Maid Service Website Basics.
There’s somewhere between 1.6 and 1.9 billion websites active across the globe, and a few thousand more will be added by the time you finish reading this page. So don’t worry, there’s plenty of cyberspace for more. So come on in!
Creating a website can be a little overwhelming, especially if technology is not your forte. But we’re here to reassure you it can be pretty straightforward when you remember one important rule: Have a version 1.0 mindset.
You’ll be hearing more about this “version 1.0” approach in the coming weeks, but for now, consider the fact that you are in launch & learn mode. You may not have the time or capacity to build a pristine website, but that’s okay. You can create a great first version.
We suggest WordPress. It’s full of tools to help you optimize your site and attract visitors, and you don’t need coding experience to use it. Plus, it integrates easily with maid service software like ours.
We’re going to focus on the home page, but you can use the same principles as you develop each page of your website.
There are two components to every website: words and design.
Let’s start with the words.
Words sell stuff. The design reinforces the purpose of those words. Design refers to everything from images to analytics and SEO. As you write the copy (words) for your site, think about the questions we asked in last weeks post:
- Who will you serve? Write for that person and the problem they’re facing.
- What will you serve them? Tell them how you’ll fix their problem.
- How will you serve them? This is a bonus question. Describe your process in a way that proves your ability to solve their problem.
As you write the copy for your website, keep in mind the Three Ps: problem, promise, and proof. This will keep you focused on what your customers really want to know on every page of your website.
Last week, we suggested you look at three maid service websites. If you haven’t done so yet, do a google search of “maid service + (your service area, county or city)'”
Which of the sites are most appealing to you? Are there elements you can incorporate into your site?
Find every lesson in our Launch & Learn series here
Your maid website homepage: Make it welcoming!
Let’s start with the headline. Headlines are important. You have about three seconds to catch your reader’s attention, and the headline is how you do it. You need to make it easy for them to understand who you are and what you offer right away.
Think back to your customer’s problem and your promise to solve it. Your goal is to write something short, clear, and punchy that communicates both so your customer knows they’re in the right place.
Take a look at www.quickbooks.com, an online accounting platform for businesses. The headline is straightforward: “Save time, track money, and get important insights.”*
You don’t have to have spent much time in the online world to know that keeping the books is critical. So when you read this headline, there’s no doubt that you’re in the right place.
Notice how well the three words, time – money, and insights – suggest the likely problems in the customer’s mind. And the way the headline offers promise.
| Problem | Promise | |
| Time | A busy business owner can’t afford to get bogged down with accounting. |
Quickbooks saves you time. It’s in their business name. |
| Money | A business needs to be profitable to make money. Keeping track can be challenging. |
Keep current by tracking expenses and income. |
| Insights | What you don’t know actually can hurt you. | Having visibility of important insights allows you to get on top of problems before they get on top of you. |
What are three words you can use to describe your maid service business? Let’s take a stab at it. How about dependable, efficient, and thorough?
These three words address specific problems might fear:
- Dependable: The customer doesn’t want to wait around for the maid(s) to arrive.
- Efficient: The customer doesn’t want the maid(s) to take forever to finish cleaning.
- Thorough: The customer doesn’t want to pay for a mediocre cleaning job.
Are you getting the hang of this?
We’re spending so much time on the headline because you have about 3 seconds to get the reader’s attention. Otherwise, they are gone with a click. So give their attention a target that’s easy to hit.
Now, let’s take a look at another thing on that QuickBooks page. There are two more important things to notice:
- 1. A prominent “Buy now and save 50% button” and
- 2. Proof of the promise. On each section of the page, this “Buy now” button is always close by.
“Proof” is the answer to the customer’s question, “How do I know you’ll do what you say you’ll do?”
Here, QuickBooks draws on 28 years of experience, Capterra ratings, and 7 million customers globally.
If you’re just getting started, you won’t have stats like this to back you, but that’s okay. You’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas:
- If you have even one good testimonial or glowing Google review, put that front and center.
- Highlight something unique about your cleaning service. For example, maybe you only use eco-friendly products, you’re bilingual, or you have a special piece of equipment.
Remember rule #1? This is version 1.0, and your maid service website will undergo many changes as your business grows. As you get more testimonials, ratings, or other creative forms of proof, you’ll make updates. And software like Launch27 will collect those reviews for you to pick your favorites and add them to your website over time.
What about the rest of the homepage?
There are many things you can do with the rest of the page, but it’s important to keep hitting on the pillars of problem – solution – proof.
Here are some general guidelines:
- Write a subheading that reinforces how you solve the problem and why they can trust you.
- Ensure the “click to book” or other call-to-action buttons are always close by. But, of course, you can say something more creative, too, as long as it’s easy to understand.
- Use bullets creatively to expound on the three pillars. This in itself is an art form. For example, imagine all the reasons why your customer might resist booking a maid service and write a bulleted list that addresses them.
- Consider adding a video to break up the text and add a friendly face to the message.
- Always write using “you” language, not “we” language. Example: Your “About” page is not so much about you but about how you help the customer.
- Don’t be afraid to keep testing! Try different layouts and copy, swap out your photos, and change the text on your call-to-action button. Keep the stuff that works. Don’t let your website become a static cyber billboard.
There are plenty of great resources to help you write excellent copy for your website. Two of our favorites are, Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller (especially Chapter 5: A Wireframed Website That Works) and Everybody Writes by Anne Handley.
Homework
Pull up a blank document or grab a pen and a piece of paper Start brainstorming some headlines for your maid service website. Think about how you describe your maid service business to people in person and how your headline could fit into that pitch.
Start sketching out the skeleton of the rest of the page. Look at successful brands’ websites for ideas. Set a goal to get a rough first draft (version 1.0) of your homepage complete within the next week.
Experiment. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first. Don’t get discouraged by the difficulty. When you’re learning something new, being a little uncomfortable with the challenge usually means you’re on the right track.
Keep going!
Hoveringly,
– Ellie
* Interestingly, QuickBooks changed their homepage the day after we wrote this post. This reinforces the importance of the version 1.0 mindset. Thanks, QuickBooks!