How to Plan Your Coaching Website Before You Start Designing
If you’re about to build your coaching website, pause right there.
Before you dive into fonts, colours, and Squarespace templates, you need to plan it properly. Otherwise, you’ll spend hours tweaking layouts and still end up with a site that looks good… but doesn’t work.
A strategic coaching website starts with a plan - one built around your goals, your ideal clients, and the actions you want visitors to take.
Let’s break it down.
1. Know Exactly What You Want Your Website to Achieve
If you don’t know what success looks like, how can your website deliver it?
Your website isn’t just a digital business card - it’s a conversion tool. So, start with one clear goal. For most coaches, that’s something like:
Get visitors to book a discovery call
Encourage them to apply for 1:1 coaching
Sell a course or group programme
Build your email list with a free resource
Once you know your goal, reverse-engineer your design around it.
Ask yourself:
What pages do people need to visit before taking that action?
What do they need to believe or understand first?
Where will you guide them with your CTAs?
For example, if your goal is to book more discovery calls, you’ll need:
A clear “Work With Me” or “Services” page that shows the transformation you offer
Trust-building elements like testimonials, social proof, and strong visuals
A simple, compelling call-to-action button on every page that leads to your booking form
Every click should move people closer to that one goal.
2. Understand Your Ideal Client (Deeper Than Just “Women Aged 30–45”)
Most coaches think they know their audience. “I help women aged 30–45 who want to improve their mindset.”
That’s not enough.
You need to know what’s really driving them - their thoughts, fears, goals, and inner dialogue. Your coaching website should feel like it’s reading their mind.
Ask yourself:
What are they frustrated by right now?
What have they already tried that didn’t work?
What do they secretly want (but don’t say out loud)?
What would make them trust someone like you?
When you have this level of clarity, everything - from your copy to your design choices, will resonate more deeply.
Your tone, your photos, even your call-to-action language (“Book your breakthrough call” vs “Schedule a consultation”) will naturally speak their language.
3. Map Out Your Website Journey
Before you design anything, sketch out your user journey - how someone goes from first click to booking a call.
A simple structure might look like this:
Homepage - Captures attention and directs people to your services
About Page - Builds trust and credibility
Services Page - Explains what you offer and who it’s for
Testimonials Page - Adds social proof and reinforces transformation
Contact Page / Booking Form - Clear, easy next step
Each page should have a clear purpose and one strong call-to-action that aligns with your main goal.
Don’t overload people with choices - clarity converts.
4. Get Your Copy, Imagery, and Branding Sorted Before You Design
Design is powerful - but only when it’s built on solid messaging.
Write your copy first (even if it’s a rough draft). Gather your brand visuals: your photos, colours, fonts, and make sure they align with your ideal client’s taste.
When you start designing with all of that ready, you’ll move faster and make more strategic design decisions.
Otherwise, you risk building a beautiful site that says…absolutely nothing.
5. Choose the Right Platform for Your Goals
Your website platform should make it easy to manage, update, and scale your site as your business grows.
For most coaches, Squarespace hits the sweet spot. It’s user-friendly, looks premium, and makes it simple to build a professional, high-converting coaching website.
Before you start designing, plan with intention.
A high-converting coaching website isn’t just about aesthetics - it’s about clarity, purpose, and understanding who you’re really speaking to.
When you know your end goal and your audience inside out, your design choices become obvious.
Feelin’ to turn your coaching website into your best sales tool?
Explore my Complete Glow Up package or check out Web in a Week - both designed to help you attract high-ticket clients with confidence.
