I’ve done a ton of yoga teacher website reviews over the last years and there are three things that pop up over and over again. Start learning from the mistakes of others and make sure you don’t duplicate these blunders on your homepage.
Mistake 1: You don’t make it clear what you do
Are you teaching yoga in a local yoga studio? Are you offering private yoga classes? Do you have some amazing workshops coming up? If your answer is yes, tell your homepage visitors about it! Don’t expect them to hunt for information by visiting every single page on your website.
Also, not listing your contact information is one of the most common homepage mistakes. People hate digging around to find that info. Users are lazy and impatient, and I know that because I’m the worst. If I don’t see what I’m looking for in a few seconds, there’s a big chance I’ll hit that back button and go to another website. Don’t lose potential customers through something as simple as not explaining what it is you’re offering and where you’re located!
How to fix it
First, add a little welcome text or video to your homepage where you tell people what you do and how you can help them. Something like:
“Hi, I’m (your name), yoga teacher in (your city). Your health and wellbeing are of the utmost importance to me. I love teaching and making yoga fun and accessible. So, whether you are working out with me privately, in one of my classes, or in the comfort of your home to any one of my many yoga videos, I will make sure that you find your inner glow.”
The idea is to think about your offerings as a solution to your prospective students’ problems. Make it about them, not only about you.
Mistake 2: You’re hiding behind your brand
If you have a brand name and a beautiful logo, but the only picture where people can actually see your face is a blurry shot hidden on your about page, you’re hiding behind your brand.
Unless you have a business that represents more people, you need to step out from behind your logo and start creating your business around you. People want to get to know the real you. Otherwise, why should they trust you or even buy something from you?
How to fix it
If you’re a yoga teacher, making sure your personal brand focuses on you is a key element for your success. Give people a chance to connect with you by including photos of you on your homepage, where people can actually see your face. Or even better, make a short video where you introduce yourself.
Great pictures of you will make a world of difference and a professional photo shoot will be the best investment into your yoga career (okay, after your teacher training).
A last tip that can make a big difference: always write in the first person – use “I”, not “we”. This will make your copy much more personable.
Mistake 3: Your homepage is not mobile friendly
How many times have you had to “zoom in” on a website when browsing on your phone?
And, how annoying is it when you have to do it on the go? Modern websites solve this by automatically switching the layout of your website to a mobile friendly version when someone opens it on a phone or tablet. This is called a responsive design.
You want this not only because it’s nicer for your users, it’s also important for your Google ranking. Websites that are not mobile friendly get punished by Google and you can loose a chunk of traffic.
How to fix it
If your website is not mobile friendly yet, it might be time to update it and switch to a platform or theme that allows this feature. Squarespace websites are always mobile friendly, WIX comes with a mobile version and most modern WordPress theme are responsive as well. If you’re searching for a new WordPress theme, this is what to look out more.
That’s it! These are the top three mistakes that I see yoga teachers making on their homepage. With a few easy tweaks, you can easily avoid these mistakes, so you can be sure your homepage is working FOR you!
