Here is a great model I would like to share with you. It’s based on the approach of Mark Sheridan of River Pools and Spas and the story was reported by Mark Cohen in the New York Times on Feb 28, 2013. (I have no affiliation with any of the businesses mentioned in this post.) In 2009 Mr. Sheridan had to revise his marketing to reverse a decline in his business. The result was an approach that strikes me as very effective, revitalized his business, and should work for coaching websites. Mr. Sheridan has taken this model and launched into a successful second career as a sales and marketing consultant (Sales Lion.com).

Mark thought about the way he types in a search. He looks for the answer to a specific question. So he realized that he if he were willing to REALLY ANSWER the looming big questions that potential buyers are asking, he could drive traffic to his website. So for example, in the pool industry, potential buyers are very interested in the price of the pool. Mark posted web content to answer that question. Mark explained that there are a lot of options and that the price of a pool can vary between $40K and $80K. Within 24 hours that article was number one for every fiberglass pool cost related phrase you could think of web searching.

So how can we extrapolate this to our coaching websites? What are the questions that you are asked every day by potential clients:

1. “What is the difference between executive coaching and life coaching?”
2. “How should I select an executive coach?”
3. “How much does coaching cost”?
4. “How does coaching work”?
5. “What results do clients get from coaching?”

Mark suggests that you make a list of questions as you have conversations with potential clients. Then answer their questions on your website. Your blog is a great place to do it. Instead of getting caught in an endless loop of procrastination about “What do I write about” simply answer the important questions that potential coaching clients have about coaching. You will have blog posts that are relevant, helpful to your potential clients and will entice potential clients to hover over your content-rich website.