March 28, 2007

  • Welcome - Three Months Down – Wow!
  • The Phase-1 Website Development Program
  • Coaching Websites - 7 Mistakes that Hurt Client Attraction
  • Recommended Resources
  • The Mission

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time to read: 4.5 minutes

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Welcome - Three Months Down – Wow!

Hi {!name}.

Can you believe that March is almost over? That's a quarter of 2007
down, and three-quarters to go. Wow!

How are your marketing efforts coming along? Are you getting the clients that you want? Both quantity and quality? How's your website doing when it comes to your client attracting efforts? Are clients seeking you out or are you hunting with labor-intensive minimal results?

If not, this month's article should help.

Talk to you soon!

Kenn Schroder
Professional Web Designer for Coaches

PS – I want you to succeed. Email me back now and tell me what things have been like thise year so far. Tip: The more you get real and clear about your current situation, and put them into words, the more likely you will find ideas you need to improve it. I'd love to hear from you.

The Phase-1 Website Development Program

Are you a new coach struggling to build a full practice? Do you
need to improve your ability to impress prospective clients and help
them draw the conclusion that they could benefit by hiring you as
their coach? Then you may want to check out my Phase-1 Program.
  • Build a full practice of clients
  • Professional credibility-building website
  • Get website marketing tools you need
  • Combined hands-on and consulting help

Learn more about the Phase-1 Program.

 

Coaching Websites - 7 Mistakes that Hurt Client Attraction

You are a coach who wants to fill your practice with clients. You need credibility to bring clients your way. You need a professional image to attract. You need to get the word out about your services to get seen by potentials. A website - the right website - can be a great tool to help you do this.

Below are seven website mistakes that prevent potential coachees from being drawn to you. If you can get past these pitfalls, you will increase your client base dramatically.

--> 1. Not advertising your website.

Not having a plan for getting your website seen is what I call "ad mentality" or the "build-it-and-they-will-come wishful thinking."

Unfortunately, people don't browse websites the same way they view ads on a roadside billboard or in a newspaper. People won't come across your website merely because it exists. You need to do something to get eyeballs in front of your site.

The bottom line? No eyeballs, no attraction.

--> 2. Not giving potential visitors a reason to visit your site.

Even if you get your website name out there - like mentioning it in networking groups or posting an article in a publication - people still won't go to your site unless there's a good, motivating and compelling reason to do so. After all, it takes work to get to a website:

  • You need to find time (a scarcity);
  • You need to turn on your computer, recall the web address (seems
    no one has good memory these days);
  • You need to type it in (correctly!);
  • You need to wait for the information to load (if it does at all);
  • You need to dodge distractions like email and text messages;
  • Then, after all of that, your website needs to be easy and
    interesting to read.

Whew! That's a lot of work to just "check out a website" - which is why most websites don't get checked out.

To get people to your website, there must be a highly compelling reason, such as a valuable - and FREE - article discussing your target audience's problems.

The bottom line? No reason to go to your website, no attraction.

--> 3. Having no "call to action" on your site.

Let's say you get people to visit your website. If you did it right, your content increased a potential client's desire to hire you as a coach. But even if a client is motivated to work with you, if you don't tell them what to do next, many will do nothing or, at the very least, get hopelessly distracted.

You as the coach must lead the potential client on to some specific action step: an information-request form to fill out; an invitation to exchange emails; a one-on-one chat. Something that leads the potential client directly to YOU.

The bottom line? Not leading visitors to action reduces your
attraction.

--> 4. Not having a niche.

This problem stems deeper and wreaks more havoc on your practice than just about any other issue, but, for now, let's focus on your website. If you don't have a niche - i.e., a specific audience you're targeting - your message ends up weak.

Without a niche focus, you end up sending a general message to a general audience. For instance: "I can help you get rid of your frustrations, challenges and problems!" or "I can help you achieve success, inner peace, and reach goals." All great stuff, but it doesn't turn heads. It also doesn't grab attention. It's fluffy
and generic.

Instead, a statement that targets and addresses a specific audience's needs is the way to go. For example, a restauranteur would open his eyes to: "Take your failing restaurant and turn it into the hottest spot in town!" You don't need to turn many heads to keep you busy forever - just a select few - your niche.

The bottom line? No niche, no easy attraction.

--> 5. The Wizard of Oz Effect - Hiding behind the curtain.

Another mistake that hurts your attraction factor is not connecting with your visitors. Since you are the coach that they will be discussing sensitive issues with, they will need to trust and like you.

But many coaches seem to be hiding behind a heavy velvet curtain. Many don't reveal anything significant about themselves. They don't have their photo on their website, or greet their cyber visitors when they arrive. In short, they don't reveal anything a visitor can connect to on a deep or meaningful level with the coach. It's
all smoke and mirrors.

The bottom line? No one to connect to, no one to get attracted to.

--> 6. Not answering questions.

Your prospective clients have questions they want answered, such as: "How do you work?"; "What are your coaching fees?"; "Who else have you helped?"; and "What can you do for me?" If you aren't able answer these questions on your website, clearly and confidently, it leaves doubt and confusion in the eyes of your potential clients.

That doesn't bring people to you.

The bottom line? Unanswered questions leave holes in your
presentation - unattractive.

--> 7. Not helping the visitor "Feel the Value."

Many coach websites will present dry, non-motivating material, such as details of their coaching services, the coaching methods they employ, the "processes" and intricacies that make them tick. While this is all useful and important information, it doesn't help visitors feel the value. The value they want to "feel" is the elimination of pain and the joy of success.

The bottom line? Feelings your value attracts clients to you.

Your website can be a powerful attraction tool for building your client base. Address the above points on your website and you will boost your magnetism significantly.

In the end, you will find more clients.

Recommended Resources

Need to free up more time in your practice? Virtual Helper 4 U - One of the biggest challenges that face many coaches is the time challenge. You only have so much time in a day and only so much energy to put towards your business. How about freeing up some of your time by letting Kristen handle some of your work? Kristen is a virtual assistant who specializes in helping life coaches and career coaches bring their vision to fruition. Visit her site to learn more.
http://tinyurl.com/olrkj

Need an email list service? Aweber Email List Provider - Publishing an email newsletter or ezine is a smart way to market your coaching services. It's critical to have a list provider who can make this easy while ensuring your emails make it past email blockers. Visit Aweber Communications for your email software needs.
http://www.aweber.com/?211293

Need a domain name or hosting? - Get low cost domain names and web hosting for your coaching websites from GoDaddy. I like using them because they are low-cost, provide good customer service, and I feel they continually make the effort to improve how they serve me.
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2032741-10378406

The Mission of Coaching Sites That Work

The mission of Coaching Sites That Work is to help coaches fill their practice with as many clients as they want. We work with you to build a client-attracting coaching website.

Know a business, career or life coach who is struggling to build a full client-base? Help me and help them by clicking this link to forward this newsletter to them.

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Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

Kenn Schroder
Coaching Website Specialist
516-541-3062
http://www.CoachingSitesThatWork.com