! Build A High Impact Website and List!

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1 Build A High Impact Website and List THE PURPOSE OF YOUR WEBSITE AND LIST Your website and list are the marketing tools you use to work for you, when you are not working. They represent who you are online, set a tone of trust and credibility, and give your tribe information about you they need. In business, it is necessary to have a website that reflects who you are, your brand, and your professional services. The first thing people do when hiring service professionals is search online. Creating a website that reflects who you are, your strengths, and communicates your services in a credible way is a very strong marketing tool. Your website and list can be highly effective tools, if done with care. Building a website may take anywhere between 3-9 months depending on the number of pages, asset creation, and on the phases of building: Branding Design Writing copy Editing (design and copy) Development Testing Your do not need a bells and whistles website right away. It is fine to start with a simple, one-page site that is professional and good-looking. If you are starting out, you don t need to worry about your website until month three of your business, or later. You can begin with a one-page site with your services and contact so people will be able to see what you do and contact you.

2 HOW TO BUILD A WEBSITE Decide if you will build it yourself by using a simple coding program or hire a professional. At the beginning, you will want to create a simple one-page site with only important information. It is possible to hire a professional for a lower rate to customize one-page sites until you re ready for a multiple-page site. Once you are ready to build a multiple-page site, you should consider: Brand assets like logo, tagline, colors for site: You will need to hire a designer or professional brander to help create brand assets. Design: Someone to help create the design for your website, if you are not using a template. Copyediting: Someone to write the copy for your website, including all text, bio etc. for each page of your website (Home, About me, etc.) Web Platform and Hosting: Where will your website live online? domain registrar hosting service WordPress or another platform (blogger.com, etc.) Web Developer: The person who will actually code your website and test it to make sure it is running smoothly. WEBSITE CORE COMPONENTS When building your website, build out five key pages. Your site must be comprehensive and give enough information to people who are looking for you. 1. Home Page: The landing page where people come when they search for you organically or are directed to your page from a blogpost or another site. Your homepage s main goal is to be clear, clean, and communicate the look and feel you want your readers to feel.

3 The number one mistake on websites is to make the homepage too busy, too confusing, and with no clear call to action. Confused readers do not stay on a website for longer than a few seconds. Your website must make someone want to stay and explore The most important part of your homepage is your opt-in, where people are invited to sign up for your newsletter & give you their address. Every page on your website should have a clear call to action (CTA.) 2. About Page: The page where you tell your story/biographical information. Your About page s goal is to tell both the professional and personal part of your story, so people can see the real you in addition to what you do. This is where you reveal your experience, demonstrate skills, talk about work experience relevant to your services, and position yourself. Your entire website should reveal your personality, but your About Page is a particularly good place to enhance your personality and make it stand out, so people see if they resonate with you. The right people WILL like your real personality 3. Services/ Work with Me Page: The page with information on your services. Your Services Page is where you give information about your services, programs, or products. Give the name of the program, brief descriptions of each program, and how people can contact you. Remember, your goal with your services page, if your program is above $1000 price point, will be to get sales conversations. So do not list the price on your website for premium programs. At the bottom of each of your programs page, include If you d like to speak with me to see if X [Name of program] is right for you, please me or call me at X. 4. Testimonial Page: This is your praise page, where you provide social proof from past clients, friends, or thought-leaders to vouch for your expertise.

4 Testimonials provide instant social proof and credibility, so it is important to have a section where comments come from clients, referrals, or friends who have experienced your work and personality. Make sure testimonials are relevant, strong, and concise. Strong, but irrelevant testimonials will NOT make a difference. Only choose testimonials that help lead to the work you want to be doing. Example: if you are a health coach and also a copywriter, but you want to move more into health coaching for women, use testimonials that only talk about your results as a health coach. Do not include many testimonials just to show that you have them. This will work against you. If you have influential and well-known friends, testimonials from them is a good strategy for instant credibility. You gain trust from people who are familiar with the same thought-leaders. Always get photos and names to go along with your testimonials. Never use anonymous testimonials on your site as they detract from credibility. Ask people who are providing you with testimonials for their full title or how they would like to be referenced on your website. 5. Contact Page: This is where you list your , phone number, any social media sites in order for people to contact you. Again, remember to streamline your contact information so that there is only 1-2 clear calls to action. 6. Opt-in Box (Opt-in Page): The opt-in box is the most important part of your website and should be reflected on almost all pages of your site. The opt-in box is discussed below and is the best way to build your mailing list. Like every page, your opt-in box should have a clear call to action. Your opt-in box will ultimately have a free-gift tied into it. 7. *Optional: Blog Page: Your blog page is optional. It is your choice to have a blog, newsletter, or both. A blog is a good way to cross-post your newsletter and grow your audience. The reason a blog is optional is not because it is not 100% necessary to begin. When your goal is to build and grow your list,

5 having a blog is a useful strategy. Initially your goal is sustainable income. 8. *Optional Sub Pages for speaking, products, books. HOW TO BRAND YOUR SITE What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Your USP is the specific way you help others solve their problems that no one else can do. It is your special gift or secret sauce you add to your services that gives you a competitive edge. For example: I offer strong emotional support, directness, and no fluff business strategy to clients. It is personal development combined with business strategy, not strictly business training. Every coach and mentor is different, so your services and story should reflect that. What is your Personal Story? Your Personal story is what sets you apart from others in your field, the specific way you help people or offer services in a way no one else does. What sets you apart from other service professionals in your field? What stories and experiences set you apart? What stories, skills, and content do you want to help others with? Who are the groups of people you want to work with? What would they be interested in seeing or learning about on your site? The goal of your website is to earn people s trust, gain credibility, and reveal your story to them. Your site must be clear and consistent across all pages. Similar branding across the entire site, allows people to subconsciously trust you, without even knowing why.

6 Think about the tone and feelings you want your website to create. For example, at IshitaGupta.com, I wanted to create a calm, useful feeling. No bells and whistles, flash, or too much for your eyes. I want users to feel uplifted, confident about themselves, and like they could trust me. RESOURCES Website Building Squarespace.com Wordpress.org Mailing/ List MailChimp (Free for first 2,000 subscribers) Aweber InfusionSoft (for more advanced lists and products) Design Services Behance.com Elance.com HOMEWORK Make sure you re clear on your niche, pitch, and wake up in morning problems. Keep selling and having sales conversations, and create a weekly goal for yourself. Create your Signature system and Process. Decide if you will build a one-page or multiple page site. Decide: which platform you ll use, what branding assets you ll begin with, what service professional will you hire or if you can customize a page yourself to begin with. Pick a platform and start building a basic site on it. One-page sites with your name, basic information about your services, your about page, and contact information for people to reach you is more than enough to begin with. Post your answers on FB and comment on someone else s homework.