What to expect?

I will walk you through how to create a coach website that:

• positions you as an expert
• conveys a message that resonates with your ideal clients
• helps you stand out in a crazy competitive industry (health and wellness)

Before we start…

This is not your typical “7 tips” kind of article. I’m going to walk you through the actual process that I use to create websites for my clients.

It might take you some time to go through this guide but, if you’re sick of working with every client who shows up at your (virtual office) door and you finally want to start working with clients you LOVE, then it’s worth spending 10 minutes on this, isn’t it? 🙂

Cool?

Cool. Let’s go!

Quick links

Why most coach websites don’t work (as expected) 2

Step 1: Who is your ideal client? 3

Step 2: What is your value proposition? 4

Step 3: Craft website messaging that resonates 5

Step 4: Write an engaging About page 6

Step 5: Attract qualified leads 8

Step 6: Create winning service offerings 9

Step 7: Take action (now, not someday) 11

Why most coach websites don’t work (as expected)

When clients reach out to me, they already know something is not quite right. They have a “symptom”.

Sometimes they come because they are not getting enough people to schedule a call.

And sometimes they come because they have an overwhelming gut feeling: “My website just feels dry and disconnected. I need something that resonates with my clients!”

Yes, the symptoms can be different but, when your coaching website doesn’t work like it’s supposed to, it always comes down to the same core problem.

Most coach websites don’t work because they are focused on the services (The WHAT), not on the results people are getting from these services (The WHY).

And, that doesn’t work very well because clients buy The WHY .

For example…

WHAT I do is copywriting, marketing, audience research, positioning, etc. but the real reason WHY clients hire me is not because they want me to do all these things. They hire me because they want to stand out from the pack and attract more clients.

So, how do you find your WHY?

Yes, you have to look inward (to your own Big WHY). But you also have to look outward, to discover your clients’ WHY and connect to it. Sadly, I see a lot of coaching websites that lack this element.

But you’re here which means that you want to be smarter about your business.

So, without further ado, let me show you how you can make your website a client magnet. 🙂

Step 1: Who is your ideal client?

Do you get nervous when someone asks you that question?

Choosing an ideal client sounds limiting, I know. It sounds like you’re going to miss out on an enormous amount of business if you decide to focus on just one “niche”. Right?

Wrong.

What if you didn’t have to choose between “having an ideal client” and “not having an ideal client”?

Well, you don’t!

What you really need to do is have some notion of the type of people you want to work with. If you’re just 1-2 years into your coaching career, that notion could be vague. That’s perfectly fine. You will polish it over time.

The point is that you have to be relevant to ONE specific group of people. It can be a large and loosely defined group but it shouldn’t be “everyone”.

Having an ideal client profile is crucial if you want your website to be a client magnet.

Not having an ideal client makes you behave like you’re everything to everyone. And this can be very dangerous to your business.

For example…

One of my clients helps people find balance in all areas of life, achieve maximum productivity and stay in the flow for long periods of time.

But he struggled to identify his ideal client: “I work with all sorts of people”, he said, “business owners, project managers, CEOs of large companies, team leaders, online entrepreneurs, even athletes…”

These people don’t seem to have much in common, do they? So, maybe there is no ideal client here…

Not true! After working together, we found that the ideal client was The High Achiever. This quality was what united all of the people that my client served.

Step 2: What is your unique value proposition?

A “unique value proposition” might sound like a buzzword but it’s actually VERY important because…

…it’s the biggest reason why clients will choose you over the competition.

…it’s the answer to that dreadful question “What do you do?”

…it’s the LinkedIn title that you spent hours trying to craft or the Twitter bio that gets people to click through to your website

So, ya, you NEED a value proposition if you want to thrive in this business (not just survive).

And here’s some great news:

Most of your competitors don’t have a UVP. So, if you find yours, you’ll be a couple of steps ahead of them.

How do you find your unique flair?

I know that this can be challenging. Many of my clients have complained that they can’t really “see” what makes them unique.

But here’s the thing: Uniqueness is not about doing something that’s never been done before.

It’s about doing something in a unique way.

For example…

I tell people I’m a copywriter and a marketer. That’s not unique and I don’t intend it to be.

What is unique, however, is how I deliver my services—the combination of my personality, process and experience.

Let me expand on this thought a bit .

Personality: I’m a writer with a passion for healthy living and a quirky sense of humor.

Process: Research is the cornerstone of my work because I have seen how it helps businesses grow.

Experience: I’ve been doing conversion copywriting for 5 years now and I’ve learned how to get people saying “It’s like you’re reading my mind”.

Bottom line: I’m a marketer who is passionate about health and wellness, has a research-based process and gets customers saying “It’s like you’re reading my mind”.

So, my UVP is “I help heath and wellness coaches get inside the head of their ideal clients and earn more business.”

Try something similar. Explore your own personality, process and experience and find that unique value proposition that sets you apart.

Step 3: Find the brand voice that resonates

Why is that important?

Because, when your website message resonates, your prospects feel understood.

When they feel understood, they start trusting you.

And when they trust you… They are ready to become clients.

OK, that sounds great in theory but how can you actually achieve it?

To make your brand voice resonate with your ideal client, you have to steal and use their own words. Then, you have to touch on their pain points and promise them the exact results they want.

The only way you can ever achieve that is through research.

(OK, yes, there is another way—actually reading people’s minds.)

Awkward jokes (and silly gifs) aside, here’s an example.

For example…

Even though I know and have worked with a fair bit of coaches, I did some research before writing this article.

I wanted to know what you might be interested in and I also wanted to be clear on the language I should use. So, I started “listening”—I read comments on similar posts, browsed Facebook groups and perused emails from my clients.

That’s how I figured out that I should talk about brand voice, positioning, service offerings, etc.

If I was writing this guide for another audience, I would be covering different issues.

Step 4: Write an engaging About page

“Engaging” sounds like a slippery term, I know. But let’s try to shine some light on it.

Your About page is “engaging” if it attracts and keeps the attention of your ideal client.

To understand what this means, we have to step into the client’s shoes for a moment.

What engages the client? Why do they even want to read your About page?

What do they expect to find on your About page?

Reassurance. Credibility. Results.

However, this does not mean they want to read a dry boring resume complete with a 10-page list of your degrees and certifications.

The harsh truth is that clients don’t care about your certifications and your membership in the ICF.

They click through to your About page because they want to know one thing: “Can this coach help me?”

Once more, it’s about The WHY (Why you’re the right fit) and not about the WHAT (What achievements you have).

For example…

You can show clients that you can help them by telling your story.

Yes, this means you will have to open up and, no, that’s not going to make you look less “professional”. People don’t connect with brands. They connect with other people. And that’s especially true for a coaching business because it’s a one-to-one relationship. It’s personal. So, you being vulnerable and honest is just going to attract more of your ideal clients to you (not less)!

For example, one of my clients got into coaching when she had to find a way to manage her son’s diabetes. She discovered how to do it with the right food and mindset.

Her About page talks very little about WHAT she does. Instead, it focuses on her story, explains WHY she started this business and how she helps people.

This way she engages her potential clients. They can relate to her story and they begin to trust her because they can see she’s passionate about what she does.

Step 5: Attract the right clients

It’s not just about having a website. It’s about having a website that attracts the right kind of clients… Because that’s the shortest (and sweetest) path to more revenue, more impact and more fun!

That’s why our first step was to get clear on WHO your ideal client is.

Now, how do you actually turn these perfect strangers into perfect clients?

It’s simple: You have to give to receive.

I’m sure you’ll agree with this, like I do.

The idea is that you have to be the first to provide value in the relationship with your client. Not only does it feel good but it also helps build trust.

OK but WHAT should you give?

What you give to the client for free has to make them realize that they need your services.

For example…

Let’s suppose you are a nutrition coach. You serve women who want to eat healthy without feeling overwhelmed (um, what is Sorghum Flour and where do you even buy this?!)

So, what can you offer for free?

What will make them realize that they need your service?

Here’s an idea: You can offer an ebook called “7 simple (and healthy) recipes you can make with cupboard essentials”.

Step 6: Create winning service offerings

The key to a winning service offering is a mindset shift. This particular one:

Your services are unique!

No one else does what you do in the exact same way that you do it.

Sadly, believing this is not enough. You have to talk the talk and walk the walk.

Yes, selling a unique service can be a bit difficult if you don’t know how. But that’s what I am here to help you with. 🙂

The way to (successfully) sell a unique service is to point out the problem you solve and then offer your solution. This works equally well when you’re writing copy for your website and when you’re talking to a potential client live.

For example…

If your service offering is “private yoga coaching” then you’re just like every yoga coach out there.

However, if your service offering is “30-day program to reduce stress”, it becomes you unique. What is more, you have the chance to attract clients instantly because you touch upon their WHY—stress.

So, touch upon the problem and then give them your solution—yoga practice.

Step 7: Take action (now, not someday)

Old proverb (like thousands of years old) but still true.

If you know deep inside that your website desperately needs a makeover, don’t put it off.

Don’t shush the little voice in your head that keeps saying “OMG, I have to redo this!”

Don’t put up with low rates and convince yourself that you’re lucky to be getting ANY clients at all.

Start building a better website now. Let your online “office” reflect the value that you deliver to your clients.

The sooner you start, the sooner you will see the results.