6 Things Every Life Coach Business Website Needs

When it’s time to set up shop as a life coach, it’s important to have a digital home for your coaching business.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the essentials:

• ‍The basics of setting up a website
• The 6 core ingredients your coaching website should include
• How to tackle the “About Me” page 

But first, let's talk about why you might want to make the investment of time and resources in the first place.

Sure, a Facebook page or Instagram account can be a great place to establish your presence as you're getting started. And for some coaches, this may be all they want or need. But what happens when potential clients want to learn more, or are ready to book a session with you? Those back and forth DM’s can quickly add to your workload!

Here's another factor to consider: unlike social media sites, a website belongs entirely to you. You own your content and user experience. The algorithms don't change overnight, and there’s no daily pressure to manage comments and engagement. 

Even something as simple as one page website can help you establish three must-have's for your coaching practice: Visibility, Credibility, Efficiency.

An effective website offers coaching clients an easy way to check you out, learn what you provide, and book a session. And rest assured, creating a great website doesn’t have to break the bank - or your brain!

‍How Do You Set Up A Life Coaching Website?

Select A Domain Name

The first decision you need to make is what you’ll call your site. If you’ve got an uncommon first and last name, that’s an obvious place to start. You might also have a name for your coaching business in mind, and that’s solid way to go too. Either way, begin with a couple options and do your homework. 

To find out if the domain name you want is available, there are many free online tools for doing so. They include Domain.com, GoDaddy, Shopify, and others. Many website hosts will also provide this service as you begin the process of building a site.

Consider System Integrations

An effective website should help make your life easier. If you don’t already have an online booking system, email marketing tool, and payment processor lined up, consider it now! This is the ideal time to set them up if you intend to use them. 

To make a potential client’s experience on your site seamless, consider which systems integrate with the website platform you want to use. If you currently have systems in place that you love, make sure that host site can play nicely with tools you’re already using.

Some web hosting platforms also offer payment processors and email marketing tools too. If you're just getting started, check out what they offer to see if it meets your needs and budget.

For more information on selecting your coaching business systems, check out our comprehensive guide - Business Resources To Jump Start Your Coaching Practice.

Choose A Host Platform

Regardless of your current level of tech knowledge and comfort, there’s a platform out there for you! A few popular ones for designing and hosting websites include Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress. With the variety of user-friendly templates now being offered by host sites, just about anyone can construct a basic website in an afternoon.

For more sophisticated features, such as embedded payment processors and integration with your social media feeds, you can DIY this if you are comfortable rolling up your sleeves and digging into the back end of your site. If you’re less tech-savvy, or just want to devote more of your time to coaching and content creation, consult with a web designer.

Hiring a Support Team

Successful solopreneurs know when to delegate! If web design isn’t your jam, you may decide to hire out some of these tasks. If so, there are small business professionals who help people just like you. You don't need to spend a fortune to achieve the look, feel, and final “web home” that you are after.

Design

A web designer can take care of building your site, and will often have expertise in graphic design and branding. Many can even help design your coaching business logo if you need one. There are designers who specialize in working with life coaches and wellness professionals, and many offer budget-friendly services. 

Copy

If writing isn’t your forte, you can contract with a copywriter to develop your website content. There are experts out there who will take your story and services, and spin them into copy that resonates for your ideal client.

When deciding who to hire, your best leads are likely to be found by word of mouth. Find other coaches in your community whose sites you like, and ask who designed them. If they hired out the work and are pleased with the result, get a referral!

What Should A Coaching Website Include?

Whether you intend to start out with just a landing page, or plan to build a multi-page site, your website content should include the following: 

• Homepage
• Who you are
• Your prospective coaching clients’ struggles - and the solution you offer
• Your services
• A sample of what it’s like to work with you  
• How to hire you

Homepage

This is your online business card, and you’ll want it to make an impression. In real estate terms, what you want to create with your site is some curb appeal! The homepage is your front door. It's where you set the tone, establish your credibility, and convey your unique personality and style.

As you think about your website messaging, mentally dial into what you know about the potential clients that you’re hoping to reach. If you’re lighthearted and irreverent, let the tone of your site reflect that. If you work with executives, a more conservative look and feel might be appropriate.

Consider what YOU find compelling. Your ideal clients are likely to feel the same.

Who You Are

When it comes to choosing a life coach, people pick who to work with based on who they relate with and feel connected to. Translation? You'll need to share a little somthing about yourself. With that said, there’s no need to write an autobiography! For a single-page site, the biographical element might just be one paragraph and a photo. 

Many coaches wrestle with how best to tell their story. If you're wondering how much to say about yourself - and how to do it most effectively - you're not alone! We’ll dive deeper into this element in the “About Me” section below.

The Problem, and Your Solution

The ultimate purpose of your coaching website content is sales. For this reason, it’s important to clearly tell potential coaching clients exactly what you do. You should be able to speak clearly to their pain points, and demonstrate how your services can help them. 

Nobody hires a life coach - they pay for solutions. This is where your coaching niche comes into play. You can coach outside your niche, change specialties, and evolve your practice over time. But having a clear focus for your website messaging at every phase of your journey is the most effective way to attract new coaching clients.

Need help articulating your value proposition? Check out: Don’t “Sell” Life Coaching (Or Your 'Story') - Offer Solutions Instead

Your Services

How can clients work with you? Make sure you lay out the options! 1:1 coaching, group programs, classes, retreats, a podcast or publications… whatever you’ve got, include it. If you offer a high ticket coaching program, you’ll likely want a signature sales page dedicated to it as well.

There are different schools of thought regarding whether or not to list your pricing directly on your website. Both approaches can work. The decision will depend on what kind of services you offer and your client base. How you approach this should align with your larger sales philosophy and strategy.

A Sampling of Your Work

Hiring a life coach can be a major investment. Show your potential clients it will be worth their while to invest with you!

There are a number of ways to do this, including:

• Client testimonials 
• A giveaway that offers value such as an ebook, masterclass, or tool
• A blog or podcast that showcases your perspective or expertise
• Complementary 30-60 minute exploratory call for prospective clients

If you’re just getting started, there are creative ways to approach some of this as you grow. Add just one new blog post a month, and within a year you’ll have a nice back catalogue of website content built up. Consider doing some pro-bono coaching sessions to collect those first few positive testimonials for your new site. Remember to get permission from the client, including whether or not you may publish their full name!

How to Hire You!

At minimum, your site should include an easy way to contact you. The best option for this is to use an embedded online form that the visitor can fill out on your site. ‍

PRO TIP: Posting your email address, phone number, or other information directly on your site isn’t something we’d recommend. Spammers use bots to troll the internet and harvest contact information, blasting inboxes forever-after with junk emails.

If you have an online calendaring system in place, consider including an integrated booking system on your website. It's an efficient way for potential coaching clients to schedule an initial consultation with you. Likewise, if you plan to sell products such as on-demand classes or an ebook, you’ll want to make those transactions easy for your clients.

Tackling the Life Coach “About Me” Page

You’ve likely heard that your story helps to attract your ideal clients. And it does, but only up to a point.

Your story is what led you to become a coach, and helps to demonstrate expertise and credibility within your scope of practice. It also helps to create a sense of ease and familiarity with your style, personality, values and philosophy.

But storytelling isn't quite the same as selling your coaching services. What you tell, and how you say it, is done for a specific purpose.

Your story is a marketing tool.

‍From a business point of view, your story functions like a mirror, reflecting back the dreams your prospective client holds for themselves.

• If you’re thriving after divorce… that's what THEY want.
• If you’ve found a great balance between work, family, and self care… that's what THEY want.
• If you climbed the corporate ladder of success… that's what THEY want.

Your ideal clients are drawn both to your unique style, and to the RESULTS you have achieved. Those results are what telling your story is meant to illustrate. Why? Because these are the same results your ideal client is hungry for in their own life.

Storytelling Framework

To craft a compelling About Me page, find the intersection between your story, what the client wants, and the services you offer as a coach. It’s as simple as 1-2-3:

1. Work backwards from your client value proposition: “I help _____ with ______.” Example: “I help newly divorced women to reclaim their joy.”‍
2. Now identify your plot twist: Something you overcame, discovered, or experienced that relates to your value proposition. In the example above, that would likely be your own post-divorce rebirth process.‍
3. Next tie in your WHY: How did this experience lead you to become a coach? What expertise do you offer to others who are now walking a similar path?

Coaching requires vulnerability on the part of the client. It also requires some vulnerability from you in return. Prospective clients want to know you’re a safe place to share their stories, dreams, and fears. Sharing a bit about where you’ve been in life makes you both relatable and credible as a coach. And rest assured, you don’t have to divulge all your personal details in order to make an authentic connection.

Need more resources on how to tell your story as a coach? We’ve got you covered with The Right Way to Let Your Story Lead Your Life Coaching Practice.

Ready for Liftoff?

Coaching is a rapidly growing field that is continuously evolving. Even for seasoned coaches, there’s always more to discover. If you’ve not already earned your ICF coaching certification, there’s no better time than now to get started! Come check out Lumia Life Coach Training - a program that's every bit as unique as you are. Grounded in science, our ICF accredited program features authentic instructors, a robust curriculum, business instruction to prepare you for liftoff as an entrepreneur, and fellow students dedicated to becoming a collective force for good.

Lumia Coaching: Vibrant community. Evidence-based life coach training. Lifetime support.