1. What Do Successful Online Coaches Have In Common?

I’m assuming that you want to do some coaching of some sort because you know you have experience and knowledge in a certain subject matter that is important to you. So naturally, this subject you are familiar with will be the highlight of your new website. You will want to share your information with the world. How do you start doing that?

Well, first thing would be to see how other coaches online present themselves. How do they introduce their content? How do they offer it to you? For free or is it paid? Just like with any business, you should sit down and create a business plan. Figure out what do you plan to offer to your visitors? What will the cost be to them to use your website? What makes you different than the other life coaches. Do you have a niche market? If so, study your competition/partners as well. 

I’ve made a few coaching websites myself and notice they all have a commonality of what they have to offer their visitors. Keep in mind, that you may or may not offer or have all of these.

• Public Speaking
• Coaching Sessions
• Writing Services
• ebooks, Blog articles, Newsletters
• Testimonials and Evidence of Success/Results (certificates/degrees/etc..)
• Advice, Opinions, Statements, Point of Views

There are many different kinds of coaches and guidance counselors, gurus, mentors and advisors. Every single online business is going to run very differently. You will find that speaking with your web developer and marketing management team that they can help you devise a plan of action that is best suited in moving forward with your business online.

2. Common Features Offered In A Coaching Website

Newsletters

Newsletters are often confused with blogs/articles. A newsletter is a summary of information that is issued periodically. Newsletters usually have updates information, links to blog posts, latest news, etc. A newsletter is normally emailed to your subscriber base. So a user would have had to subscribe to your mailing list to receive one of these. For legality reasons, newsletters also give an unsubscribe option, so a person can opt-out of the private emails they are getting from you.

Newsletters can be built into your website or they can come from a 3rd party company. For example…

• www.mailchimp.com
• http://www.aweber.com

Articles/Blog

This is your information station that will pull in visitors to your site and provide them valuable knowledgeable they can take with them in life. Just like this article you are currently reading written by me, you will want to  utilize your own blog for the same . Articles are found by users searching for answers. What did you type in the search engine to find this article you are reading?

Selling or Giving Away E-Books

A really easy way to get followers is to offer free mini e-Books. You might offer this up in exchange for their email so you can add them to your newsletter list.

Booking Software

Book your coaching sessions or public speaking with booking software. This can be built into your website or a 3rd party software installed on your site.  Visitors can see your schedule, book a time and day, and the software will keep track of all your appointments for you. Some of them even process the payments.

If you don’t have your booking software custom built just for your needs into your website by your developer, there are a few 3rd party choices out there too. Some have a free version while some of them have monthly fee’s attached.

• http://www.booker.com
• https://www.mindbodyonline.com
• https://squareup.com/appointments?bookfresh
• https://acuityscheduling.com

Membership Access for Life Coach Websites

This is a platform which can be develop for you into the website and there could also be monthly fee’s involved as well. With a membership site you are restricting access to content. You have to have something to offer that person that keeps them coming back to the site and/or they are emailed something or snail mailed something. It’s similar to having a subscription which can be paid for in one flat fee, or charged on a monthly basis.  For example, you could offer special articles you have written or videos.

If you are interested in developing a  membership site here are a few examples of membership sites that have done well.

• www.pauljanka.com ( offers videos/ebooks and coaching for his members. )
• http://www.paleoplan.com (offer weekly diet plans, shopping lists, recipes and workouts)
• http://sixpackshortcuts.com (offer online training videos, meal plans and dvd’s)
• http://www.flyaoamedia.com/get-started-at-angle-of-attack/ (learn how to fly with instructional video, text)
• http://speakersponsor.com/ (member directory and profiles)
• https://socialcatfish.com/ (access to a search engine for verifying social profiles)
• http://socialtriggers.com/ (advice on Internet marketing and strategies)
• https://www.jordangrayconsulting.com (relationship adivce, coaching, courses and the blog)

Group Chat & Private Chat

There is  group chat software out there that I can be implemented into your website allowing you to have conversations with your visitors and they can converse with one another as well.

• http://www.rumbletalk.com/premium/
• http://nowtalk.com/
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/chat-room/

Or you could just create a button or link for your users to use to gain access to a private chat room on another server. There are also places called disposable chat rooms that you can use to talk with anyone you want without having to put costs into a custom built chat room of your own.

• http://deadsimplechat.com/
• https://niltalk.com/
• http://www.disposablechat.com/

Don’t Forget the Important Pages

Any website that offers a shopping experience of some sort will need one or more of the following pages.

• terms and conditions
• privacy policy
• refund policy

3. Social Media Interaction & Marketing

If you want to gain exposure of your business online, you have to put yourself out there, where the people are gathering. That would be social media. Social media sites and forums come in all different sizes and shapes and finding the one that best suites what you offer would be a great place to start socializing with your target market. Social media public figures and businesses that have grown a huge following of people, can eventually lead their followers INTO the website to sell them what they are offering.

• Facebook & Twitter can be used by all types of businesses. It’s especially great for coaches. You can narrow down to your preferred target market with ad’s.
• Myspace would be targeted to more music individual’s
• Instagram and Pinterest would be useful if it is easy to convey your business with just photos. Like food or clothing.

Articles that enforce why social media is beneficial for any business…

Social Media Marketing: How to Grow Your Business Using Social Media

4. Now You’re More Prepared!

Just remember, if you want to be a successful coach, it’s a full time job. Your time is dedicated to your followers, fans and clients. Without them, your listeners, you are talking into an empty abyss.

Always make sure you know the laws before offering a service and taking money for that service. Always consult with a lawyer. There is a pretty good article which can show you what to avoid if you plan on making this a legitimate business and want to refrain from looking spammy or scammy in anyway.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/01/21/dont-get-scammed-by-online-business-coaches/#20c2d9cb28cc

Good luck out there! If you have anything to add to this article, maybe tell the world what you offer as a coach or what features you provide in your website or services you found useful, feel free to drop a line in the comments 🙂