As a consultant, you’re the expert at what you do, and delivering excellent service to your clients is a top priority. But does your website reflect your expertise and give you the credibility your business needs to grow? 

75% of consumers admit to making judgments of a company’s credibility based on the company’s website design.

So you can see the importance of not only having a website but making sure that it is designed to attract new clients and showcase your experience and knowledge in your field.

In this article we’re going to cover:

  • Why it’s important to have a website for your consulting business
  • What pages you need to include on your website, and 
  • How you can showcase your expertise to attract new clients.

What impression are you sending with your website?

Your website is the hub for all of your online activities for your consulting firm, and in most cases, it’s the first impression a potential client will have before making a decision to work with you.

These days, we can’t rely on face to face connections to make an impression on a client. That connection has to be made online, and your website is a great place to initiate the conversation. It’s the place you own and have control over the experience your visitors have. 

This is where your brand comes into play. Webster’s dictionary defines a brand as a public image, reputation, or identity. Our Chief Marketing Officer at Constant Contact describes brand as, “based on people’s perception — what they think of when they think of that company.” 

What is your brand identity? What message do you want to send to potential clients? How do you want your consulting business to be portrayed? 

All of the answers to these questions should be reflected in your brand, and that brand needs to shine on every page of your website.

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4 essential pages for a consulting website

So now that we understand the importance of why you need a professional-looking website, how do you actually get started? 

Well, it starts with just four pages; a Homepage, About page, Contact page, and Services page. 

As a consultant, you may need to add additional pages depending on your particular niche in the market. For some (and I would argue almost everyone) a blog is a great way to show potential clients your knowledge. Others will need a portfolio page to show previous work and clients you’ve worked with. This will help you build credibility and trust, and hopefully turn prospects into paying customers.

1. Homepage

consultant website example - Home page
Example of a professional’s Homepage

We often refer to the Homepage as the front door to your business online. Visitors to your website are most likely going to stop here first, they want to see what you’re all about. The Homepage should be inviting and answer some basic questions those visitors have.

What do you do? Be clear and specific about the services you offer. Prospects, or potential clients, don’t want to go searching all over your website just to figure out what it is you do, and they won’t. They’ll move onto the next search result. 

Who is it for? If there is something unique about the service you provide, then shout it from the rooftops. Tell potential clients how you can help solve the problem they’re facing.  

Ultimately you want prospects to do more than just get to know you. You want them to take action. Make it simple for a visitor to know what to do next. If they are interested in hiring you as their consultant, how do they take the next step? Use a clear call to action that leads them directly to that action they need to take; fill out a form, schedule an appointment, sign up for email, etc. 

2. About page

Consultant website example - About page
Example of an About page, showcasing your personal story, approach, and expertise.

People do business with people. Especially for a consulting firm, you want to give your clients a sense of who you are and how you got here. What is your story? What makes your consulting business different from the competition?

Prove you’re the expert by sharing your education and experience and how you use that experience to benefit your clients. Give them the confidence they need to know that you’re the right fit for them. 

3. Services page

Example of a Services page. Think about the services you offer as a consultant and what you can showcase here.

Your Services page should go into detail about the services you offer. Do you have a certain workflow or process that you want clients to be aware of? If you offer sub-services, you may want to have separate pages for those as well.

Share customer testimonials or samples of your work. For example, if you’re a marketing consultant that specializes in social media, you can share examples of social campaigns you’ve worked on and the results of that campaign. 

If you’re a trainer or public speaker, what classes do you offer, what knowledge can a potential attendee expect to walk away with? Are there case studies or other examples such as video clips of past events you can show potential clients?  

4. Contact page

Here’s an example of a Contact page, with many ways for website visitors to get in touch.

This seems like a no-brainer but oftentimes we forget about the basics. If a visitor is going to your contact page, it means they are ready to take the next step and hopefully do business with you. Make it easy for them to contact you and be sure you have multiple ways to get to this page throughout your website. 

Do you have a preferred contact method? Be sure clients and visitors know how to reach you; email, phone, etc.  

What can they expect in terms of response time from you? What are your hours of operation? 

Where is your firm based? Do you have multiple locations? 

All of these questions will ultimately help prospects get in touch with you and help your firm generate new leads.

How can you show potential clients your expertise?

Anyone can say they’re an expert, but real success comes to those that can show they’re the expert. And that begins and ends with a content marketing strategy.  

I know that sounds intimidating, but it’s pretty simple and something you’re already doing with your clients. Answer the questions they’re already asking. 

Content marketing is simply creating content that is relevant to your audience on a consistent basis. There are many types of ways you can share your expertise. Maybe it’s in the form of a white paper, a blog article, videos, podcasts, and through your email marketing.  

Focus on delivering content that is valuable and will help your customers solve whatever problem they’re having. 

Providing relevant content will keep those visitors interested and coming back for more even if they’re not quite ready to hire you as their consultant. So be sure you have a way to collect their email address to keep that conversation going even after they’ve left your site.