Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works.
This quote by Steve Jobs is enough to say “I rest my case,” when it comes to discussing the importance of design for coaching websites (or any website, for that matter).
However, understanding the factors and elements of good coaching website design is crucial for making sure that the end product will not only attract your target audience but also get them to stick around and explore further.
Stats say that it takes only 50 milliseconds for people to form an opinion about your website, so you don’t have much time to impress and convince them to give you a chance.
Here are some tips that will help you wow business owners and those looking for a career change.
It Allows You to Make a Great First Impression
It’s your job as a coach to consult people and businesses and help them become the best versions of themselves.
In other words, they come to you for a makeover, and they will be disappointed if your website needs one. Even if the content you provide is superb and packed with useful tips and advice, your visitors won’t be compelled to read it.
We can safely conclude that aesthetics plays an important role in the success of your coaching website. 38% of people will stop engaging with content that’s unattractive in terms of layout and imagery.
Every single element, including colors, typography, and white space, should be carefully thought out as all of them communicate your message and set the tone.
For example, blue, although a cooler color, is perceived as reliable, dependable, and trustworthy, which is why many business websites and social media platforms pick it for their logos. LinkedIn, Facebook, IBM, and numerous banks want to inspire trust and send a message of stability to their target audiences.
Similarly, green is a symbol of growth, energy, and wealth, while orange adds a hint of encouragement. You can combine complementary colors to accentuate certain details, such as call-to-action buttons, and make them stand out from the rest of the page.
It Helps Your Visitors Find What They’re Looking for
Navigation is a crucial element of your website, as nobody wants to click back and forth endlessly, trying to move around and find the information they’re looking for.
Just like you’re expected to help your potential clients navigate their life and career, your website navigation should be intuitive and user-friendly.
Some of the best navigation practices include:
- Placing navigation menus at the top of each page
- Adding contact information at the bottom of each page
- A clickable logo at the top of each page that leads directly to the home page
- A search bar at the top of each page.
A website such as Upskill Coach is a great example of how to implement all this.
Everything should be self-explanatory, so don’t experiment with your navigation. It should be very easy for your potential clients to get in touch with you and book an appointment, so make sure to add a call to action that will be prominently placed above the fold.
Chatbots have become increasingly popular, thanks for their effectiveness in engaging website visitors and answering their questions. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a successful chatbot strategy in place and implement these intelligent algorithms to offer your potential clients superb customer experience.
Think About Responsiveness and Accessibility
Given that more than 50% of global internet traffic comes from mobile devices, it’s essential for your website to be responsive and to display well on screens of all sizes.
It’s one of the basic principles of effective UX.
A lot of people visit it from their smartphones and tablets, and if it’s not properly optimized for these devices, they will leave before even having a chance to interact with your content. People don’t want to pinch and zoom every couple of seconds in order to be able to read an article or click on tiny CTAs.
Besides this, don’t forget to check whether your website can be properly viewed on different operating systems and browsers, as that can significantly increase your conversion rate.
Also, having a mobile-responsive website is a must if you want to score some decent Google rankings. Namely, the search engine giant introduced mobile-first indexing back in 2019, and that means it mainly uses the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking purposes.
When we’re talking about accessibility, bear in mind that some of your potential clients are people with certain disabilities, and it’s very important that they can use your website comfortably.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Add alt tags. People with sight loss use readers, and by adding these descriptions to your images, you’ll make it possible for them to understand what is in every image.
- Provide subtitles and scripts for your video content so that people with hearing loss can follow it.
- Make sure that people with mobility problems can open your links and interact with clickable items by allowing them to click within links’ and items’ general area.
Eliminate Clutter
Your design should be clean and minimalistic, as having too much clutter will distract and confuse your website visitors.
Don’t suffocate your website with information and images.
Yes, it’s essential to include visually-oriented content such as videos, infographics, and images, but use all this in moderation. The best way to do so is by leveraging white space to give your design (and your visitors) some breathing room.
Having too much visual and textual content is overwhelming, so make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the readability of your website.
Besides, white space will allow you to focus on the important features of your website and emphasize relevant content.
When it comes to images, it’s worth mentioning that you should have professional headshots of you and your team on the website. This way, you’ll put a face to a name and build rapport with your potential clients, which is of paramount importance in your line of work.
Not having a headshot or having a low-quality one is something that won’t instill confidence and trust in your potential clients, so hire a professional photographer, dress properly, and show your audience why they should trust you with their life and career.
Website design is a make-it-or-break-it factor for the success of your website and your entire coaching business. Instead of a DIY approach, it’s much better to hire a specialist that will ensure your design presents you in the best possible light.