Does Your Website Actually Say What You Do? A Checklist for Coaches
You know that moment when someone asks you what you do, and you give them your elevator pitch, and they nod politely, but you can tell they still don’t quite get it?
Now imagine they visit your website looking for that same clarity, and instead they find a page that’s vague, a bit scattered, or maybe just… not quite you.
Here’s what I hear a lot: “My website doesn’t really capture what I do.” And then there’s usually a pause, followed by: “I’m working on redoing it.” And then nothing happens for another year.
I get it. When your message isn’t crystal clear on your website, it creates this low-level anxiety that you probably don’t even notice anymore. Every time you share your website link with a potential client, there’s a tiny voice in your head saying, “They won’t understand what I actually offer. They won’t know why they should work with me.”
That feeling is real, and it matters.
Here’s the good news: this is completely fixable. And it doesn’t require a total rebuild or a rebrand. Most of the time, it just requires clarity.
The Foggy Message Problem Is Actually an Opportunity
Let me be direct about something. When your website doesn’t clearly say what you do, it’s not because you’re unclear about your coaching. You’re probably very clear about your coaching. You know exactly who you help, what transformation they experience, and why your work matters.
The problem is that clarity lives in your head, not on your website.
This is one of the biggest opportunities I see when I’m looking at websites for coaches. The business owner knows her stuff inside and out, but the website reads like she’s still figuring it out. And that gap, that disconnect between what you know and what your website says, creates doubt in a potential client’s mind.
She’s thinking, “Do I work with her? Will she understand my situation? Is this the right investment?”
If your website doesn’t answer those questions clearly, she moves on.
The good news is that fixing your message doesn’t mean you have to say more. Usually, it means saying the right things, in the right order, for the people who actually need to hear them.
The Checklist: Does Your Website Actually Say What You Do?
I’ve developed this checklist over 15 years of working with coaches and consultants. It’s the first thing I look at when someone sends me their website and says, “I think my message is fuzzy.”
Your Homepage Headline
Read your homepage headline out loud. Not the tagline. The main headline, the one that appears first.
Does it answer one of these questions clearly?
– Who does this coach work with?
– What transformation does she provide?
– What’s the main problem she solves?
If your headline is something like, “Welcome to My Coaching Practice” or “Let’s Work Together,” that’s an opportunity. Your headline is doing zero work for you. It’s not saying what you do. It’s just saying that you exist.
A stronger headline would be something like, “Coaching for Corporate Women Transitioning to Solopreneur,” or “I Help Burned-Out Managers Become Confident Leaders,” or “Clarity Coaching for Women Over 50 Starting Over.”
The headline should make someone think, “Oh, that might be for me,” or “That’s not for me,” or “I should read more about this.” It should not be neutral.
Your Subheadline or Opening Paragraph
Now scroll down to your opening paragraph or subheadline (the smaller text right after the main headline).
Does it tell the visitor why she should care? Does it speak to a feeling she’s experiencing?
Many women find that their opening paragraph either:
– Describes their coaching philosophy (interesting, but not immediately relevant to someone deciding if she’s your right client)
– Uses general language that could describe any coach (“I help you achieve your goals”)
– Focuses on you instead of the person visiting (“I’m passionate about…” or “I’ve spent 20 years…”)
The opening paragraph is your opportunity to say, “I see you. I understand what you’re experiencing. Here’s what’s possible.”
It should feel like you’re speaking directly to the person sitting across from you, not broadcasting to everyone.
What You Actually Offer (Not Your Philosophy)
Keep scrolling. Somewhere on your homepage, can a visitor clearly see:
– The types of coaching you offer? (One-on-one sessions, group programs, workshops, etc.)
– The format? (Virtual, in-person, how often, how long?)
– The investment? (Not necessarily a price, but some indication of cost range?)
I see a lot of coaches’ websites that beautifully explain their coaching philosophy, their approach, their values, but they never actually say what someone signs up for or what it costs.
This creates a barrier. If a potential client has to email you to figure out whether you offer six-week programs or three-month engagements, you’re making the first step harder than it needs to be.
You don’t need a price list. But you do need basic information about what the person is actually buying.
Who This Is For (And Maybe, Who It’s Not)
This is the one that trips up a lot of coaches. They want to say they work with everyone. They want to be inclusive. But when you say you work with everyone, no one thinks you work with them specifically.
Look at your website. Can someone reading it clearly see:
– Who this coaching is designed for?
– What specific situation, struggle, or transition you help people through?
If your website says, “I work with people who want to transform their lives,” that’s too wide. That’s everyone. And when everything is for everyone, it’s actually for no one.
A clearer version might be: “I work with women who’ve been promoted to leadership roles but never received formal management training, and now they’re doubting themselves.” That’s specific. Someone reading that thinks, “Yes, that’s me,” or “No, that’s not my situation.” Both reactions are useful.
Specificity builds trust faster than broad appeal.
The Problems You Solve
This one matters a lot. Look through your website. Do you talk about the specific problems, struggles, or frustrations your coaching clients experience?
Not in a clinical way. In a human, real way.
Things like:
– “You’re tired of being the one person who remembers everything”
– “You want to raise your rates but don’t know how without losing clients”
– “You’ve been successful in corporate life, but you have no idea how to run a business”
– “You feel invisible in meetings, even though you have good ideas”
When a potential client reads something like that on your website, she feels seen. She thinks, “She understands my situation.” That feeling creates connection, and connection is the foundation for someone deciding to reach out.
Your Results or Transformation
Here’s what I usually see: coaches describe their process beautifully, but they never actually say what changes for the person doing the work.
What’s different about someone’s life, confidence, business, or day-to-day experience after they work with you?
Don’t say, “They gain clarity and confidence.” Be specific. Be real.
– “They go from attending meetings in silence to speaking up with ideas”
– “They stop apologizing for their rates”
– “They build a business that doesn’t require them to work 60-hour weeks”
– “They finally stop second-guessing every decision”
These paint a picture of what’s possible. A potential client reading these thinks, “Yes, that’s what I want,” not just, “Okay, I understand the concept.”
How to Use This Checklist
Here’s what I recommend: print this out (or copy it into a document), and go through your website with honest eyes. For each section, ask yourself:
Does it clearly say what I do?
Does it speak to the person who needs my coaching?
Would someone reading this know if I can help them?
If you answered “no” or “sort of” to any of those, there’s your opportunity.
You don’t need to redesign. You might just need to rewrite. And rewriting is way easier than you think, especially when you know what to look for.
A Common Mistake: Assuming Your Ideal Client Already Knows What You Do
Here’s something important: your ideal client doesn’t have a version of you in her head. She’s not coming to your website thinking, “Let me learn more about my favorite coach.” She’s coming because she found you through a recommendation, a Google search, or a social media post, and she’s wondering if you might be able to help her with something specific.
She needs your website to answer one simple question: “Is this for me?”
If your website doesn’t answer that clearly, she’s gone in 30 seconds.
That’s not a judgment on you or your coaching. It’s just how websites work. People are busy. They’re skeptical. They want to know quickly if something is relevant to them.
Your job is to make that clear.
The Marketing Perspective (It Matters)
I approach every website from a marketing perspective first, aesthetics second. This checklist is built on that principle. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your website is if a potential client can’t figure out what you do or if she’s your right client.
Beauty is the second step. Clarity is the first step.
When your message is clear, something interesting happens: suddenly, people reach out who are actually a good fit for your coaching. You spend less time explaining what you do. You spend more time doing the work that matters.
And you feel less anxiety every time you share your website link.
This Is Your Opportunity
If you went through this checklist and realized your website could use some work on clarity, that’s not a problem. That’s actually a relief, because it means you know exactly what to focus on.
You don’t need to change who you are or what you offer. You just need to say it more clearly.
The most successful coach websites I see aren’t the flashiest ones. They’re the ones where a potential client reads a few paragraphs and thinks, “Yes. This is exactly what I’m looking for.”
That’s the feeling we’re going for.
If you’re ready to look at this together, or if you’re not sure where to start, I’d love to help you get clarity on your website message. We can spend 30 minutes looking at what’s working, what’s not, and what your next best step is.
But even if you just take this checklist and go through your site with honest eyes, you’re already moving in the right direction.
Your website should sound like you. It should speak to the people you actually help. And it should make you feel like you’re finally showing up as yourself.
That’s not too much to ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I work with multiple types of clients? How do I make my message clear?
If you genuinely work with two different types of clients (like “women leaders” and “solopreneur coaches”), you have a couple options. The cleanest approach is to pick one primary audience for your homepage, and then have a secondary page that speaks to the second audience. This keeps your main message focused while still honoring both parts of your business. At minimum, make sure each audience can quickly see, “Yes, this includes me.”
Does my website message need to match my tagline or elevator pitch?
Not exactly, but they should feel related. Your website message is longer and more specific than your 10-second elevator pitch, but they should be saying the same general thing. If your website focuses on “women transitioning from corporate to solopreneur” but your elevator pitch is “I coach coaches,” that’s a disconnect. They don’t have to be identical, but they should be harmonious.
How often should I update my website message?
Your core message shouldn’t change every few months, but it’s normal for it to evolve as your business evolves. I recommend reviewing your message every 12-18 months to make sure it still feels accurate and current. If you’ve changed who you work with, the problems you solve, or your approach, your website should reflect that. Unlike a fairytale, the magic continues past midnight, which means your website should grow with you.
How do I know if my message is actually clear, or if I’m just used to it?
Ask three people who aren’t super familiar with your coaching to visit your website and tell you, in their own words, what you do and who you help. Don’t prompt them. Just let them look at it and report back. If their answers sound similar to what you intended, your message is clear. If they all say different things, or if they seem confused, that’s useful information.
If your website no longer feels like you, let’s talk about it – Book a Free Website Clarity Call with Beth →
**