If You’re Stuck on Your Website

Often coaches get stuck on their websites.

They get stuck on building it. They get stuck on content.

If they have one, they get stuck on what to do with it once it’s created.

Let me give you a few tips to get the ball rolling on your website, in a good direction.

I’m going to assume your goal now is to add new clients to your business and you want a good website to help you do that

If you’re stuck on building it …

If you’re getting lost in technology, or struggle to put the words together, or if you’re working with someone and it just seems like it’ll never get done, then here are three tips …

1. Create a Persona

Often coaches will get stuck because they are trying to write words to appeal to a broad audience. That’s tough.

You end up going back and forth between who your ideal is, and end up weakening your writing as you have to use more general terms people can’t relate to.

It’s easier (and ironically more effective) to narrow in on an ideal kind of client – your niche, your  market, your dream client, or also called “persona”.

Get specific on the persona’s desires, pains, goals, traits, or other defining characteristics.

Even make an index card with the details summarized and leave it before you as you go to write copy. Give that persona a name too.

It helps keep you focused on them.

2. Make a Sitemap

Figure out pages, the calls to action, the images, the layout, and the order in which you want people to see your website content.

Make a map, outline or any sketch that explains what you want in your website.

You’ll need this to help a designer get what you’re talking about and so they can create it.

Also, gather an idea of colors and feeling you want for your website – which oughta be something your personal will find appealing.

I wrote about pulling together these website basis in The Coaching Site Guide – a nice little package to help you create a stellar website that shows visitors why you’re a great coach they should work with.

3. Pick a Deadline

Another bitter irony is that having a lot of time (or no end date) will almost always result in a worse website than if you had a hard launch date.

More time does NOT equal better website.

Less time forces focus and in my experience, both gets things done and gets better results (looks good, better copy, better conversions).

If you have no deadline, perhaps your website isn’t so important.

In that case, I urge you to sit with your coach and talk about what you really want (how many clients?) and WHEN you want those clients and what you will do to reach, impress, and get them to call you.

And of course, figure out how and where your website will fit into that pan.

Get a deadline, make it hard (e.g. tell everyone on Facebook) and watch magic ensue

If you’ve built your website and are stuck on what to do next …

If you’re site is up, you’re tweaking it often, you’re tinkering with online articles or networking or other random efforts, and you’re not getting new leads, this should help …

1. What’s the big picture here?

Whats your goal in your coaching business? What are the income goals? Client goals? Outreach goals? Traffic goals?

Make sure those are clear with actions and timelines, and a good cheerleader coach on hand to crack the whip and fuel action.

Without some “point B” to get to and a good look at “point A” and a roadmap (even if it’s totally made up, and highly questionable) to follow, you’ll waste time and make little progress.

(Am I preaching to the choir?)

2. Make your action steps fail-proof

Make sure your plan of action for your client-seeking / marketing efforts include answers to:

• What kind of tasks do you love doing?
• What tasks do you hate doing?
•  Which tasks (among the many options) are likely to bring the biggest bang for your buck?
• How can you fit said tasks into your schedule smoothly?
• When is your energy high and mind fresh?

Often, first thing in the morning is a great way to knock off key tasks, uninterrupted, and will infuse a feel-good vibe into your day knowing you’re moving on important matters.

Perhaps new ideas come that you can jump on to get traffic or build your network, but unless you stick to something for a period of time (even 2 weeks will often do the trick) it will be hard to get traction.

3. Get numbers to show and improve

The basics will be traffic to your site, time spent on your website, pages visited, and leads generated (perhaps new emails to you).

But I’d also encourage you to include a tracking of the activities that fuel your website traffic building efforts like …

• Blogs posted
• Ads run
• Networking time done
• Webinars given
• Articles submitted
• Social posts made
• (any tasks you’re doing)

“What gets measured, gets managed” as the famous management consultant guru Peter Drucker said.

Numbers keep you focused and spark great insights and ideas to multiplying what works and ditching what doesn’t.

Great business, owners, athletes, singers, artists and coaches … they all need to learn and grow, and embracing what works and ditching what doesn’t is a common habit.

Am I pressing any of your buttons? What’s coming to mind? Post below.

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