Website for coaches: how the right clients find you

Start with your niche: who are you there for?

'I help people reach their potential' is something any coach could say. Visitors don't recognise themselves in it. A clear audience and question work much better. For example: 'I help managers who are stuck after a reorganisation' or 'Coaching for young parents who can no longer balance work and family'.

• Describe your ideal client in one sentence: who are they and what are they struggling with?
• Use the words your clients use themselves in a first conversation.
• Put that sentence at the top of your homepage.
• Do you work for several audiences, such as private clients and organisations? Give each its own page.

A sharp niche can feel like turning clients away. In practice it attracts more people who recognise themselves. And it makes it easier to be found for specific searches. You don't have to rule everything else out either: you can keep helping other clients. Your site just shows where your heart and experience lie. Read more about choosing your audience in defining your target audience.

What should a coaching website include?

• A homepage that names your audience and their question.
• An about-me page with a real, friendly photo and your background.
• Your approach: what does a programme look like, how many sessions, which methods?
• Your services and prices.
• Client experiences, with their permission and possibly first name only.
• A button to book a free discovery call.
• Practical info: location, online or by appointment, and your training or registration if you have one.

Copy that builds trust with your visitors

In coaching, the copy is almost more important than the design. Your visitor wants to feel that you understand their situation. A few tips:

• Start with your client's problem, not with yourself.
• Write the way you talk in a session, with 'you' and short sentences.
• Describe how it feels when things get better, without big promises.
• Avoid jargon, or explain it briefly.
• Show your personality. People choose a coach they click with.

A short video introducing yourself can do a lot. Visitors hear your voice and see what you are like. Keep it short and make sure it doesn't slow the page down. Read more about good copy in our article on writing website copy.

Coaching prices: show them or not?

Many coaches hesitate to put their rates on their site. The argument against: every programme is different. The argument for: people want to know where they stand before requesting a conversation. A middle way often works best.

• Give a price per session or a starting price per programme.
• Explain what a programme includes: number of sessions, contact in between, any assessments.
• Mention whether an employer or a fund sometimes covers it, without promising it.
• State whether your prices include or exclude VAT, especially if you also work with businesses.

The discovery call: make the step small

For most coaches, a free introductory call is the most important conversion. Make that step as small as possible. Let visitors choose a time in your calendar themselves, online or by phone. Send a confirmation and a reminder automatically. In the form, only ask for name, contact details and perhaps one open question: what would you like to work on?

Also explain what happens in that call. For example: we talk for twenty minutes about your question, I explain how I work, and then you decide in your own time whether you want to continue. That clarity takes the tension away. Many people put off getting in touch because they are afraid they will have to buy something straight away.

An online calendar saves you a lot of back-and-forth emailing. Read more about the options in our article on an online booking system.

Privacy and sensitive information

Clients often share personal information with a coach, sometimes already in the first form. Handle it with care. Don't ask for more than you need. Make sure your site uses a secure connection and that form submissions don't sit around in an ordinary shared inbox. Have a clear privacy statement. Also read our article on a privacy statement for your website. For legal questions you can turn to a lawyer or the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).

Getting found in Google as a coach

People search for a coaching question, often with their town: 'career coach Haarlem' or 'burnout coach'. Make sure your pages answer those searches.

• Create a page per type of coaching or audience.
• Now and then, write an article about a question clients often ask.
• Complete your Google Business Profile if you have a practice address.
• Ask happy clients for a review, but don't push. Not everyone wants others to know they had a coach.

If you mainly work online, your location matters less. Focus more on your specialism and the questions your audience has. A good article about, say, doubts over a career switch can keep attracting visitors for years.

A website for your coaching practice from Violexa

At Violexa a custom website starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project. That includes design, build, a design that works on every screen, basic SEO, Google Analytics, a CMS and training. We can easily build in an online calendar for discovery calls. We work from Amsterdam for coaches all over the Netherlands.

Want to know what your practice needs? Request a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on location, we look at your situation together. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions