A good coaching website tells visitors within a few seconds who you help and how, shows proof that you can help them, and gives one clear next step, usually a free consult or a lead magnet. Below are 8 coaching websites to learn from, the pages every coach needs, and the templates I recommend.
Your website is one part of a wider marketing strategy for service providers.
The Importance of a Great Coaching Website
An exceptional coaching website is the cornerstone of any successful coaching practice. It serves as a virtual storefront, allowing potential clients to discover your services, engage with your content, and ultimately, decide whether to work with you. A well-designed website can:
- Make it easier for people to find you online
- Capture their attention and spark interest
- Establish trust and credibility
- Present your services in a compelling way
- Facilitate smooth communication and booking processes
By investing in a high-quality coaching website, you can enhance your online visibility, boost client acquisition, and elevate your overall brand image.
Looking to get coaching clients? Here’s an article on that.
What should a coaching website include?
Every coaching website needs five things: a homepage headline that says who you help and the result you help them get; an About page that explains why you’re qualified; a Work With Me page with your offer and how to start; proof, such as testimonials or client results; and one clear call to action, like booking a call or joining your email list.
8 Coaching Websites to Learn From
To help you gain a better understanding of what makes an excellent coaching website, I’ve compiled a list of 20 examples from popular coaches with that you can draw inspiration from.
I’ll explain what I like about each one, and what sites I think leave something to be desired + what I would change.
Basic criteria
I’ll be using the following 5 criteria to gauge my personal opinion of each website. I was a marketing manager for 7 years, have had an online business since 2011, and have also worked with and managed development and user experience teams. So, I have some kind of basis for my opinions.
- Above the fold: what is my first impression of the site, and what shows up “above the fold”? (This refers to what you see on a web page before you scroll.)
- Messaging: How easy is it for me to understand who this is and what they’re about? Do I understand their niche in 2 seconds or less?
- Navigation: How’s the menu? Can I get oriented easily and click around to find out about their stuff?
- General Appearance: What’s my personal opinion of the vibe?
- Lead magnet or contact: Is there a mega easy way for me to join their email list, find them on social, or ask a question?
Other caveats:
- I’m not doing any research about many of these people, and I don’t know who many of them are. I just looked at a few popular websites
- I’m only looking at the home page above the fold. For some people, a home page gets a lot of traffic, but for others who use SEO and ads, their home page may not get any traffic at all, or hardly any. This is important to note because I’m evaluating the home page as if it’s a MAIN page for people – but the reality is that it may NOT be. In other words: I may audit home pages below that people aren’t trying that hard to optimize, or don’t care about.
For sales and opt-in pages, here are the benefits of a dedicated landing page.
Tony Robbins – www.tonyrobbins.com
Above the fold on Tony’s website, we see the main thing he’s known for and what he wants you to do: RSVP for an event. While the event name isn’t super specific, you get the vibe right away that it has to do with personal development.
His tagline after a few more images is:
MASTER EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE: SOLUTIONS TO FIT YOUR TIME, YOUR LIFESTYLE AND YOUR BUDGET
Messaging
I would describe this tagline as “fine”. Like, he’s Tony heckin’ Robbins, so go off. But to me, this doesn’t really say much. It’s trying to appeal to everyone, which is something you can do when you’re Tony Heckin’ Robbins. But most of you (us) need to be way more specific, especially in the life coaching and personal development niches. Your niche doesn’t have to be narrow and inflexible. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll pivot more than once in your business. But before you’re well known like T-slice, you really need to be specific enough to help people understand: why you.
The navigation and overall design are sleek – I love them.
Menu: If you go under “Guide” there are about 400 options. (Okay, only 9, but wow it’s still a lot.) For most people I recommend keeping your menu simple. In fact, if you’re client roster isn’t full for coaching, I’d probably only direct people to either book a call or get your lead magnet. (And to your blog if you have one). Summary: I like the primary menu, but I think there’s a ton of options under each primary navigation. A ton = too many for most of us if we want users to DO something specific.
If you scroll down, you’ll see case studies and another call to action to RSVP for an event. I like that the home page stays focused on that.
Martha Beck – www.marthabeck.com
The next of the coaching websites: Martha Beck.
I’ll say right off the bat that this design wasn’t as striking / attractive to my at Tony Robbins’.The hero image on the top took up around half of the “above the fold” area I saw before scrolling, and then the section below it felt more like an internal page than a home page. I think if the “what’s happening now” were much bigger it would help this look more designed – but these are all just subjective opinions.
A popup came up the first time I visited the site, and the call to action was pretty generic (along the lines of “join my newsletter”). This probably works for Martha, but for most of us, I’d recommend trying an opt-in that is more specific and value or results driven. (Like a training, ebook, quiz or other tool.)
Messaging
The tagline “AUTHOR. SPEAKER. WAYFINDER.” doesn’t tell me much, but the section below the hero image does. Well, at least it tells me ONE thing: that Martha is doing a series on anxiety and finding calm. The third section is an “about” section which tells you more about Martha, and this is where it is finally clear to me what her niche is: she’s a sociologist and author. While the top of the page does say she’s an author, knowing that she’s a Harvard trained sociologist helped me get the vibe more.
As I scroll down I like the design and layout better than these top sections.
Her menu is a hamburger menu on the top right. (The 3 little lines.) This is usually a mobile website layout for menus, but I see more and more desktops using this minimal approach. From a user experience perspective, I’m guessing some people would lack an intuition that the menu is on the top right like that. I’m making this assumption because I’m guessing her crowd is more mature, like she is.
Her menu has 14 items, which is pretty epic and probably why she opted for a hamburger menu. Unlike Tony, there isn’t an epic amount of options under those 14 options, so in that regard, it’s more minimalist than Tony.
Gabrielle Bernstein – www.gabbybernstein.com
Gabby Bernstein’s homepage is simple, but honestly, I’m obsessed with it. I love the photo she chose – it feels posed but still authentic.
I also think the tagline is clear, AND I love the opt-in she chose. This feels like a very simple but focused “above the fold” section.
Her menu is a hamburger menu like Martha’s above, but unlike Martha’s, her menu is more focused. It has 6 items only.
Lead Magnet Versus Newsletter
In addition to the “free meditations” at the top of the page, which feels like a very specific lead magnet and value proposition, she ALSO has a newsletter subscription form at the bottom. I used to be somewhat anti-newsletter as an online marketer that thought “no one wants a newsletter”. Except for…I like newsletters. And so do a lot of other folks. For some, newsletters aren’t enough of a value proposition to join your email list. That’s why we also want to bribe people for their email with something specific.
I like that Gabby does both.
(And I subscribed to her newsletter…)
Brendon Burchard – www.brendon.com
Brendon Burchard’s homepage opens with “High performance, made repeatable,” followed by a clear description of what readers will get from his weekly newsletter. The main call to action is to subscribe, with an email signup form directly below the introduction.
Newer coaches can borrow this focused approach: lead with the outcome you help people achieve and give visitors one clear next step.
Cheryl Richardson – www.cherylrichardson.com
Cheryl Richardson’s homepage opens with her name and a full-width coastal portrait, creating a calm, personal first impression. The soft colors, simple navigation and spacious layout give the page a relaxed feel.
The first visible invitation is “Let’s stay connected,” just below the main image. The navigation also gives visitors clear paths to explore her books, blog and events.
Newer coaches can borrow the cohesive photography and color palette to communicate the feeling of working with them. Pair that visual warmth with a short headline explaining who you help and how, so first-time visitors can quickly understand your work.
Tim Ferriss – www.tim.blog
Tim Ferriss’s homepage opens with a large portrait and a quote attributed to The New York Times: “A cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk.” This puts personality and credibility at the center of the first impression.
The main offer invites visitors to download 175+ free pages from his books, with an email field and a prominent “Download Free Chapters” button. A “Free Newsletter” button in the navigation gives visitors another clear invitation to join his list.
Newer coaches can borrow the specific free-resource offer: explain exactly what someone gets when they subscribe. A useful worksheet, sample lesson or short guide can give visitors a practical introduction to your approach.
Leo Babauta – www.zenhabits.net
Leo Babauta’s coaching page opens with “A year of quiet, deliberate work,” followed by a clear explanation: twelve months of one-on-one coaching in clarity, focus and doing what matters. The warm neutral colors, spacious layout and understated portrait reinforce that sense of calm and intention.
The visible next step is “By Application” in the top navigation, positioning the coaching as something visitors apply for. The page keeps attention on a single offer.
Newer coaches can borrow the alignment between the message and the design. Choose words, images and colors that reflect your coaching approach, then clearly explain the format and focus of your offer so visitors know what you’re inviting them into.
Danielle LaPorte – www.daniellelaporte.com
Danielle LaPorte’s homepage opens with a featured offer for the “2027 CENTERED Planner,” using warm photography and a prominent “Shop the Collection” button. Visitors immediately see what’s available and where to click to explore it.
Below the promotion, “I’m so glad you’re here” introduces a more personal welcome, with copy about resilience, love, discernment and bringing spiritual practice into daily life. This gives visitors a sense of her voice and philosophy alongside the products and programs.
Newer coaches can borrow this balance of a clear offer and a personal introduction. Give your main offer a visible place near the top, then use the next section to help visitors understand your approach and feel a connection with you.
Top Tips for Creating Your Own Coaching Website
The most common mistake I see on coaches’ websites is beautiful design paired with vague messaging: I can feel the vibe, but I still don’t know who they help or what I’d hire them for. Before tweaking another font or photo, make sure your homepage answers those questions and gives visitors one obvious next step.
With the above examples as inspiration, let’s delve into some essential tips for creating your own coaching website:
- Engaging and professional images: High-quality photos of yourself are crucial for establishing credibility and making a strong first impression.
- A statement or tagline: Clearly convey your specialty and the results clients can expect from working with you.
- Call to Action: Guide visitors through the actions you want them to take on your website.
- Free resources: Offer valuable content, such as blog posts, podcasts, or guides, to build relationships and foster trust with your audience.
- Great structure: Design your website with a user-friendly layout, ensuring it is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
- Clear services: Be explicit about the services you offer so that potential clients can easily identify which option is the right fit for them.
The Best Coaching Website Templates
When it comes to building your coaching website, there are several popular platforms to choose from, such as WordPress, Squarespace, and Showit.
The Best WordPress Coaching Website Theme
I personally use Astra, which has a free or paid version. I like it because it’s a blank slate, and I can design the pages however I want with Elementor (what I use), or Divi or other page builders.
Ashe is another great, free theme I’ve used in the past, and is great for beginners – but it’s very blog focused.
I stay away from themes that are too designed or rigid, because in my experience, you’ll hit walls with them. The learning curve and flexibility of Astra and Elementor is well worth the learning curve in the beginning.
The Best Squarespace Coaching Website Templates
I have a few clients who use Squarespace, but I don’t have a particular theme I like. Because Squarespace is a drag and drop editor, I would find a Squarespace site you like, and then copy it as you learn how to use the editor.
Squarespace has limitations in my opinion – but a lot of my clients think it is more beginner friendly.
Elevating Your Coaching Business with a Powerful Website
A well-designed coaching website is the foundation of a thriving coaching practice. Here’s how to build a luxury coaching brand.
By following the tips and examples outlined in this article, you can create an exceptional online presence that captivates potential clients and sets you apart from the competition.
Embrace the empowering, supportive, and authentic tone of voice that resonates with your target audience, and watch your coaching business reach new heights.
Want help with a website that actually books calls? Talk to me about website and marketing support.
About the author: Alison Reeves is a holistic business coach with more than 15 years in marketing and nearly a decade coaching entrepreneurs. She’s trained in somatic and trauma-informed coaching and is the author of Embodied Abundance. Work with Alison
FAQ’s
Q: What pages does a coaching website need? A: At minimum, a homepage, an About page, a Work With Me or services page, a contact or booking page, and a privacy policy. A blog and a free lead magnet help people find you and join your email list.
Q: What’s the best platform for a coaching website? A: WordPress gives you the most control and the best SEO options, and works well with a theme like Astra. Squarespace is easier to set up and maintain, but less flexible. Choose WordPress if you plan to blog. Choose Squarespace if you want something simple you can manage yourself.
Q: Do coaches need a website if they use social media? A: Yes. Social platforms can change their rules or reach overnight, but your website and email list are yours. A website also helps you show up in Google and AI search, and gives potential clients a professional place to check you out before booking.
More marketing help for service providers
- Marketing strategy for service providers
- How to get coaching clients
- Benefits of a landing page
- How to build a luxury coaching brand
- SEO and AEO for service providers
Want help with your marketing? Book a marketing strategy call.
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