Episode 51: Why Your Consulting Website Isn't Converting (And How to Turn It Into a Client-Closing Machine) with Krista Walsh

Season #1

Episode Summary

Is your consulting website failing to convert warm leads into paying clients? You're not alone. Most self-employed consultants struggle with websites that function like digital brochures instead of client-closing machines. In this episode, website copywriter and strategist Krista Walsh reveals why your website isn't working—and exactly how to fix it.

What You'll Learn

  • The 3 biggest website mistakes consultants make that hurt credibility
  • Why your website messaging needs to focus on HOW you think, not WHAT you deliver
  • The simple test to see if your website differentiates you from competitors
  • How to identify if you have a messaging problem vs. a positioning problem
  • Why sophisticated clients don't fear AI replacing quality copywriters
  • The warning signs that your website needs professional help

Key Topics Covered

Krista's Path to Solo Consulting (00:00 - 02:30)

  • From teaching English in Spain to freelancing on Upwork
  • The decision to build a real business vs. staying freelance
  • How she developed her niche in website strategy and messaging

Website Strategy for Consultants (14:00 - 17:30)

  • Why websites should be closers, not lead generators for consultants
  • The fatal mistake of treating your website like a business brochure
  • How to speak to clients who are ready to hire today (not those still learning about consulting)

Converting Website Messaging (16:00 - 20:30)

  • Why generic "I help businesses grow" messaging kills conversions
  • The differentiation framework that makes competitors irrelevant
  • How to showcase your unique thinking and approach (not just deliverables)

The Agency Experiment and Lessons Learned (05:30 - 07:30)

  • Krista's attempt to build an end-to-end agency
  • Why project management led to burnout
  • The decision to return to her zone of genius

Consultant Marketing Challenges (19:00 - 21:30)

  • Why consultants struggle more with marketing than other businesses
  • The messaging mistake that makes you sound like everyone else
  • How to avoid the AI trap that creates impressive-sounding but meaningless copy

Client Interview Research Process (22:00 - 23:30)

  • Krista's proven method for interviewing past clients to uncover winning messages
  • Why most consultants are intimidated to interview their own clients
  • How voice-of-customer research creates messaging that converts

AI and Professional Services (23:45 - 25:45)

  • Why sophisticated clients don't fear AI replacing quality copywriters
  • The difference between strategic thinking and just writing words
  • How AI affects different types of clients differently

Practical Website Fixes (27:45 - 32:00)

  • The 3 biggest website mistakes consultants make that hurt credibility
  • Warning signs your website messaging needs help
  • How to differentiate yourself from look-alike competitors

Key Quotes

"Your website is a closer. It's the last place somebody goes before they're deciding to work with you."

"Instead of doing messaging 101, focus the majority of your messaging on what makes you different. Usually with consultants, it's something around the way that you think or approach problem solving."

"The clients that care about the what they're getting is probably not the client that most consultants want. You want to work with somebody who trusts you."

Guest Bio

Krista Walsh is a website copywriter and strategist who helps client-based businesses create websites that attract and convert the right clients. Through her company, Krista Walsh Copywriting, LLC, she provides website strategy, messaging, foundational SEO, and voice-of-customer research. Her clients have booked 4-figure services straight from their websites without sales calls and achieved top 5 Google rankings for competitive search terms. She specializes in helping consultants move beyond generic messaging to showcase their unique thinking and approach.

Resources Mentioned

  • Krista's free LinkedIn training on speaking to bottom-of-funnel, ready-to-invest clients
  • Website: KristaWalshCopywriter.com

Connect with Krista Walsh on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/krista-walsh-copywriter/