There’s no such thing as too many questions when you’re thinking about redesigning your website. Six is on the low side! Having designed loads of websites for coaches and speakers, I have answered almost every query under the sun. The most important thing is realizing the overwhelming benefit of having a website that works for you and not against you.

The motivation to change your branding or refresh your online presence can vary, but I’ll bet that the following may ring true:

• • Your current coaching website doesn’t receive enough traffic, few leads, and not enough sales (or maybe you don’t even know how to track these things to your site!).
  • Your website is outdated compared to your competition’s more professional web pages.
  • The design of your website doesn’t reflect your unique personality.
  • You’re looking for a way to better showcase your coaching, speaking, or consulting expertise.

Look, I get it. You’re excited about a fresh start with a fancy new coaching or consulting website, but you have to ensure you’ve got all the pieces in place to make sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes. I’ve seen too many cases where people redesign their sites but end up having the same problems! To avoid that hot mess, take a good hard look at your business goals and the types of customers you want to attract, and use that to create a winning strategy.

It can be tempting to dive straight into new color schemes, create lead magnets, set up a photo shoot, etc. But ask yourself every step of the way, “why is this important? What will this achieve? What are my goals? Does my audience care?” By doing this, you can make sure that any new design elements serve a purpose.

In this blog, I’ll attempt to get you on the right path BEFORE you jump in head first. The following are the six questions you should ask prior to undertaking the potentially business-altering step of redesigning your website.

1. Am I accessing my ideal coaching client?

Your ideal customer is basically a made-up person that is reflective of the types of clients you want to attract. This imaginary character should inspire the coaching or consulting content you create by addressing their desires and solving their problems. When you do this, you can connect with them and have a better chance of making a sale later on.

But if you don’t know your ideal coaching or consulting customer, you’ll just be shooting in the dark and not appealing to anyone in particular. So, if you’re in the process of redesigning your website, make sure you know exactly who you’re targeting. Do your research and figure out who might require your sage advice (and if you need some help with that, check out my blog post on Positioning For Coaches and Consultants right here). Keep them in mind when creating your content, and ensure they’re front and center wherever they click that mouse.

2. What makes me stand out?

Alright, let’s talk about your unique selling point (USP). This sets you apart from the competition and makes your offering different from all the rest. If you can’t stand out from the crowd, you’ll blend in and share potential sales with everyone else. Coaches and speakers dominating the lead generation game do so because they can offer something nobody else can.

So, what’s your special sauce? Do you have a secret method or a unique approach? Is your style of teaching different from everyone else’s? Maybe your pricing is more straightforward and affordable? Maybe you’re serving a unique industry or type of person?

Whatever your USP is, make sure your clients know about it. If you need to figure out what it is, ask any happy customers you already have for testimonials and look for common themes. Those reviews are pure gold for identifying the unique traits that make your business awesome.

3. Do I need a total makeover or just a quick tune-up?

Is it possible things aren’t as bad as you think? If things aren’t working out as they should, it’s pretty easy to go for the nuclear option and throw everything down the drain. However, on closer inspection, you might find certain parts of your site perform quite well. Refreshing your brand is entirely different from an entire overhaul.

By looking at stuff like how long people stay on your website, how many pages they visit, and whether or not they are booking consultation calls, you can figure out which pages are doing great and which ones need a little work. Think of it like mining for gold, but instead of digging in a mine, you’re digging through data!

If all this talk about metrics and measurement sounds like a foreign language to you, don’t worry – you’re not alone! Many coaching and speaking professionals feel overwhelmed by Google Analytics and its associated graphs and numbers. But don’t despair! If you need help understanding your data, it might be a good idea to bring in a professional who can guide you through the process. They can help make sense of all the data and give you the insights you need to improve your website and meet your goals.

4. Do I have a sales funnel that works?

Speakers, coaches and consultants often look at redesigning their websites because they need a cohesive sales funnel that generates leads and, ultimately, sales.

Basically, a sales funnel is a series of steps that guide your visitors toward a desired action, such as booking a consultation, purchasing a product, or signing up for your email list. By creating a sales funnel, you can make it much easier for your visitors to take the action you want them to take.

Your coaching sales funnel could start with a blog post that addresses a common problem your target audience faces. From there, you could offer a free resource, such as a downloadable guide, in exchange for their email address. Armed with their contact details, you can now establish your expertise with an email series that outlines what you do and how you do it. Finally, but most importantly, invite them to book a coaching call with you!

By guiding your coaching prospects through this process, you can build trust and credibility, establish yourself as an authority in your field, and increase the chances of converting them into paying clients.

5. What’s a good budget for redesigning my coaching website?

How long is a piece of string?! Depending on the scope, websites can cost as little as $500 and go all the way up to $50,000+.

But seriously, it pays to decide how much you actually want to change when it comes to redesigning a website. More elements often require more financial commitment. The overall cost will depend heavily on how much work a designer needs to commit to your site, whether it is brand new or upgraded.

On average (although it definitely depends on who you work with!), you can expect to pay as little as $1500 for a very simple refresh with a junior website designer/developer, or up to $10,000-$15,000 for a full rebuild with an experienced pro, including an online store, copywriting, a lead magnet, and all the bells and whistles.

Of course, using a website builder and doing it yourself is definitely the cheapest option, but that might be what landed you in this mess to begin with! Using a builder can be a great way to get started quickly, but without copywriting skills and marketing strategy to back it up, you could be left with a new website that doesn’t work the way you want it to.

That’s why it’s always wise to seek advice from a pro to ensure you understand exactly what’s included in your website redesign. After all, you don’t want to spend more cash on another upgrade six months later because your site isn’t functioning the way you want it to. That’s just frustrating. Save yourself the headaches and ensure a full-service option that continues to work with you even after the main job is done.

6. What are my overall goals?

Redesigning your coaching website is a big decision, requiring careful planning before you start. Just like with any critical business decision, knowing what you want to achieve is essential to save time and money.

For example, if you are looking at changing the name of your coaching business (let’s say you want to build a personal brand and use your own name instead of a business name), you will have a lot of strategy and planning involved as to how to make that switch, and what it will mean across the board for your online presence. So if you decide to work with a designer, make sure they take the time to understand your goals and ask lots of questions to help you clarify your ideas.

Let me repeat this because it’s really important: your website needs to work for you, not against you!

Your website is like the front door of your business. Every visitor should be greeted warmly and nurtured to the point of sale—just like any other brick-and-mortar business. You can find that winning formula when you align your goals with your prospective coaching clients’ needs.
If you can’t figure out where your visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, and what they are clicking on, your website is not doing its job.

Summing It Up

The website redesign process can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, so I hope this blog helped you collect your thoughts better! When your coaching business relies on generating high-quality leads, ensuring your website is easy to navigate and provides insightful resources and details about your services is essential.

However, before jumping straight into the process, sit back and as yourself, “what do I want to achieve?”

In my 15+ years building websites for coaches, speakers, trainers, health & wellness professionals, educators, mentors, authors, consultants, and advisors, I have refined my process to uncover the best methods to design functional and beautiful websites. I work closely with all my clients to reach your redesign goals and get your website working for you.

Still on the fence about redesigning your website? Let’s Talk!