Level 4 · Your setup
Your website for a spiritual business: what you really need
At the start, a website for spiritual work needs fewer pages and more clarity. Here's what it has to do, and what can safely wait.
Many spiritual practitioners put off their own website for a long time. Either they believe it has to be perfect, or someone offered them a package with twenty subpages and monthly fees. I've experienced both, and over the last few years I've rebuilt my own sites several times.
My experience is that at the start you need less than you think. But the little you have should be clear.
What your website has to do at the start
- A clear door. Anyone who lands on your homepage should understand within a few seconds who you're there for and what field you work in.
- You as a person. A page about you, with your path and a photo. With spiritual work, people decide to a large degree based on whether they trust you.
- Your offer. What you offer, how it works and how to book it. Honestly, and without health promises. More on that in the right words for your spiritual offer.
- A way to stay in touch. For example, a small free gift in exchange for an email sign-up, with double opt-in, so people confirm their address before you write to them. That way people can get to know you at their own pace.
- The legal pages. In Germany, where I'm based, an imprint and a privacy policy are mandatory. Other countries have their own rules, so check what applies where you live. Use a reputable generator or get professional advice rather than copying texts from other sites.
What can wait
- A blog, as long as you don't have a rhythm for content yet. An abandoned blog tends to work against you.
- Lots of subpages for every single offer. One good page is better than ten half-finished ones.
- Elaborate animations and effects. With spiritual topics, calm and readability carry more weight.
- Ads meant to bring people to your site. Content through which people get to know you keeps working for longer. If you're wondering where to start with that, have a look at how to choose one channel for your spiritual work.
The ten-second test, with AI
The most important question for your homepage is whether a stranger understands quickly who you're there for. You're too close to your own page to judge that well, and AI can play the stranger for you.
Here's the text of my homepage, top to bottom: [paste]. Imagine you've never heard of me and only read the first screen. Tell me who you think I'm there for, what field I work in and what I offer. Then point out anything that was unclear. Don't rewrite the page yet.
If the answer doesn't match what you had in mind, you know where to start. The new wording should still come from you.
A room you invite people into
Today I think of a website as a room you invite people into, more than as a shop window. It doesn't have to be big. It should be tidy and warm, with a door people can recognize. Everything else can grow once you notice what your people are really looking for.
If you like, look at your current site, or your idea of it, with this question: would a stranger recognize within ten seconds who I'm there for?
Frequently asked questions
What pages does a spiritual business website need at the start?
A homepage that shows clearly who you're there for and what field you work in, a page about you, a page for your offer with how to book, a way to stay in touch by email, and the legal pages required where you live.
Does my spiritual business website need a blog?
Not at the start. As long as you don't have a rhythm for content, an abandoned blog tends to work against you. Add one when you're ready to publish regularly.
Do I need an imprint and a privacy policy?
In Germany both are mandatory. The rules differ from country to country, so check what applies where you live, and use a reputable generator or professional advice instead of copying texts from other sites.