Web design & marketing for coaches: what to pay, and what to demand
Coaches get sold 'brand management' at $2,500/month for what is, in the end, five pages and a content calendar. Here's the honest version of what you need — and what it should cost.
What a coaching business actually needs from its website
- A conversion core: home, about, programs/packages, results or testimonials, contact/booking — five to eight pages, each with one job
- Funnel landing pages: one page per program, per workshop, per lead magnet — fast to spin up, tracked, and consistent with your brand
- Credibility content: articles and resources that answer the questions your clients ask before they trust you — the content that ranks and gets shared in DMs
- Niche SEO: not "life coach" (unwinnable) — "executive coach for SaaS founders in Texas" (winnable, and worth more per lead)
- Booking flow: a calendar that's actually connected, plus email capture that feeds your list
What coaches typically overpay for
| Sold as | Typical price | What it usually is |
|---|---|---|
| "Brand management" retainer | $2,000 – $3,500/mo | Occasional posts and a monthly report |
| Funnel-building package | $5,000 – $15,000 + fees | Three landing pages on a template platform |
| "Done-for-you" content | $1,000 – $2,500/mo | Four generic posts a month |
| Everything above, flat | $10,000/yr | Site + funnel pages + content + SEO + upkeep |
Why coaches are especially retainer-prone
Coaching revenue is lumpy — program launches, enrollment windows, quiet seasons. Monthly marketing retainers promise to smooth that out, but they bill straight through the quiet months at full price. A flat annual plan matches how your business actually works: pay once, then use the whole year — launch pages in launch season, credibility content in the quiet one.
The ten questions to ask any provider
- Is the site mine — domain, files, accounts — from day one?
- How many landing pages are included, and how fast can you ship one for a new program?
- What exactly is the monthly deliverable list?
- What's the edit/request allowance and turnaround?
- Which niche keywords are we targeting, and why those?
- Is booking/calendar integration included in the build?
- What's not included — and what does each add-on cost?
- What happens if I pause or leave?
- What does your monthly report show?
- Who actually does the work — you, or a team I never meet?
The 10K Deal answers those in writing before you pay a dollar — because a coach's whole business is trust, and the buying experience is the product demo.
Coaching sites, flat-fee
Your programs, your funnel, your booking flow, your credibility content — built in 60 days, maintained and marketed all year, one $10,000 payment.