Most service business owners think they need everything figured out before a website project can begin. They're waiting on professional photos, finalized copy, a locked-in services list, and a logo they actually love. Here's what most designers won't tell you: you don't need any of that to get started. Here's exactly what you do need to know before your design project begins.

Most service business websites look fine but do nothing. The problem isn't your color palette or your logo. It's that no one can tell what you do, who you help, or what to do next. After redesigning websites for therapists, consultants, attorneys, and nonprofits, here's exactly what your website design should include and what's quietly working against you.

Your design is clean, your logo is polished, your colors are on-brand, and your inbox is quiet. If that sounds familiar, the problem almost certainly isn't your design. It's your copy, and specifically, who it's written for. Most service business websites are written about the owner instead of for the client. Here's a page-by-page framework for fixing that and converting more visitors into booked consultations.