too much on features, not outcomes.

Here’s what I mean:

Clients aren’t looking for social media management services; they’re looking for someone to get them their first 10K followers.
Clients aren’t looking for business coaching services; they’re looking for help reaching their next monthly income milestone.
Clients are looking for photography services; they want someone to make them look like an expert on their website.

See the pattern? If your service page lacks clear outcomes, visitors won’t see any value in your services.

So, how do you make sure you’re focusing on outcomes? Highlight the tangible gains your clients will get from your service:

Hours saved
Followers gained
Money saved/earned
Opportunities earned

8. Salesy Tactics

Y’know that icky feeling you get watching a bad infomercial? It’s so obvious when all someone wants to do is make a sale, and it’s immediately off-putting.

Your client knows that you’re running a business, and no one is expecting your services for free.

But when the focus of your service page is sales instead of value, clients start to feel like numbers on a sheet instead of valued humans supporting your business.

Is your service page focused on giving real value? Does it show your passion for your service? Or is it desperate for sales?

Visitors will feel that desperation straight away, and they won’t stick around for long.

9. No Human Touch

service provider working on removing service page mistakes

Is there a clear human touch on your service page? People buy from people, so if your service page is devoid of human contact, clients won’t trust your site.

Luckily, it’s very easy to add that human touch:

Include picture of yourself, your process, your studio, etc.
Add past client photos along with your testimonials.
Make your copywriting conversational.

The most successful service pages draw customers into a unique world and make them feel like part of an exclusive community. If you can nail that, you’ll quickly boost your client conversions.

**Want to Totally Transform Your Service Page [+ Your Entire Website]?**

I totally understand how tough it is to make changes to a service page. We get so close to our services that it’s a challenge knowing whether we’re showcasing value and connecting with clients.

That’s why I launched the Website Content Audit.

I work with clients 1:1 to show you exactly how to change, tweak, and improve every page on your website to turn it into a client magnet.

Intrigued? Discover what’s involved in a Website Copy Audit here — I hope you love it!