There’s an old proverb that says “Don’t speak unless you can improve upon the silence.” There is wisdom in that sentiment, but the fact is that silence is one of the rarest commodities on the planet.
Today, if you want to succeed, you have to be able to improve upon the noise. You also have to be distinct from all of the other voices screaming for attention online.
How will you be heard over all the chatter?
Over the next few days, well be looking at ways to ensure that the internet is working for you, not against you.
Rather than assume anything, lets cover the bottom-line basics first.
Your Website
There are people who say you can earn a great living online without a website. Naturally, most of them are trying to sell you some underground secret training product to teach you how to do it. In some cases they’re right.
But as a professional business, executive or life coach interested in using the internet to grow your practice, you must at least have a simple website. Believe me most of your peers do. And nearly all of your potential clients will use the internet to search for, research and select coaches they intend to hire. You need your own website to form the foundation for your online presence. Without it, you’re fish food for the competition.
Purchase your own professional domain and email address. Gmail and Hotmail may be convenient for personal use, but what does using them say about a professional coach? Would you hire a lawyer who uses a Yahoo email account? Exactly.
There are places to get free basic websites, but you face the same problem of appearing amateur-ish. Using subdomains such as mycoachingsite.wordpress.com broadcast to your audience that you are using a free service. You’re actually forcing prospective clients to wonder if
- you’re not successful enough to afford to buy a $10 domain,
- you’re not very serious about your business, or
- you’re stingy rather than generous (not a good characteristic for a coach).
Perception is everything. Strong positioning and posture are invaluable. The expense is minimal; its a tiny investment in your business.
You don’t want to depend on other websites people/organizations websites, either. Doing guest articles or writing a column for someone else’s site can be terrific for promoting yourself and establishing yourself as an expert, but you don’t have autonomy in those situation. You cannot fully control how or when, or even if your content is displayed. You cant guarantee that the relationship will last forever.
What Should Be on Your Site
Even though it is your property, creating a truly compelling website requires that you focus on your desired visitors, not yourself. Even when you’re speaking about your own experience, skills, etc., make it relevant to your audience. Why does your education have to do with the reader? How does it help her?
That being said, your website should have the following components:
- About You: Whats your signature story? What makes you different from other coaches? More suited to assist your visitors reach their goals than anyone else? Remember, you’re speaking about yourself, but your readers are thinking whats in it for me?
- Articles: Provide valuable content to help your audience right away and demonstrate your knowledge at the same time. Teaching is a powerful tool to attract followers and keep them coming back for more.
- Testimonials: Let your current or former clients toot your horn so you don’t have to. This gives proof that your services make a difference in peoples lives and businesses.
- Contact information: Let people know how they can hire you. Or at least connect with you on any social networks you use. The more points of contact, the better.
- Products: Have you written a book? Do you sell CDs or DVDs with your messages on them? Make it easy for interested parties to purchase them.
- Subscription/Sign up for Updates: Getting traffic is great. Getting people to give you permission to stay in touch with them is even better. There are plenty of services that provide sign up forms and email marketing services to deliver high-quality content directly to those who opt in.
In the next installment of this series, well get into more advanced internet marketing concepts you can use to grow your business online.
The truth is that what has worked in the past is not nearly as effective today. And much of it wont work at all in the near future. Set yourself up for success by digging in and getting to know how this game will be played in the coming months.
Get a free copy of the special report 4 Trends that Will Challenge Ability of Coaches to Sustain and Grow Their Practices in 2012.