Last Updated on May 7, 2024 by Paula
Your website is the cornerstone of your online presence. But so many coaches and service providers forget all about it in favor of social media platforms. There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of social media, but those platforms aren’t yours. Your website is! And it’s important to do all that you can to make sure that your website is doing its part to help you book more clients and reach your business goals.
Let’s look at what you can do in 2024 to ensure you’re getting the most out of your website’s potential to book more clients.
Remember How Your Website Fits Into the Big Picture
Your website is a part of your marketing strategy. Your brand and vibe on social media, on your podcast, or in your newsletter should continue over into your website. Don’t leave your site out! Make sure it fits with your current business goals and speaks to your current target client just like the other platforms you use do.
How long has it been since you updated your About page? Or your services page? Or your homepage? Are they still aligned with where you are now in your business? Are they speaking to who you want to work with NOW not five years ago? If not, then make some time to get these pages updated.
Your website is where most of your potential clients will ultimately make their decision to work with you. Or not. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your website is in alignment with your current business goals and objectives.
Every business is different and will have different goals and objectives depending on where they are in their business journey. Once you’ve determined what your goals and objectives are, use the next two tips to encourage your visitors to take the actions that you want them to take.
If you need help writing the content for your website, use the Write Your Client-Getting Website workbook to guide you through what you need for each page of your website.
Use Calls to Action (CTAs) Strategically
One of the key things you need to do to get your visitors to take the actions you want them to take is to be strategic with your Calls to Action.
Always include a CTA in your homepage hero section that encourages visitors to take action related to your #1 goal. For most coaches and service providers, this action will be to book a sales call. Because most likely one of your main business goals is to book more clients. There are also a ton of other places to include CTAs. Read this blog about the best places to use CTAs on your website.
Optimize Your CTA Buttons
Once you’re clear on what your CTAs should be and where they should go, the next step is designing them so that they are seen!
Color Contrast
Use your brand’s accent color for your buttons. Accent colors are meant to be used sparingly and they should really stand out from the other colors in your brand palette. Also, test your accent color to make sure it has good contrast against your website’s background. You want this color to grab attention!
Clear Messaging
You want it to be obvious what the CTA button is for and you want to use action-oriented language. You don’t have to stress about coming up with a super creative CTA! Simple and direct language like “Book a Discovery Call” or “Buy Now” works well because they are very clear.
Consider Placement
Position CTAs where they are clearly visible and accessible without overshadowing other content. In fact, the content before the CTA button should direct your visitors to the CTA by giving them a reason to click the button.
Size and Shape
Make buttons large enough to be easily clickable on both desktop and mobile devices. Also, keep your buttons consistent across your website – you don’t want to have rounded buttons on one page and a square on another. Using the same look across your site teaches your visitors what is clickable on your website. Don’t use a button look for things that aren’t buttons as this can confuse your visitors.
Whitespace
Don’t be afraid of white space! White space or empty space can draw attention to the elements on a page—like your CTA buttons—that are most important to you. So use whitespace to reduce the visual clutter around your buttons and keep the focus exactly where you want it.
Minimize Common Distractions
To really create a streamlined experience and keep visitors focused on what you want them to do, you need to minimize distractions. Here are the top 3 distractions on most websites that you can avoid.
- Social Media Icons in the Header: While I definitely think you should include your social media links on your website, including them in the header is too distracting. Your header is the first thing someone sees when they land on your website, and you don’t want them to see links that will immediately send them AWAY from your website. Instead include them in your footer and on your contact page.
- Pop-ups in the Wrong Locations: Pop-ups can be effective for capturing leads, but they can also be intrusive and distracting when they pop up at the wrong time. Make sure that you turn your pop-ups off on any landing or sales pages so that the visitor stays focused on the action you want them to take on those pages.
- Overwhelming Navigation: Keep your header navigation focused on the pages that are essential for visitors to see to make an informed decision about working with you. 5 to 7 pages will be enough for the main navigation. Anything else can be included in dropdown menus (take a look at my menu for an example) or include those non-essential pages in the footer menu.
Remember, your website is the cornerstone of your online presence! By aligning your website with your current business goals and optimizing your website’s design and functionality, you can improve its potential for helping you book more clients or to reach any goal you have.
