Someone visiting a technical company website is trying to assess whether the business fits a requirement. A list of disciplines does not always provide enough information. Visitors need to understand what you do, when it is relevant and what they need to share to start a conversation. Use those questions as the basis for your content.
Start with the visitor’s question
Write down the questions you receive during initial conversations. What application does someone have in mind, which part remains unclear and where do they need support. Use this input to decide what a service page should explain.
Make the opening paragraph specific. Name the subject of the service and your company’s role. Then explain the details. Use technical terms where they help you be precise, and explain them when your intended visitor needs that explanation.
Give services and sectors different roles
A service page describes what you do. A sector page provides context for an application. Let the two pages support each other. Avoid repeating the same generic text with only the sector name changed.
Choose a few questions for each sector that matter to those visitors. Then point towards the relevant services. Include only applications your company can actually contribute to. If an application is still being explored, describe its current stage.
Explain the division of responsibilities
Describe where your contribution begins and which information you need from the client. This could include an explanation of the requirement, the current situation and the intended application. It gives visitors something concrete to prepare before getting in touch.
Use examples you can support
A specific project can help explain a service. Describe the requirement, your role and the work you are allowed to share. Distinguish between completed work, ongoing development and a goal for the future.
Do not use performance figures without evidence that can be checked. An explanation of the approach can also be useful. Show how you define a requirement or which decisions are discussed, without suggesting every project has the same solution or outcome.
Keep language versions aligned
Review Dutch and English pages alongside each other. Compare service names, the work described and the route through the website. Wording can vary by language while the underlying meaning remains the same.
Also decide who maintains both versions. When a service changes, include its translation in that update. Check links and contact buttons too, so visitors can move from the explanation they have read to a relevant next step.
How this relates to UD-Automated
For UD-Automated, we work on website structure, Dutch and English content, and the presentation of technical services and sectors. The digital presentation includes mobility, hydrogen, sport, machinery and industry. The collaboration focuses on clear explanations and the connections between pages. The principles above relate to those content decisions.
For your own website, start with one service. Ask someone from your intended audience to read the page and describe in their own words why they would get in touch. Use any uncertainty in that conversation to refine the copy and the next step.