Before the pandemic, 48 percent of coaches met with their customers “on a regular basis.” However, the trends are beginning to change. Around 40% of coaches began delivering their services exclusively online in 2020. The same figures indicated that 77 percent of all coaches expected COVID-driven trends to endure at least a year in a survey of coaches.
However, it’s all too easy to talk of a “online pivot” as if it’s a switch that can be flipped. Not every coach will be as fortunate in their website-building abilities to see it that way.
WordPress is so useful since it serves as a basis for any website you would wish to create. It has the vast majority of the market share as a CMS (content management system) for a reason. WordPress is one of the most user-friendly and straightforward platforms for managing your website.
Everything is easier with WordPress: blog updates, newsletter subscriptions, website design, and contact forms. Consider WordPress as the foundation for everything else you want to do if you want to offer coaching services online. After installing WordPress, you may add as many add-ons or programs as you like to make your site do whatever you want.
- Do you want to write informative “how-to” blog posts? That’s something WordPress can help you with.
- Want to start a free email with a scrollbar at the top to attract new subscribers? That’s something WordPress can help you with.
- Want to get the word out about upcoming webinars? Integrate your social network feed to keep your website up to date automatically? Is it possible to plan site updates weeks in advance?
If you have WordPress installed, you can do everything.
How to Install a WordPress?
To install wordpress there are some easy steps as follows:
- WordPress is available for download from wordpress.org.
- Upload the file to the public html (or similar) directory after unzipping it.
- Create a MySQL database and edit the wp-config.php file to suit your needs.
- Start the WordPress installation process.
What Should Your Coaching Website Include?
The temptation will be to add every add-on and plugin you can think of to your WordPress page. And that’ll be a lot of fun. But before we get to it, let’s take a look at the site’s meat and potatoes.
Let’s say your business card already has a domain name. Consider what happens after you hand that card to a potential coaching client. Do they sit at home, pull out your business card, and enter your website’s address? If that’s the case, what do they see? What are they missing? Here’s what you should include in your site’s design:
Home Page
As a coach, you need your homepage to do two things: attract attention and develop trust. That makes every decision you make on your homepage all the more important.
Use these two simple values to guide your website design if you’re not sure what that means.
- Credibility: Your website should identify numerous places you’ve been featured, whether a podcast, a local newspaper, or a neighborhood association. It’s difficult to receive quotes if you don’t have any credibility as a coach; thus, this establishes trust right away.
- Connection: Above the fold—that is, before we begin scrolling down—a huge photograph should greet visitors. A “mission statement” on the home page explains what you’re all about to potential coaching clients.
If you imagine a funnel leading potential coaching clients to your “contact” page, the home page is at the very top. It’s the widest place on the map. It provides solutions to the most important questions. It is assumed that the visitor is unfamiliar with you. It also creates the wide, broad strokes of introductions that pique interest in the type of coaching you provide.
Coaching Service Page
Once someone has read up on you, the next obvious inquiry is how you can collaborate.
It’ll be tempting to place the burden of proof on your potential clientele. However, “call me and we’ll figure something out” isn’t the best solution. It provides the appearance that you don’t do this on a regular basis.
This is addressed on your services page. The following is a list of items you’ll need to include:
- A list of potential clients: Do you only want to work with executives in the C-suite? Are you willing to work with any one-on-one client? Make sure that’s apparent.
- List your offerings: Zoom meetings with a single person? Webinars? Are you giving a public speech? Whatever way you take to coaching, make sure it’s crystal obvious what you’re offering.
Contact Page
As a result, your contact page should be the most straightforward on the entire site. There should only be one step forward for the visitor: reaching out. This entails a simple contact form with your name, email address, and a brief message.
If you provide various services, you can add a drop-down menu to your WordPress contact form. You’ll avoid getting vague messages from potential clients who aren’t sure what they want. As your coaching career progresses, you’ll discover that tools like these are essential for properly qualifying prospects before they become customers.
WordPress Plugins and Themes for Coaching Website
We’ve kept you waiting far too long for the bells and whistles. After you’ve set up the foundation, you can start adding fun plugins and fancy design styles to make your coaching website stand out.
WordPress Themes for Coaches
- Astra: Astra will create an eye-catching home page for you; add a professional photo to assist establish trust and authority right away.
- Divi: The “ultimate WordPress page builder,” according to the company, is the “ultimate WordPress page builder.” Divi is a visual site builder that eliminates the need for design guesswork while creating pages. After all, you’re a coach, not a web designer.
- Authority Pro: If you can’t establish your authority as a professional coach, you won’t acquire many clients. Authority Pro is all about establishing that connection right away.
WordPress Plugins for Coaches
- WPForms: Your website has many objectives, but the most important one is to persuade people to click “contact.” You won’t get hired as a coach unless you can create high-performing contact forms.
- MemberPress: Have a growing list of customers looking for a community of like-minded people? MemberPress might be the next stage in your online evolution, allowing you to build a community around the ideas you teach.
- PushEngage: Let’s imagine you need to promote a keynote address or a webinar that’s coming up. How can you generate buzz just from your website? PushEngage allows you to post announcements above your normal content, ensuring that you get the immediate attention you require.