Every other day, websites are becoming more crucial in doing business. In fact, the online world has morphed into the best market any business could ever envision. Everyone is scrambling to get a share of the cake; every business is releasing content into the available space. Sometimes you can hardly see the opportunity because it already seems crowded. But hold on!
The internet has space for one more coach, and that`s definitely you! But you need to get yourself a good coaching website for a start. Think of a website as a representation of what you do, who you are and what you want your potential clients to see. A good coaching website, in retrospect, should always include the following;
First: A Nice Simple Site Structure
The only way to get people to visit your site is to get them to like it! No one likes a complicated website. You should probably put in just as much as is essential and no more. For a first, you need to come up with a nice draft of the structure, before you even set on the website building process. Include what you feel is needed. Don`t trash the whole site with innuendos. Blending aesthetics and functionality is important in this. In as much as you would want the website to look good, you would also want it to attract traffic, especially returning traffic. A good structure not only increases your visibility, it also goes a long way to help the speed of the site. Slow sites just suck! For a coaching website, it is important that you include the following pages in the website structure
An Impressive Homepage
First impressions are everything on the internet. You need to impress without seeming too abrasive, or showing off, and you need to identify with the issues that specific clients have. For coaching, unlike in other businesses, you are not just in the business of selling your services; you are in the business of providing solutions. Tell them how you can solve their issues, don`t just tell them what you offer! – An about us page You might think that this is just about you, but no. AN about us page should show clients that you are adept at what you are doing. Seek to impress with this page, to get people interested in you and what you offer.
[ctt template=”1″ link=”oKikI” via=”no” ]”For coaching, unlike in other businesses, you are not just in the business of selling your services; you are in the business of providing solutions.”[/ctt]
Product or Services Page
On many occasions, most visitors to your website will frequent this page than any other page, and you will need to convert them to visitors. Have a little detail of every coaching service on offer, just a little but not too much. Do not exhaust them with too much detail! On this same page, you should probably also inform your potential clients what expectations you have of them and your coaching rates too.
Contact Page
You need to get the visitors to come to you now, and there is no better way than giving them your contact. First, it gives a little trust, but please makes sure that you are always available for questions that may arise
Client Testimonials Page
Many people downplay the effect of a few client testimonials on your website, but you shouldn’t. You need people to see that you are an expert at what you do! Get clients you have already coached to vouch for you, just to show new ones that you are real!
An Opt-in Page
Part of your goals for building an online presence is to build your own community. You start building your community by growing your list. You can add opt-in forms in various places around your site. A dedicated page to your opt-in is a fantastic way to grab your audience attention. Having a dedicated page will give you the ability to be more creative with your opt-in styling and message.
A Landing Page
Do you have a special offer, product or service you would like to promote? A landing page is essential for explaining the benefits of your service or product to your potential customer. How does a landing page differ from the regular web page? The landing page should only have one call to action to either purchase or inquire and it will not have a navigation menu and footer. A regular web page will have the navigation menu, footer and multiple sections with different calls to action.
#2: Have a Clear Target in Mind
One of the biggest mistakes that plague coaches who rush to make websites are the generalization. A website is not just a space for `anyone who can coach.’ You need to have a focus on a specific area, a specific group of people. In essence, it is always about understanding what your market needs, and exactly what they respond to. Have an understanding of the exact points that are likely to bring people your way. Don’t just be the usual Jack of all coaching trades. Every person has different needs; you need to tap into specific ones.
#3 : Be Distinct!
A website is all about standing out, beating the competition. If you go through most of the coaching websites, the lump of `normalized` content, pictures from the mass websites like shutterstock and others will meet your eyes. It might be Zen stones, man cheering on top of a mountain, yoga pose, drop in water and ripple effect, people sitting in suits around a table, signs pointing in different motivational directions, open door into a green field, a green traffic light, or a row of people smiling and jumping, don’t just follow blindly what the rest are doing. It might work for them, but most website experts will tell you that such is a complete turnoff for many clients. It lumps you together with the mediocrity of the whole coaching field. In retrospect, it doesn`t cost you much to achieve the difference.
You don`t always need an expensive graphic designer to achieve this. Sometimes, even simple photos taken from your phone, if they are clear and relevant work the magic. All the above factors in mind, you can then go on and join the fray, but don`t just rush yet. Because the technicalities start arising from here. Just don’t make a website, yes you can buy hosting and all that, but make sure you are able to update it consistently, it is all about the focus, and a little discipline. Treat it like a job in constant progress, sometimes you will need to change the look, sometimes you will need to get questions answered, and sometimes, you will need to update everything. If you can`t do all that on your own, adding a web developer to your team beforehand might be a solution.
After the Fine Details
We haven`t talked about the fine details of making a website, about themes and Search Engine Optimization and things like that. Everybody tells you that, and we end up with too much mediocrity on many of the available coaching websites. You don`t just need a website, everyone can get one. You need a website that does more than what the human marketer will do.
