5 Mistakes Coaches Make On Their Homepage

Let’s talk about your website’s home page.

If you’re a coach, and you have a website – even a fabulous, gorgeous website -- then this is for YOU!!

The reason I wrote this quick blog is because so many coaches’ websites have glaring mistakes – particularly on the home page, and particularly in that special piece of real estate known as, “above-the-fold.” (The area you see when you first land on the page, before you scroll down to see more.)

And as someone who’s spent 20-some years in the advertising biz, I’m a bit of a critic when it comes to websites. But that’s good news for YOU!

Because I’ll share with you 5 Common Mistakes Coaches Make on Their Home Page. Some of which are downright gag-inducing (though all are fairly easily fixable).

[PLUS, further below you can grab my complimentary checklist: The TEN Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make on Their Homepage. It’s likely you’re making one or more of these mistakes.]

So as I mentioned, most coaches’ websites, and I say this with all due love and respect, because I know most of us are “doing-it-all-myselfers”, are just not that great, and at the very least have some glaring mistakes.

And It’s Not Just Me!

In fact, after I sent out an email announcing I’d be doing a Facebook LIVE on the topic of 5 Mistakes Coaches Make on Their Homepages, I got a reply from a friend and colleague, we’ll just call him DTK (and to his credit, he has a GREAT website), that said…

Dude! Only FIVE Mistakes?!? Coach websites are @#$! train wrecks ... at best! IMHO:

70% are brand toxic.
10% just suck.
10% are placeholders (do no damage, but do no good).
7% are good.
3% rock.

He went on to say, “If you can help ANY coaches shift into the top 10% (or even the top 20%), you’re a hero!!”

Well, I want to be your website-fixin’ hero, because…

Our Homepage Is Critical

Your website’s homepage is your primary outward-facing platform, and it’s your most powerful tool for turning prospects into clients and buyers.

It’s one of what I call the “Non-Negotiable Systems” for a strong business-building foundation. It’s a “system” because A) it’s working while you sleep, and B) it’s actually your main hub for other systems – your lead magnet, scheduling/booking software, your online products, not to mention your key messaging and branding.

And if it’s not working well, it’s not building trust and confidence as it should. (In fact, if it’s got some of these common mistakes, it may be degrading trust and confidence…while you sleep!)

So with that, here are five common no-no’s…

ONE. It’s Not Clear within 3 Seconds Whom & How You Help!

A prospect must be able to land on your home page and within three seconds know whether you help people like her. If not, she’s likely to leave and never return.

TWO. We Can't See YOU!

People don’t hire coaching companies or brands. They hire flesh-and-blood people they feel they can trust. So they need to see a quality photo of your confident, welcoming, smiling face – which is a big part of the communication of “whom and how you help” – subtle, but big.

And by the way, the difference between a nice photo of you, and a professionally done headshot will be picked up on by everyone. Maybe not consciously, but people will pick up on it.

So get some pro headshots done. I know it’s an investment, but think of it this way: We'll go out and we'll spend $800 on a dress to attend a wedding to impress 150 people or so, and then never wear that dress again. But we'll be hesitant to spend, say, $1,000 on really amazing photography, right?

So, skip the wedding dress (or the new suit) and go get some great shots of yourself. They will pay you back over and over and over again – being seen by not 150 people, but likely more than 150,000 people, over time.

BONUS Tip: And don’t just go with any photographer who happens to have some headshots in his or her portfolio. You've got to keep looking until you find somebody's work, where you go, "Holy crap. I want that picture to be me." And wait until you find somebody who's nailed it, not just for one person they shot, but their whole portfolio has you saying, "Holy crap, that one looks amazing. That person looks amazing. That person looks amazing."

Another thing is that you also want to have additional shots from different angles so that when you're populating your website and other materials, you've got one of you going like this. And one of you looking this way, and one of you going... you know?

THREE. “Subscribe to My Newsletter!”

Ugh! Why would I subscribe to another newsletter? Instead, just give me your value-bomb freemium with a double opt-in – and I’ll then get your newsletter!

And related to this…

FOUR. No Freemium Above-the-Fold!

Your lead magnet is the sine qua non of your website. (Latin for, “That without which, nothing”). If it’s not visible above-the-fold, it may as well be buried on your FAQ page!

But you gotta have a powerful freemium lead magnet: a real “value-bomb.” Unless you’re some kind of established influencer, newsletters have zero perceived value, and your free offering is the indicator of the quality of your paid offerings.

If your freemium and the emails that follow over-deliver on value, then the feeling will be, “Wow, if this is what she gives out for free, I can’t wait to see what her paid stuff and your coaching is like!"

“Freemium = free + premium. Newsletters are not premium. And sadly, neither are most freemium lead magnets.” Alan P Brown

And common homepage mistake number…

FIVE. No Social Proof!

Every coach has a positive blurb from a client. Most have lots. So why not put a couple in a patch of white space – above-the-fold, if it fits?

Even one rave proves you get results.

And here's a Quick Win for you: Set aside an hour some time just to go and look at some great websites for inspiration. But don’t look only at coaches’ sites. Look at marketers’ sites! If you want to see the best practices for a website that converts, go and steal ideas from successful marketing influencers – NOT from other coaches. E.g., Chris Ducker, Amy Porterfield, Neil Patel.

So to RECAP, LOTs of homepage mistakes out there in coach land. But most are easily fixable. So be sure to get my complimentary checklist: The TEN Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make on Their Homepage. It’s likely you’re making one or more of these (very FIXABLE!) mistakes. Click the link below this video or the one at the top of the comments.

OK, that’s all for now. Until next time, remember: Whatever’s in your way is yours to CRUSH!!

What are your thoughts on this topic? I'd love to know. Shoot me an email at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram @alanpbrown.