Stop Thinking “Website.” Start Thinking “Platform.”
Think of your website as YOUR professional platform.
It’s a way to get people “from out there” on the Web into “your world” — a place where they can get help to grow, transform, and succeed.
And this platform notion is key because…
Why Getting Clients Feels So Hard
The hard part about growing a coaching business is, for many, getting paying clients.
It’s foreign, clumsy, and confusing because you can’t just sit around and wait for clients to show up, and you can’t just tell people, “Hey, I’m a coach. I’ll help you succeed. Ready to sign up?”
That doesn’t work too well.
The Three Things Every Client Needs Before They’ll Hire You
Whenever I’m on Zoom with coaches discussing ways to reach new clients, we always end up singing and dancing to this:
People will hire a coach when three things happen:
- They know you EXIST
- They TRUST you have good intentions and skills
- They have a BIG PAIN
So you need all three.
(Side note: this exact framework is why I wrote The Coaching Website Guide — it’s the whole playbook if you want to go deeper.)
What Happens When All Three Come Together
When that settles in, coaches are much more likely to take action — and like magic, they start getting more paying clients.
It would be amazing if you had lots of people who knew about you (Exist), who saw you had skills (Trust), and who had tough struggles (Pain) they eagerly wanted to resolve.
They’d knock on your door for help. It would be easy to sign them up. You could get paid and enjoy supporting and celebrating their success. (Soooo great!)
The Reason Friends and Family Hire You First
Ever notice that most coaches get their first few clients from friends and family? That’s because the coach is already known and trusted — then there just needs to be that third part: the pain.
This is why the notion of a platform works.
Turn Your Website Into Your Platform
When folks arrive on your website, invite them onto your platform so you can stay in touch (Exist), build a positive relationship over time (Trust), and offer help when they have needs (Pain).
There are many ways to do this, each with its own pros and cons — membership sites, Circle groups, WhatsApp groups, and more.
Why Email Still Wins
But I love good old email lists for speed and ease. You just need to give it some life — a cool name, some structure, some warmth, and definitely value.
Make serving your subscribers something you can get fully behind — like a Dear Abby-style article answering reader questions, or a weekly Zoom support call if you’re more into live interaction.
Just remember: to make your website a powerful client-attractor, get folks onto your platform so you can have control and secure them as clients.