6 Easy Things Coaches Can Do For a Better Website!
Having a coaching business can be the most rewarding business you will ever have.
You get to help others move past obstacles in their life, you get to seem them improve, you get to see them feel more confident in themselves and move forward, and you get to see them find success in whatever area of coaching you focus on, and so much more!
But building that business can be overwhelming at times as you try to figure out all the pieces to grow.
One of the most important parts of growing your coaching business should be building a website.
It can help legitimize your business and show your expertise, tell people who you are and what you do to help others, bring in more leads, generate income, and save you time with automations.
As a coach (life coach, personal coach, business coach, spiritual coach, empowerment coach, etc), your website will be the place people learn more about you, find out about your services, schedule appointments with you, get on your email list, and sign up for your coaching.
Here are a few web design tips for coaches you can implement right now!
1. Choose a good domain name
This may sound simple, but your domain name can make the difference between whether or not someone remembers it.
A good domain name is one that is easy to say, easy to spell, and easy to remember. If you can get one that ends in a .com, that is always best as it’s the most intuitive.
If you have a business name in mind, go to any domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, or even your hosting provider, I recommend Siteground) and do a search to see if your chosen name is available… and if it is, buy it. Hint: most domains cost about $20/year.
If the name you want for your coaching business is not available, try a few variations. For example, lifecoachingwith[your first name].com, empoweredwith[your name].com, or [your name]coaching.com.
You can also just use your name if it’s short and easy to spell.
Even if you don’t use your name for your business, you should purchase the domain of your name if it’s available. (You don’t want to become a huge success and then have someone else own your name!)
You want to choose a domain that leaves your business open for growth and change. For example, if you are currently an empowerment coach, but later want to pivot to a business coach, be sure the name will allow that.
2. Have a clear “Hero Section”
The “hero section” of your website is the first thing people see when they land on your website. This is the most important part as it usually determines if someone is going to scroll down to find out more about your business.
Be sure, when someone lands on your website, they know exactly WHO you help and the problem you solve.
For example, if you work with divorced women who want to start dating again, say that! If you work specifically with first responders and help them with overcoming and dealing with daily trauma, say that! If you work with sleep-deprived new mothers who need help getting their baby on a sleep schedule, say that!
Let your website visitor know right away, when they land on your website, they are in the right place!
3. Tell people exactly what they’re supposed to DO to work with you
You should have very specific calls to action on your site. They should be obvious and tell people exactly what they’re supposed to do to work with you. Make that clear.
What is the first step? Should they schedule an appointment with you? Then tell them that, and then have a button that leads directly to your calendar to schedule.
4. Have good quality images of YOU on your site
People want to “see” who you are and get a feel for whether or not they want to work with you.
They want to feel like they know you before ever scheduling an appointment.
Use images that show you are approachable, that show a little of your personality, and show people what it’s like to work with you.
If you want ideas on how to take great website photos, read the article “13 Tips to Take Great Brand Photos For Your Website.”
5. Make your site scannable!
Use headlines, subheadings, bolded text, numbered items and bulleted lists. Too much text can be overwhelming!
Set up your site in such a way that people can scroll down the page and get the information they need to make a decision.
Make it simple and include only the most important information.
Your website visitors want easy. They don’t want to have to think.
They have a problem and are looking for a coach to help them, can you do that? That is the question someone visiting our website is asking themselves as they scroll… be sure you are answering their question!
6. Make your site visually appealing and use your branding
In today’s world, looks matter. First impressions are important.
A website that looks good feels more trustworthy. It feels more professional to the viewer.
You can have the most amazing business and be the best at coaching your clients, but if people get to your website and their first impression is a bad one, that is hard to overcome.
One of the simplest ways to make your website visually appealing is to use your brand colors and fonts.
Be consistent with everything you do. If someone finds you on social media and then goes to your website, it should visually look and feel the same, instantly letting the person know she is in the right place.
Don’t be afraid of “white space”. White space is the space between sections and elements. Things that are spaced out are easier to read, look cleaner, and give the reader time to process the information you are giving them on your site.
Pro Tip: when it comes to design, less is more.
Colors: 2-3 neutral colors, 1-2 main colors, and 1 accent color. (For color palette ideas, visit https://www.canva.com/colors/color-palettes/)
Fonts: 2 only. One main font for your headlines and a simple, easy to read font for your text and subheadings. (For examples of Google font pairings, go to https://www.fontpair.co/all or https://heyreliable.com/ultimate-google-font-pairings/)
Still wondering where to begin or need some web design inspiration for your coaching business?
Check out these coaching websites examples:
Jeannie Spear, Betrayal Trauma Coach
What I love about Jeannie’s site is that it’s clear, easy to understand, easy to scan, and has a simple call to action.
Jeffrey Denning, author, speaker, coach, consultant, helping individuals and organizations in and through crisis.
Notice on Jeff’s site that he looks nice, kind, approachable, and like the kind of guy you want to work with!
Yolanda Mitchum, grief recovery coach, helping people move from broken-hearted to living again.
On all the sites, notice the consistent colors and branding, notice how easy they are to scan, and notice how quickly you can figure out what kind of coaching they do and if you would be their ideal client.
Use these 6 web design tips for coaches to improve your own coaching website and watch your business grow!
Download the High-Converting Homepage Layout and know exactly what to put where on your site! Layouts included for your homepage, about page and work with me or services page.
