What an advice website is for
When someone considers hiring a consultant, coach, bookkeeper or trainer, they want to understand three things before they get in touch: whether you deal with their kind of problem, what working with you involves, and whether the cost fits. A site that answers those plainly gives them a reason to make contact. A site full of general claims gives them nothing to compare.
Write the goal in the planner as a specific outcome, for example: "Enquiries from small firms who need monthly bookkeeping, with enough detail that the first call can be about their business."
Questions prospective clients ask
- What exactly do you do, and what do you not do?
- Is this for a business or person like me?
- What happens in the first conversation, and what does it cost?
- How long does working together last, and what do I get at the end?
- What qualifications or memberships do you hold?
- How do you handle the information I share with you?
Pages for an advice business
| Page | What it must answer |
|---|---|
| Home | Who you help, with what, and how to start |
| Services | One section per service, each with who it suits and what is delivered |
| How it works | The steps from first contact to the end of an engagement |
| Prices | Fixed fees where you have them, or how a fee is worked out |
| About | Your background, qualifications and memberships you can evidence |
| Writing or resources | Only if you will keep it up |
| Contact | A short form or email, and what happens next |
| Privacy notice | What you collect and why |
Describing your work without empty claims
Words such as "transformational" or "results driven" tell a reader nothing they can check. A specific description does more work: what a client brings, what you do with it, what they leave with. Google's SEO Starter Guide makes a related point about titles: a good title is unique to the page, clear and concise, and accurately describes its contents. The same discipline helps every heading on an advice site.
Avoid figures you cannot evidence. A line such as "clients grow by 40 percent" invites a question you may not be able to answer, and misleading claims carry legal risk under consumer law.
Testimonials and case studies
Testimonials can seem attractive when your work is hard to show. If you plan to publish them, the UK rules on reviews matter. From April 2025 the law has prohibited fake reviews, reviews rewarded in secret, and showing reviews in a way that misleads, such as keeping the glowing ones and dropping the rest. The CMA's guidance, CMA208, explains the duties of a business that publishes reviews. The reviews guide covers what that means for a small site, including asking clients for permission and keeping a record.
A case study that describes the problem, the approach and what was delivered, with the client's written agreement, can be more useful than a short quote. If a client cannot be named, say that the details have been changed.
Features an advice site may need
- Booking a first call. A scheduling link saves back and forth emails. Decide how long the first call is and whether it is charged before choosing a tool.
- A short enquiry form. Ask for what you need to prepare: name, email, organisation and a sentence about the problem. Leave the rest for the call.
- Downloads. A checklist or guide can show how you think. Plan who writes it and when it will be updated.
- A newsletter. Only if you will send it. Sign ups need consent, and a mailing service brings a monthly cost.
Rules advice businesses should check
If you trade through a limited company, the trading disclosure regulations require the company's registered name, number, part of the UK of registration and registered office address on the website. Your contact form collects personal data, so a privacy notice is needed; the ICO explains what a privacy notice must tell people in its right to be informed guidance. If you hold client data in a professional capacity, check any rules set by your professional body too.
Next steps for your advice site
List your services and the questions prospective clients ask in the planner. Then write one paragraph per service saying who it suits and what they receive. That paragraph is the heart of the site.
Sources checked for this page