If you’re a new coach interested in cost-efficient resources, that’s exactly the topic Beth Cole (www.thewebservant.com) and I have been discussing.

Need an affordable website?  If you’re new to establishing a web presence, please know that you have many choices.  Put time into your research and learn what your choices are even if you’re not a technical person.  Don’t go with the first thing that makes sense to you – dig even deeper to best understand your choices and make an informed decision.

My recommendation is that you establish a site that can easily be updated with basic text changes, fresh content and your latest updates.  Most coaches aren’t technicians, but you can hire someone create a site that you can maintain by learning to update fairly easily.  That creates freedom for you and saves you money that can be invested in hiring technical help for when more major design changes or revisions are in order. 

Here is part of an interview with Beth:

Linda:  What are the most efficient, cost effective ways to create a great website?  

Beth:  For efficient and cost effective I’d say WordPress.com, or a WordPress hosting service like Page.ly, or  Web Coaching Solutions. 

WordPress.com has a limited number of included free design themes. 

Page.ly offers free and premium themes with great support for WordPress (like automatic upgrades). 

Web Coaching Solutions is plug-n-play with pre-written text and images. 

Any of these tools will allow you to manage your own content.  The WordPress options will give you more freedom in terms of blogging, audio, and social media, etc. 

There are many free website solutions – many that come with a hosting package for instance.  Some have mentioned Site Build It as an option.  I have not used this tool so I don’t want to give an opinion. 

Linda:  When I interview you on May 18, can we talk about the pros and cons of the various options? 

Beth:  Absolutely, Linda, that will be fun!  It’s one of my favorite subjects and I will look forward to it.  

Linda:  I know I’ve been really happy with WordPress at one of my sites.  I can see myself converting them all to WordPress.  

Beth:  Here are couple of articles from my blog that may be helpful for coaches considering WordPress:  Is WordPress a Good Fit for You? and Choosing a Free, Premium or Custom Theme for WordPress. 

Linda:  Thanks for the excellent resources Beth! 

OK, everyone!  Put this on your calendar now!  For more about creating a cost-effective website, join us as I interview Beth live at the next Christian Coaching Resources free monthly “Christian Coaching…Tell Me More” meeting on Tuesday, May 18 at 12 noon Central time.  Click here for free and easy registration. 

Beth and I invite you to comment on this post with questions you have about setting up a website. That way we’ll be sure to cover your special interests on May 18.