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Writing a services list that doesn't overwhelm visitors

SiteSmith · · 4 min read

A long services list on a website is like a menu with two hundred dishes: it proves you can do a lot and makes it hard to pick anything. The fix is not to do less but to show it better. Group your services into a handful of plain categories, put the work people ask for most at the top, name each item the way customers say it, and link every item to a page or a section with the details.

Why long lists put people off

Owners add services to the list over the years, one at a time, until the page is a wall of bullet points. Visitors then have to read every line to find out whether you do their job, and many stop halfway. A few common problems:

  • No order. Services appear in the order they were added, so the job you do every day sits below one you did twice.
  • Insider names. "Hardscape installation" means nothing to a homeowner looking for "a stone patio".
  • Everything looks equal. The thing that is most of your business looks the same as the side line.
  • Dead ends. The list names a service but does not link anywhere, so the visitor learns nothing more.

Step 1: write everything down

Start with the full list on paper or in a document, without editing. Include the small jobs and the ones you only do on request. Then, next to each item, mark:

  • A: brings in a big share of your work, or the work you most want more of.
  • B: regular, but not the core.
  • C: occasional, or only as an add-on to something else.

Be honest about the C items. Some can go from the website entirely; customers who need them will ask.

Step 2: group into a few categories

Look for natural groups. Aim for three to seven categories; more than that and you are back to a long list.

Good groups follow how customers think, not how your business is organized internally. Some examples:

  • An auto shop: Maintenance (oil changes, brakes, tires), Repairs (engine, transmission, electrical), Inspections (state inspection, pre-purchase checks).
  • A cleaning company: Homes, Offices, Move-in and move-out, Deep cleans.
  • An accountant: Personal taxes, Business taxes, Bookkeeping, Payroll.
  • A landscaper: Lawn care, Planting and garden beds, Patios and walls, Seasonal cleanups.

If one service does not fit any group, it may be a C item that belongs in a line like "We also handle..." at the bottom.

Step 3: put the most common work first

Order matters more than people think. Visitors read the first few items carefully and skim the rest.

  • Put your categories in order of how often customers ask for them.
  • Within each category, put the A services first.
  • If one service is so central that most visitors want it, give it its own spot above the groups: "Most people call us for water heater replacement" with a direct link.

Revisit the order once a year, or when your business shifts. Seasonal businesses may want to reorder by season.

Step 4: name things the way customers do

Read each item and ask: would a customer use these words on the phone?

  • "Residential HVAC maintenance agreements" becomes "Yearly furnace and AC tune-ups".
  • "Cosmetic dentistry" can stay, but add "whitening, veneers, bonding" underneath.
  • "Comprehensive bookkeeping solutions" becomes "Monthly bookkeeping".

Where your trade has a proper term that customers also use, keep it and explain it in a few words. Our guide on keywords and the words customers search has more on finding those words.

Step 5: add one line each

A service name alone often is not enough. A short line under each makes the list much more useful:

  • Brake repair. Pads, rotors and calipers, usually same day.
  • Move-out cleaning. Empty home, every room, inside cabinets and appliances.
  • Business tax returns. For sole proprietors, partnerships and small corporations.

Keep each line to one sentence. If you need more, that service needs its own page.

Each service on the list should lead somewhere:

This makes the list a menu that takes people where they want to go, instead of a dead end.

Where to show the list

  • On the home page: only the categories or the top A services, with photos, not the full list.
  • On a services page: the full grouped list, with the one-line descriptions and links.
  • In the main menu: the categories, or "Services" with the groups underneath. Our guide on organizing your website menu covers how many items fit.
  • On each service page: links to closely related services.

On phones

A grouped list matters even more on a small screen. Check on your phone that:

  • Category headings are clearly larger than the items under them.
  • Items are far enough apart to tap the right one.
  • The list does not require sideways scrolling.
  • If categories fold open and shut, it is obvious they can be tapped.

What to do this week

  • Write every service you offer, then mark each A, B or C.
  • Group them into three to seven categories by customer problem.
  • Order the categories by how often people ask.
  • Rename anything a customer would not say out loud.
  • Write one line under each A and B service.

If your current site has a long, unsorted list, you can see your site rebuilt first with your services grouped, then reorder them yourself in the panel.

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