How to Avoid Being Boring on Your Website

In the post from last week, I talked about 2 reasons coaching websites fail. A few days ago, I went deeper into the first reason, which is failure to launch and I teach you how to get it done fast.

In today’s article, we’ll talk about the second big reason for failure – being boring. 

So many coaching websites are just plain boring. The content doesn’t grab attention and engage the visitor and as result, the coach doesn’t get new leads from their website.

What you need is a website that has content visitors will eagerly sink their teeth into. The deeper they dive into your content, the more they’ll like you, and the more likely they’ll contact you for help.

Clients thirst for such a website.

And it all boils down to this …

In your content, you need to get away from “explaining coaching” and focus on “talking dreams”.

For example, for a career coach, her clients want the dream of not dreading Mondays and instead, jumping out of bed rearing to grow their career.

Her clients don’t really want to buy strength assessments or redo their resumes. While it’s true, this work may need to be done, if we don’t tie into their bigger dreams, then it isn’t exciting.

Let me share a case study. Enter, super student, Mary Franz.

I gave students of the website course, Client-Attracting Websites, writing exercises that challenge them to write from the client’s perspective – talking about dreams.

And while it took work, Mary openly embraced the notion of talking dreams, and wrote her copy. She shared it with me, others, and clients. She tweaked and simplified. And then we launched her site.

Within two weeks, Mary reported back securing two new clients – one of them actually fell to tears simply from reading Mary’s core message on her website. That’s powerful!

I see this all the time. When students and clients focus their website on client dreams, I see them write great blogs, grow bigger lists, get more leads, and sign up more clients.

The core message and how it’s important for a client attracting website.

Before you start building your website, you gotta craft a juicy core message.

Your core message is a powerful way to explain your coaching. 

And this core message is a foundational piece of your websites. It’s what all other content (blogs, articles, videos, emails, reports, downloads, etc) will stem from.

From work with students and clients, here are three recent core messages so you can get an idea of what they sound like …

I help you end addiction and THRIVE – even if you struggle with low motivation, relapses, or confidence.

I’ll help you beat the cravings, plan easy meals, and burn belly fat – even if you’re lazy.

I partner with frustrated, restless professionals to name and claim their authentic strengths so they can infuse more zest, joy, and meaning into their careers and lives, even if change seems impossible.

In the course, Client-Attracting Websites, you get my best tools for creating a powerful, dreamy core message and feedback from everyone to make sure it’s a winner.

As you can see, these messages tie into big dreamy benefits for the client.

In addition to getting client dreams into your core message, here are a few tips to make sure your core message is powerful:

1 – Get others to read it

Quickly draft your core message and share it with people (clients, friends, colleagues, discussion groups, etc).

Ask them for their opinion and tweak your message. You’ll often find that you’re too much in your own head when it comes to talking about what you do. Others will steer you back to talking about client interests.

2 – Don’t use clumsy phrases 

I’ve found coaches love their concept talk. They love using phrases like “love energy” or your “inspired self” which often makes content clumsy to read.

Unless you’ve written a book titled The Five Love Languages should you use the term “love languages” as an everyday word.

3 – Centralize your message

If you have investigated your past clients and found that many of them have a similar grave challenge, consider focusing your message on that challenge.

For example “handling staff in your insurance firm” or “saving your marriage”.

When you centralize your message it becomes easier for people to get what you do. It also becomes easier for people to tell others and send you referrals. 

4 – Use scrumptious, hunger-inducing words

Which is more exciting?: a “sports car” OR a “brand new, 2016, candy-apple red corvette convertible” 

While both may refer to the same thing, the second one is mouth-watering.

I DO NOT recommend inflating what you offer, or making false claims. But you absolutely MUST point out the value you bring and tie them to the clients’ dreams. Must, must, must!

5 – Speak your core message out loud

Another common mistake is getting too wordy.

Often, their first go at crafting their core message, coaches end up too many words making their core message hard to read and difficult to understand. And they’ll need to trim it down.

If you can speak your message out loud, without hesitation, and get three friends to do so as well, then you’re doing great.

Here’s a simple BEFORE and AFTER example of how you can improve your core message:

I ran a course about nine months ago, and here’s Emily Archer’s first draft of her core message ….

I help people living with diabetes who are frustrated and ashamed of their inconsistent lifestyle choices to reclaim control, health and self-respect. My passionate curiosity will help you create a powerful vision, a culmination of your now deep-rooted healthy lifestyle habits. In partnership we will develop a personal lifestyle management strategy that empowers you to master new habits and focus your energy to achieve and sustain lifestyle improvements you are proud of, for longer, stronger living.

With some writing advice, some group feedback, and some word smithing, it became this …

I help people living with diabetes who are struggling, frustrated and overwhelmed. I will partner with you to create lasting strategies that increase your energy, build your confidence and return your zest for life!

Nice huh? It went from wordy and hard to grasp to simple, clear while hitting on the dreams of a struggling diabetic – to live with zest.

So, you’re not going to create another boring coaching website, right?

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve learned:

• Boring is bad.
• You need a good core message to build your website from.
• Talk in terms of dreams and not so much about coaching.
• Get others’ eyes on your content to make sure it’s good.
• Try speaking your core message aloud so it flows.
• Centralize your message to make it powerful.
• Use juicy words.

Got it? Great!

Once you’ve got a solid core message, the rest of your website will be easier to create including your freebie, blog articles and calls-to-action.

I’m nosey and I’d love to hear from you.

Is your website boring? Are you struggling with content? Or have you not yet launched your site because it’s tough to write? Are any of the ideas above hitting home? Love to hear from you. Just post a comment below