Build a Coaching Website using the StoryBrand Framework

Character

Identifying your target audience and understanding their needs.

Start by defining your coaching niche and specialization. Create detailed customer personas that help you understand your audience’s motivations, pain points, and aspirations.

Problem

Addressing the challenges and pain points of your audience.

Identify the common struggles your clients face and frame them in a way that resonates emotionally. This helps your audience feel understood and heard.

StoryBrand breaks the problem into three types: External, Internal and Philosophical. The external problem is a fact (You need a coach). The internal problem is a feeling (You feel stuck in your business). The philosophical problem is an ‘ought/should/deserve’ statement that your audience can rally around (You Need a Coach). 

On a website, try using your philosophical statement as your headline. It doesn’t always work, but if you have a really powerful statement that tells the audience what you do, it can be a powerful attention grabber.

Remember—You solve lots of problems for the people you serve, but in your core message, it’s important to choose just one! Don’t worry. This isn’t like a logo that you can’t change. If the problem you choose to focus on isn’t getting the results you want, you can change it. In fact, you should test different problems to find out which works best in getting their attention.

Guide

Presenting yourself as the expert coach. Tell them why you are the right person to help solve their problem.

Craft a compelling brand story that highlights your journey, expertise, and relatability. Show potential clients that you’ve walked the path they’re on. When you do this well, you express empathy. 

Then, build on that with authority. Yes, your credentials are important. More important are testimonials, case studies, and logos of companies you’ve done work with.

Plan

Outlining the coaching process.

Break down your coaching approach into clear and actionable steps. Use storytelling to illustrate the journey clients will take with you, making it easier for them to visualize their own transformation.

We recommend a three-step process. There isn’t one right way to do this. Any process that helps your prospect get a sense for how you work with people is good. It also builds authority when you are able to describe the process.

Call to Action

Encouraging user engagement.

Design eye-catching and persuasive calls to action that guide visitors toward taking the next steps. 

Storybrand encourages two calls to action. The first is a direct call to action. In the coaching world, this is almost always, “Set up a call.” The second is a transitional call to action. In the event that your prospect isn’t ready to set up a call yet, you don’t want them to walk away. So, you offer something to them in exchange for an email address. This is also called a lead-generator. When you offer valuable resources such as e-books, webinars, or free consultations, you can capture their email address so you can nurture the relationship through an additional channel.

Success

Painting a picture of the transformed state.

Put success all over your website. Success shows up in photos, case studies, aspirational images, bulleted lists, testimonials, and more.

Failure

Conveying the consequences of inaction.

Gently remind your audience of the potential negative outcomes if they don’t take action. Frame this in a way that motivates rather than scares. In coaching, the failure is often the status quo. Remind them of the problem they have.