I've really enjoyed working with a number of Coaches recently, especially those that are empowering other women. Women are at their finest when they are working together to raise other women. Long may it continue.
That said, I seem to be quite an unusual breed these days as I don't just work with women I work with men too, I have worked with a couple of really outstanding male coaches and indeed one of my all-time favourite web designs was for Rob Ryles Football Coach but it feels unfair to pick out just one coach as I've had the pleasure of working with so many.
Turning Coaches into Personal Brands
So what makes working with coaches so different? Well mainly because when working with coaches and consultants and any other individual, we have to design a personal brand. Selling yourself can be so damn difficult, especially when it comes to pricing your services. So my solution to this is to sell yourself as a brand, or a personal brand. Wanna know what I mean - just look at the king and queen of personal branding - The Beckhams.
When you put yourself into a brand you are "selling" something, in the same way as you sell a product. You are taking you as a person out and because you are selling a something rather than yourself (hopefully that makes sense).
Designing a Website for a Coach
A great website for a coach showcases your services and professionalism, it inspires people to book with you and it should definitely have proper photos - if you can't afford a brand photography session then still make an effort and get dressed up or do your hair etc and ideally ask someone to take a few snaps of you or take some selfies (this should be your last choice). We can always "cut you out" and put you on a background to match your website. Even though Andy McMenemy from Peak Personal Performance had professional photos taken, some of these were still placed on banners and backgrounds to blend in with the style of the website I designed.
Websites for coaches should be clear and concise, you DO NOT need to have a zillion different pages with realms and realms of heavy text. However, as content remains king in terms of search engine optimisation you should think about having a blog because apart from anything else a blog will help you establish authority. It gives you a means to showcase your experience. If you prefer you could even vlog and talk into a camera and embed your posts.
Why a poorly designed website can damage your personal brand
If you are selling a high ticket offer, course or 1-2-1 service and your website doesn't inspire confidence people will navigate away. Don't underestimate in these circumstances how much a professionally designed website will help you close those deals. The hardest part for any business is driving people to your website and if they take one look and bounce away then it is a lost sale.
I know sometimes you need to save up a bit of money first before you can have a professionally designed site.
That is why I'm now offering "Fix your Wix Website" sessions at a fraction of the price of a full web design.
