5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Web Platform for Your Coaching Business
Even before I launched my business out into the world in 2016 I spent countless hours trying out different web platforms to see what would work best for me. While the time I put into researching platforms and trying them out was useful, it took up A LOT of time and if I could go back I would do things differently so I could save myself from the confusion and headaches. So that’s what I hope this post will be for you: a shortcut to finding the best web platform for your online business. So let’s dive in!
Like I mentioned, before I launched my site in 2016 I started out on several web platforms. I tried Wordpress (cause it’s the best, right?), Wix (it’s supposed to be easy but it didn’t feel easy to me), and Showit (I can’t badmouth this one, it’s pretty good) before deciding on Squarespace (my personal favorite). So why did it take me so long to find a web platform?
Because you hear a lot about these platforms and you want to know which one is best for you. Don’t you want the best? The most robust? The prettiest? The best for SEO?
Before we jump into the 5 questions to ask to find the best platform for YOU, it’s important to know the goals you have for your business. Why is this important? Because your goals will keep you grounded as you’re shopping around. Every platform you look at is going to sound awesome and amazing, but it’s important to know what YOU value and go from there.
Once you have the key things that are important to you (such as “I want it to be easy to use, have great SEO, and be able to sell product) THEN ask yourself these questions for each platform as you’re considering it:
Is this platform easy to use?
Every platform is going to have a learning curve, there’s no way around that. But is it easy to maintain? Is it easy to make quick changes? Is it easy for you to make a page? Watch some tutorials on YouTube if you’re wondering how simple something may be on the web platform you’re looking into. If it looks too complicated, reach out to someone who has used the platform you’re thinking about - maybe a friend or designer - and get their take on it.
Something to keep in mind, is when a platform says it’s “template-based,” that means they have a variety of templates and styles you can choose from that are premade. This helps a lot when you’re creating a new page from scratch. So if the platform says “custom” beware because that means you must do everything from scratch pixel by pixel, which can be very time consuming.
2. Can this platform grow with me and my business?
Meaning, does this platform have a lot of features I can tap into later that can help me grow my business? Is there a membership area I can add on later? Is there an ecommerce feature that I can add on product to sell? Is there a blog? Can I add a business email address? All these questions are great things to keep in mind if you have long term goals for your business. So make sure the platform you’re inquiring about can help you reach your goals as you grow.
Another thing to consider: how good is their customer service? This is important because reaching out for help can be common as you’re growing your website. So knowing that you can confidently reach out for support and get great service is really important.
3. How credible is the platform?
This question came about because I remember hearing a designer horror story on a well known podcast. What happened was, this designer one day found out that the web platform she had been designing for her clients for YEARS was shutting down. And of those past clients needed to switch over their platforms in the same week. Talk about a nightmare! That’s why it’s important to see if your web platform has solid roots.
How long has the platform been in business? Are they an aspirational startup? Or do they have YEARS or even a decade or two in the business? How many customers have they served? How many 5 star reviews do they have? These are vital questions to ask as you’re looking for a platform and shouldn’t be overlooked because a platform is “really pretty” or “seems really good.”
4. Does this platform align with my goals?
We touched on this earlier, but as you’re looking for a platform, make sure they align with your goals. If you are a shop owner and specifically need to be selling products and can see your shop holding hundreds of items, Shopify is probably best for you. If you’re a photographer and want a really custom site that showcases your work, maybe Showit is for you. If you’re a solopreneur who wants to engage your audience, share your offers, start a blog and maybe sell products down the road, Squarespace would be a great fit.
The key is to know your priorities and find platforms that fit those priorities. So make sure you get clear on your top 3-5 priorities and do research to find the platform that fits that list best.
5. Name the key features that are important to you and see if the web platform has it
This ties into the last point, but make sure the key features you need are in the platform you want. Here are some features to consider:
Having a blog
Selling a product - ecommerce
Membership area
Easy to connect other platforms such as Teachable or Podia
Ease of use
Template based or custom
Mobile responsive
Search Engine Optimization capabilities
A brief review of a few of the platforms I’ve been on:
Wordpress - the granddaddy of web platforms, Wordpress is an open-source, extremely robust platform and great for housing large quantities of content. On the downside, it can be complicated, you’ll need to constantly add widgets to get certain features. It’s not easy to make changes on your own. You will most likely need a web developer/designer to help you make the site look how you want.
Wix - a template based platform that claims to be easy to get started and beautiful. Yet a lot of my clients switch over from Wix cause they feel it was complicated and I got that too. It doesn’t have as many key features as other platforms and I will note that it’s been many years since I was on Wix, so I’m sure they’ve made cast improvements since.
Showit - a designer’s dream, Showit is a blank canvas with endless possibilities due to the fact that you design every inch of the site. This goes for mobile too. While this is a blessing it can also be a curse due to the amount of work that goes into a site. The upside is that it looks exactly how you want and can be stunning. A downside is the SEO is not very good (my SEO specialist saying that, not me).
Squarespace - a template based platform with a lot of growth potential. Squarespace is easy to use, update, and make changes. They have a membership area, scheduling, great SEO and blogging is a breeze. They also have an ecommerce feature that is SO helpful if you want to sell items on your site. I recommend Squarespace to any solopreneur or small team - it’s easy to maintain and easy to invite team members into the site. I honestly can’t say enough about Squarespace. If you want to look at some other articles I’ve written about the platform, check out:
10 Ways to boost SEO on Squarespace
A Side-By-Side Comparison of Squarespace 7.0 and 7.1
The Best Web Platform for your Coaching Business
You’ll notice a few platforms I did not mention: Shopify, Weebly, WebFlow and each have their own pros and cons. I encourage you to do your own research if you’re looking into one of those - and even some of the ones I mentioned earlier.
Most of these web platforms offer a free trial, so give it a spin and see how you like it. Just remember, that there will always be a learning curve to trying something new so don’t let that discourage you if you get started and feel frustrated.
Which web platform are you interested in trying?
What do you like or dislike about your current platform?
Want to hand off your web design to a pro?
I offer the Website Virtuoso Experience which is a complete done-for-you, goal-oriented website built on Squarespace. If building your own site is giving you headaches, or if that friend who offered to help you just isn’t giving you what you want, I would love to take this off your plate and give you something that really helps move your business forward. Simply fill out the contact form to get started.
Looking for an easy website DIY option?
I’m SO excited to share that R Artspace now offers easy-to-use, gorgeous, and strategic website templates! These templates come with videos for how to get started and launched in no time. These websites are designed with specific service providers in mind and are sure to help you make a splash online!
