Do I Really Need a Website for My End-of-Life Business?

(Yes. And here’s why.)

If you’re just starting out as a death doula, home funeral guide, celebrant or any other end-of-life professional, you might be asking yourself: Do I really need a website?

You might also find yourself thinking:

“This doesn’t feel like a business—it’s a calling.”
“I’m not ready for a whole website.”
“Can’t I just start with Instagram or Facebook?”

Let’s talk this through.

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Your death services are a business, even if they don’t feel like one (yet).

Many death service professionals come into death work from a place of deep purpose. You’ve chosen this path because you believe families deserve better options and support at the end of life. You want to show up in the most human, heartfelt ways. That can feel at odds with “selling” your services and being an entrepreneur.

But here’s the catch: if you want people to actually find you, trust you, and hire you – you need to treat it like a real business.

Now if you make the choice to treat it like a business, that does NOT mean your website and marketing have to be cold or sterile. Just professional.

Sensitive and personal matters like end-of-life planning require people to take a leap of faith when choosing to hire a professional for support. Along with showcasing your services and qualifications, a good website can serve to spark a sense of warmth and connection and build trust – the foundation for the powerful work you will do together.

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A website helps people find you

You could be the most gifted, grounded, deeply compassionate death doula in your state or province. You may even have multiple death services certifications. But if no one knows you exist, you’re not going to be able to actually serve the people who need your care.

Unlike massage therapists, photographers, or plumbers, the awareness of death services isn’t at the level it needs to be for a high volume of people to type “death doula near me” into Google. Interestingly, while there are 390 people each month in the USA who search that phrase, there are 18,000 people who search “death doula”! This suggests a high level of interest in death-related services, and I expect the phrase “death doula near me” to only continue to grow.

Most people still don’t even know what a death doula is. That means you have the opportunity to serve as a source of education and information, providing helpful resources on all the related topics from advance care planning to Medical Assistance in Dying. That way, even those who don’t yet know about the wonders of having a death doula or home funeral guide or celebrant can discover you when they are searching for related topics!

Social media can be great for awareness and education, but it has its limits. Posts get buried. Algorithms change. Your carefully crafted content with a very sensitive topic for many is competing with dog videos and dance trends (ugh).

A website gives you a permanent, searchable home online. It helps people find you, not just information. And it shows up for you 24/7 – helping people grow in awareness of your services & get the help they need. That’s a big deal.

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You’re building trust – and that starts before they contact you

End-of-life work is intimate and emotional. Families need to feel safe with you. That starts the moment they land on your homepage.

A good website tells people:

• Who you are
• What you offer
• What you believe
• How to take the next step

And just as important—it tells them that you are real. That you’re grounded. That you’re not just dabbling in this, you’re committed to it. Plus, with growing public interest in your services, a professional website helps you stand out.

They don’t want to have to dig through a messy Instagram bio and hope you’ll DM them back. They want to know:
“Can this person help me or my loved one right now?”

Your website should answer that question wth clear, calm confidence – so that they can feel confident reaching out to you!

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Your death services website doesn’t need to be fancy. But it does need to work.

No, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars upfront. You don’t need animations or fancy branding or a 12-page website.

But you do need:

• A clean, simple layout
• Clear info about what you do and what communities you serve
• A photo of your face (yes, really – ideally with great eye contact and a smile)
• A way to contact you easily with a clear call to action
• A site with foundational SEO in place so you can show up in search results

If your website can do that, you’re in good shape.

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Your website is your foundation for everything else

Once your website is set up, everything else gets easier.

• You can link to it from business cards.
• You can send people there when they’re asking questions on social media.
• You can write blog posts or share resources that live on your site instead of disappearing into the Instagram void.
• You can show up in search results when someone is Googling end-of-life help in your area.

It’s not just a place to land. It’s your hub. And, ideally, it will grow with you as your practice grows.

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If you want to do this work, make it easy for people to find you

This line bears repeating:
If you want to actually DO this work that means so much to you, people need to be able to FIND you.

That’s what a website does.

It’s your open door. Your digital handshake. Your quiet “I’m here if you need me.”

You don’t need to wait until you have all your ducks in a row. You don’t need the perfect tagline or blog post strategy. Just get something live. Make it simple. Make it honest. Make it yours.

A few closing thoughts…

Yes, you really do need a website.
Not because you’re trying to build an empire – but because this work matters. And people can’t hire you if they don’t know where to look.

A website says:
“I’m doing this. I’m ready. Let’s talk.”

And when someone is facing one of the hardest seasons of their life, that kind of clarity is a gift.

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Need help making it happen? I help end-of-life professionals like you create warm, trustworthy websites that feel like you. Reach out to book a free discovery call—I’d love to chat.

Yes, a professional website will require an initial investment of time and resources, but I promise the long-term benefits for your end-of-life business are invaluable.  Just imagine your business growing into a trusted resource in your community, with the people who need your help the most able to find & hire you with ease. That’s our goal! Are you ready?