Coaching Website on WordPress – 10 DIY Tips

If you’re planning to build your own coaching website on WordPress — a fun little DIY project — then let me share nine tips from nearly 20 years on this beloved blogging platform.

Though I could go all day on each of these, but let me keep them brief so you can get the ideas.

I’m thinking of a coach with basic computer skills, who is willing to venture into new learning and create their own coaching website on WordPress.

These tips can help if you’re going to hire someone to design it and then take it over yourself.

Enjoy!

Website on WordPress Tip #1. Invest and hop up the “learning curve.” 

Just like hikes up mountains, they always start uphill. Having hopped out of your car, from a sedentary state, it’s a bit of a rough go on that initial upward climb.

Just with all website platforms (I’ve used them all) I recommend taking a quickstart course, getting a dummies book or a WordPress nerd (ideally one who can speak in simple terms) to ramp up your learning. 

This one thing, even if you have to pay for it, will save you a lot of time. I’ve seen the most diligent die-hard DIY Debbies derailed in their daring deep dives into the design.

Tip #2. Get the “self-hosted” version of WordPress

There are two flavors of WordPress:

1. The “hosted” kind, which is a subscription service
2. The self-hosted kind, which is what everyone raves about

The hosted kind (over at WordPress.com) is limited in capacity and clunkier. Many coaches choose this version unintentionally. They just didn’t know.

It’s the self-hosted kind that lets you take advantage of all the great themes, plugins, and more. You will “get your own hosting” (like at BlueHost) and install the WordPress software (which is free).

More about self-hosted WordPress.

Coach Website on WordPress Tip #3. Take advantage of the blogging aspect.

WordPress = Blogging, basically. 

I know many coaches want WordPress because it’s so highly recommended. But remember, it’s the blogging aspect of WordPress that makes it a powerful content marketing platform.

Since WordPress has been around forever, it has its technical tentacles (all the software, algorithms, and the way we know blog content) in many content-disseminating channels. 

WordPress Tip #4. Get a great theme. Pay for it.

I’ve used free ones before, and you end up with a theme that goes dead quickly or is super buggy because the creator can’t afford to keep them up as they aren’t getting paid.

Paying for it (prices vary, but 100-200 per year is common) means it will most likely be robust, well supported, and you can get help when you get stuck. These theme designers gotta eat too ya know.

The Kadence Theme is my favorite of the last two years because it’s fast, simple, and native to the WordPress environment (it plays well). The basic theme is free and gets you far. I recommend purchasing the Kadence Blocks Pro plugin to add functionality.

I also still love and use the Divi theme on many sites too. Both are stellar and I wrote about it.

WordPress Website Tip #5. Do not add plugins “for Africa.”

I first heard the phrase “for Africa” when I first visited New Zealand. It refer to things in abundance as in, Every Christmas, my mother makes fruitcakes for Africa.

Often, I see coaches on WordPress go nuts with plugins, adding lots of them. Too many of them. The problems are:

• Plus, being a first-year student in the school of WordPress, you probably won’t know how to choose good plugins, and that’ll open you up to spammers, hackers, and viruses.
• Your website slows down — like computers and phones with too many files, apps, programs, and media
• Things are more complicated and thus confusing to manage and update

Try to keep things simple and minimal.

WordPress Tip #6. Ignore most of the Dashboard

The WordPress dashboard gives you access to a lot of stuff you’re not going to use at the start. It’s like a non-mechanic opening on the hood of a car — it can be intimidating. 

So just play ignorant and know that you do not have to dig into everything there.

So, to start, ignore most things and just get to making pages, adding content, and adding visuals. 

Coaching Website on WordPress Tip #7. Learn Da Lingo of WordPress

Here’s a video of me talking about some of the phrasing and language when using WordPress. This will help you get your bearings.

Tip #8. Use this free WordPress setup video

I put a lot of time into making a cool video to help you get WordPress setup. It’s here: How to Set Up Your Coaching Website on WordPress.

And if you get stuck, just post at that video or even down below. I’ll see if I can point you in the right direction. 

WordPress is marvelous for coaches, and if you’re a newcomer, heed the tips above to help you save time and get things going. 

This blog post should be handy too, How to Get Started on Your Coaching Website.

WordPress Tip #9. Start by Planning Your Content

If you’ve got an idea about your area of focus for your coaching business as well as your ideal type of client, then I’d begin with content.

You’ll want content that builds your credibility, speaks to the needs of your clients, and gets them excited about coaching (shows the value). I wrote a lot about this in my book, The Coaching Website Guide.

Think about these items:

• what pages to have
• the key content for each page
• the action step you want visitors to take on each page
• how your site fits into your game plan to get new clients

Content first, then visuals to support.

WordPress Tip #10 — Have human help on hand.

Or at least, be in a support group with patient, kind techies.

I’ve been coding games since 8 years old. I can resolve tech issues relatively quickly.  

But for the everyday coach, it can be a multi-day, hair-pulling event you don’t need when something goes awry. 

If you can quickly message/call someone for help, it’ll save you from throwing your laptop out the window ;D

I posted two groups that I support on this page, Website Creation Resources for Coaches.

Are you building your coaching website on WordPress?

If you want to speed up your learning, get burning questions answered, and be off to a great start on your WordPress website creation journey, then get in touch with me for Zoom session.