You work hard and you’re passionate about your coaching business but for some reason, you don’t seem to be attracting the right clients. This can leave you feeling completely deflated and more often than not, you start blaming yourself.
In this blog article I am sharing five ways you are keeping yourself stuck in your coaching business by designing your own website. There are many moving parts to a successful website design and although it’s completely fine to get a ‘quick’ website up and online, there comes a point when you know it’s time to raise the bar and have your website designed by a professional.
Why is designing your own coaching website keeping you stuck?
Are you on the rollercoaster of designing your own website? Are you feeling frustrated and exhausted?
Designing your own website, if that is not ‘your thing’, can catapult you into some deep waters. It can completely take you out of your zone and deplete you of the energy needed to work with your clients.
Does that feel good to you? I can’t imagine it would. Having website shame is a real thing and it’s keeping you stuck.
Designing your own website can hurt your business because what you believe you have done is designed your own amazing website that people are going to flock to and ultimately engage with you and become a client.
And while I commend you for making your website look nice (it takes a lot of time and effort for sure), I’m willing to bet there is no strategy behind it.
Marketing is a struggle. Promoting a free offer is non-existent, or at the very least not gaining you many subscribers.
Maybe you followed a template or used a free theme, put images and text where you thought they looked good and bing, bam, boom, you got yourself a website.
Truth bomb here – if website design is not something you have learned, spent time studying and really understand what it means to have a conversion-based website, you’re wasting your time.
This ‘strategy’ is keeping you from growing your business with your website and now your website is more of a liability than an asset. The thought of investing in a professional designer feels like spending what you don’t need to because you already have a website.
When I talk to prospective clients, I can see the angst on their faces and can feel that their energy has tanked. Through our conversation, when they finally realize that they don’t have to do this and can focus on what they do best, I see a brand new person. It’s such a relief and off we go!
Your coaching website is your best marketing tool.
It’s your online home. Your own digital space to do what you want, share what you want and be who you want to be.
Related Post: 7 Reasons to use WordPress instead of Squarespace
I liken the do it yourself website design route to designing your house. I can clean my house, do some landscaping, put up nice curtains, have the fluffy pillows and comfy couch, all the ‘things’ that I like and make my home feel like a home. It’s cool. It’s clean. It’s comfy.
But, is it going to get me on the cover of Home and Garden Magazine? Are my decorating skills going to win awards? Are people going to call on me to decorate their home? I don’t think so.
However, if that is what I was going for, I’d surely want (and need) to hire an interior designer to up the game. There is no way I could do what a designer can do and get the same results.
And your coaching website is the same way. I am a firm believer that even if you start out with a DIY website, without the finesse, knowledge, skills and support that a professional web designer brings, you will be stuck in your business.
If website design is not your zone of genius, or what I like to call, your jam, then it’s best you leave it up to the professionals. If you don’t, you’re likely not going to attract the clients you desire and make the impact you want.
Buuuuuut, if you are keen on designing your own website, here are a few things to look out for that could be keeping you from gaining engaged customers, team members and transforming lives.
1 -Website Design
These days people can jump from website to website, skimming the content and trying to consume as much information in as little time. The way your website looks is incredibly important.
It’s not everything, but if your site is outdated, unorganized and not too easy on the eye, you won’t get many visitors that are going to stick around long enough to know, like and trust you.
How your coaching website looks is vital and it’s the first impression someone will get of your brand, your business and you. If your website is clean, modern and has a strategy behind the design, your visitors will enjoy using your website and in turn, be more likely to work with you rather than a another Beachbody coach.
How do you want your visitors to feel when they land on your website? You are a coach and I am sure you want prospective clients to feel at ease, welcomed and inspired to change their lives through your services.
The fonts, colors and aesthetics are super important. You don’t want your visitors to feel like they have landed on a cold, intense and anxious website.
2 – Main Navigation
How easy is it for visitors to navigate your website? Taking some time to put yourself in your visitors’ shoes will allow you to really understand how they view your site. After all, your website is for your ideal Team Beachbody Coach, not you.
- How many pages do you have?
- Do they effectively communicate your services?
Having a simple to navigate website will allow potential clients to get from visiting your website to reaching out to you in very little time.
I recommend no more than 6-7 main pages in your navigation.
3 – Content
I see it far too often, client’s will send me paragraphs of text for their website and let’s face it, not many people will read it. People skim website content to see if it’s worth reading more.
Spending some time to determine exactly what your focus is will allow you to write your copy in a clear and concise way with a structure that is easy to navigate.
Writing your website content can be a frustrating process (may require lots of coffee ☕️ too!) and working strategically and setting time aside to write killer copy is invaluable.
I provide new clients with a guide that helps to dig deeper into what they want to actually say on their website and we have discussions about all the copy before, and during, your web design project.
4 – Visuals
People expect to see beautiful visuals when visiting a website, from photos and videos to graphics and typography. Incorporating high quality visuals into your design will give the best first impression to the potential client, communicating trust, creativity and professionalism.
It’s nice to have professional photography done, for sure, but you can get away with using really good stock photography that depicts your brand.
You can also use a ‘selfie’ here and there, but don’t get too carried away with this. Have someone take a nice photo of you. It doesn’t have to be glam and expensive to resonate with your ideal prospecive coach.
5 – Consistency
You have a logo but do you have consistent branding? If you have a logo, how well is it designed? You don’t necessarily have to hire a professional to design your logo, and most of our clients have a ‘name logo’ and it’s not real fancy, but it’s clean and professional looking.
Do you have a color scheme, icons, fonts – a cohesive visual brand? Creating a strong and consistent experience throughout your website reassures the visitor that they know exactly who you are and what you do.
What makes you stand out and what makes you YOU?
Not only this, consistent branding will allow your brand to be memorable, giving potential clients an anchor to your coaching business. Using this consistency throughout your social media gives that extra punch you need to stand out.
Your website, PDF guides, graphics you share on social media, your social profiles – they all have to match.
Again, I don’t recommend designing your own website. There are too many moving parts that can get you all tied up – taking you away from what you do best – working with your team and inspiring those in your virutal community to change their lives through fitness and nutrition.
Remember that your website is an investment in your business, not a cost.
If your website is not working for you, it’s going to feel like a cost. We don’t want that. Just like your home is an investment, so is your website.
