Portfolio highlight: Transforming a coach's online presence for greater impact

When Elizabeth, a certified coach for internationals in Norway, reached out to me, she knew her website wasn’t reflecting her business and professional goals. While her self-made site demonstrated her dedication and care, it fell short of portraying her professionalism. The design was homemade, and the messaging lacked the clarity needed to communicate her diverse coaching services to both individuals and organizations. She was struggling to explain her offerings succinctly and felt the need for a website that could speak to both her personal approach to coaching and the structured, impactful services she provides.

Getting the message right

A common issue with DIY websites is that they tend to reflect a lot of passion but don’t always communicate the business’s unique value clearly, either visually or with messaging. That’s where my messaging workshops come in. For anyone struggling to explain what they do and for whom, these workshops help clarify core offerings, target audiences, and the most effective way to communicate a brand’s value.

We began by narrowing down her message and clarifying some basics about her brand, including her business USPs, tone of voice, and some main messages. Through two messaging workshops, Elizabeth defined her core offerings and simplified how she explains them. The goal was to strike a balance between showing her personal warmth and presenting her services in a way that potential clients could easily understand and relate to.

This work also extended beyond the website, providing her with consistent messaging for use across social media and other platforms.

Before and after: Transforming a cluttered homepage into a professional, clear introduction to services and expertise. We focused on improving readability and simplifying the messaging for potential clients.

Updating the website

One of the main challenges Elizabeth’s original website faced was content overload. As a coach, she wanted to give potential clients as much information as possible, but this can often lead to a site that’s overwhelming to visitors. A common issue with self-made websites is not knowing how much information to include and how to structure it.

On many pages, there were long, detailed explanations of her services, which were important but didn’t need to be front and center. There was also an extensive testimonial page that, while full of positive feedback, was too long for anyone to read through. Together, we adopted a “less is more” approach. This is something I regularly recommend to clients: simplifying the first impression by delivering digestible content, then providing more detailed information for those who want to dig deeper. We focused on structuring the site in a way that allowed visitors to quickly understand her offerings without feeling overwhelmed, yet still gave them the option to explore further if they were interested.

The old version of the testimonials page was long and difficult to read, mixing real photos and stock photos.

By embracing "less is more," Elizabeth’s website became much more user-friendly, catering to what people typically want from a website: clarity, ease of navigation, and the ability to find the information they need quickly.

Visitors can now quickly understand what she offers, with the option to dive deeper if they’re interested, for example by browsing detailed case studies and professional insights through her blog feature. This realistic approach to what people want from a website makes the site easier to navigate without losing important details.

Before and After: From scattered messaging to a clear, cohesive story. We helped streamline the 'About' page, balancing personal warmth with professionalism to better connect with the target audience, while highlighting and contextualizing the competencies and certifications that are important for Elizabeth and her clients.

Following best practices

The website redesign was also an opportunity to implement best practices in terms of readability, design, and accessibility. Many business owners creating their own websites aren’t familiar with design principles like proper proportions, contrast, font legibility, and more intuitive navigation. These elements are crucial for making sure the site feels professional and functions well across devices.

For Elizabeth, we ensured that the new design was simple, clean, and aligned with industry standards. By adjusting the layout to include more white space, balancing visuals and text, and organizing content logically, we improved both the aesthetic appeal and the functionality of the site. Accessibility was another priority—making sure that the font size, contrast, and layout worked for all users, including those with disabilities. This kind of attention to detail is something that’s often missing from DIY sites but is essential for creating a professional web presence.

Revamping the blog

In addition to redesigning the main website, we also restructured Elizabeth’s blog to better fit her business goals. The blog now features three types of posts: insights (thought leadership and coaching advice), news (like new certifications or achievements), and case studies (showcasing the results of her work).

An important component of this new blog area was integrating case studies as a tool for building trust. Instead of relying on long testimonial pages, we incorporated more in-depth case studies to showcase the tangible impact of her coaching services. This not only provided social proof but also showed potential clients the real-world outcomes of her work.

This not only improves her content’s organization and relevance but also boosts her site’s SEO and provides a space to answer common client questions. The blog is also infused with Elizabeth’s personality by using her own photos, keeping it authentic and aligned with her brand.

The new blog section is more than visually appealing and neat: it's also a strategic tool Elizabeth can use to answer her client's questions, showcase case studies of her work, and develop her thought leadership.

Balancing personality with professionalism

For the visual identity, we wanted to strike a balance between professionalism and approachability. We incorporated soft, curved lines and rounded corners in various places throughout the design to add a sense of warmth and friendliness, reflecting Elizabeth’s welcoming coaching style. Fun pops of color were used to convey energy and youthfulness, ensuring that her personality shined through without overwhelming the overall tone of the site.

At the same time, maintaining a clean, structured layout was key to keeping the design professional and polished.

This approach allowed us to visually communicate both the personal and professional aspects of her coaching practice, ensuring visitors would feel engaged but also reassured by the site’s sleek, confident design.

Before and after: From overwhelming details to focused, digestible content. The services page was simplified to highlight core offerings while maintaining opportunities for visitors to explore further if they wish.

The new website is revealed!

The result is a clean, organized, and visually appealing website that clearly reflects Elizabeth’s professionalism while staying true to her personality and values.

Her core services are presented in a straightforward way, making it easier for potential clients to understand how she can help them. The new design also ensures that visitors aren’t overwhelmed with information but still have access to more details if they want to explore further.