#1 You don’t like the way it looks
This is the #1 reason why many business owners don’t promote their website. You just don’t like it. You may dislike the layout, the colors, and the photos. Whatever the case may be, you aren’t sharing the website, so the website is just .. ‘there’.
You might want to fix it someday, but that someday never comes. Make a decision to update your website and stick to it. Take note of what you don’t like about your website. Most importantly, find websites that you DO like and take note of why. It’s easier to rebuild your website focusing on what you like instead of what you dislike.
#2 The person that built it didn’t do it ‘correctly’
Whether you hired a web designer or had a friend build it, I’m fairly certain that that person does not read minds. What is ‘correct’ and ‘nice’ to one person will differ to another person. Unless you spend the time upfront discussing your coaching business goals, your brand and your intentions for the website, your designer will build the website according to what they think will work for you.
Anyone you hire should require you to evaluate your business, your customers, and your services before any design work is done. They should want the best possible result for your business. If they do not do this, it’s likely that they do not charge enough or are too busy with other projects to care about your results. You will get ‘a’ website, but not exactly the one you had in mind.
Also, keep in mind that you have responsibilities during this process as well. Just as you require your coaching clients to complete their work to get results, so too should you provide timely feedback, content, and approval as requested. If you are not actively engaged during the project, you cannot expect your website to be what you want.
#3 You did it yourself (DIY)
When you are just starting your coaching business, this is the most cost effective solution. And I actually would recommend this to any new coach. The DIY website should be as simple as possible to get some brand recognition and traffic. Just a few pages and a WordPress theme – that’s it.
The problem is that DIY websites should be temporary – just like training wheels. Just as it would be odd to see an adult riding a bike with training wheels, it’s equally as baffling to see an established coach with a DIY website.
Another problem is that DIY websites are hard to maintain. As you grow as a coach, the more features you try to incorporate into your website. And it may be difficult to do so.
As you become established in your business, your website needs to evolve with you. You’ll need a site that is responsive, optimized for search engines, well-designed, and integrated with schedulers, webinars, analytics, email opt in forms, etc …
Does a busy life coach have time to do all of the above? (This is a rhetorical question)
#4 It’s pretty, but that’s the only thing going for it
This correlates to point #2. You actually like the design, but it’s lacking something. You don’t use it for anything and you aren’t sure what to do with it. The content is just okay, it could be better. But people aren’t even filling out the contact form, so what’s the point? Have you considered that you didn’t need a ‘pretty website’? Is there anything that you do repeatedly that you wish you could automate? How about appointment scheduling right on the website? How about live streams – on your website? I think you get the idea here.
#5 It’s woefully outdated
Yeah, you’re busy. I get it. But your website may give the impression that you are no longer in business. The easiest way to keep your website alive is by blogging. You should publish a new blog post at least once a month.
It doesn’t have to be long. Just something with a date to let people know that you are still alive. Also, you need to make sure that your photos are up to date. If you’ve drastically changed your look, or if the photo is over a decade old, you should use a new one.
#6 You can’t tell if your website is ‘working’
What’s the point in having a website if no one looks at it? Are you assuming no one is looking at it, or that EVERYONE is looking at it? The reality is that your coaching website is going to get some traffic even if you don’t actively promote it.
But you might not get as many visitors as you need to convert some of them into coaching clients. What a missed opportunity! Fortunately, you can easily install and use Google Analytics on your website. As a coach, you will need to know who is visiting your website, where are they coming from, and what are they looking at. As you know what is working, you will do more of it.
#7 But I have a Facebook page and a Facebook group
That’s nice. But you don’t own Facebook and setting up a page and a group is free. What happens if Facebook changes its layout, features, or terms of use? What if a new social media company becomes more popular? What if your community moves elsewhere? Will you move to?
With your own website you control everything. You control the layout, features, and functionality. You can integrate social media, videos, etc. You own it, it’s yours. Also, once you purchase a domain name, keep it registered to yourself. Your tribe will always be able to find you at your website.
#8 You don’t know how to promote it
Fair enough. Here are a few quick ways to promote your website:
- Put it on your business card. You’d be surprised how many business cards I see without a website!
- Link to it from your social media accounts.
- Send out an email announcing your new website.
- Maintain your blog and promote your blog posts.
- Create a Facebook ad to drive traffic to it.
- Tell somebody in person. Or tell your chattiest friend to promote it.
#9 Your website is <your-company>.<someone-elses-company>.com
If your website uses a subdomain, you are likely using a free service, and you don’t look professional. If you are not willing to pay for your website, why should you expect customers to pay you? It doesn’t matter if you’ve just started.
You can build a DIY site with your own domain. Fortunately, the investment is small. You can easily purchase a domain name for less than $15 a year. Some web hosting companies will include a domain free of charge with the hosting package.
#10 You don’t have a website.
If you don’t have one, you can’t share it. But If you’ve read this far, you know that you need one. I’m not allowing any excuses here because you wanted to be a coach for a reason. Position yourself the way you want to be seen and promote your website!
P.S. If you are ready to move beyond the DIY website, and are really serious about getting some results for your coaching website, book a discovery call with me.
