The Power of Visual Storytelling in Website Design, For Practice Growth.
A case study with Acupuncturist Eloise Coulson.
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What does Picasso have to do with your website you might ask? Well, as I started my career working in the art world, I've experienced the power of visual storytelling first hand - in countless ways. The way we present stories, objects and ideas can be completely altered by its visual presentation - from an exhibition in Tate’s white cube art galleries to an artist’s creative & chaotic studio, or on a note stuck to a fridge magnet. Plus, seeing a painting in the flesh is a totally different experience than reading about it in art catalogues. So to me it’s not much of a surprise that, now that I’m immersed in the world of tech as the founder of Circe, I talk about the importance of website design for holistic health practitioners and your online visibility a lot. But still, without visual examples it can sometimes feel a bit abstract and vague.
So in today’s newsletter edition, I’ll be showing one of my latest website projects at Circe Studio with you - as a real life example of how a well-designed and personality-packed website can transform your business. I hope this peek into the process of website design will give you some ideas for your own website, the visual storytelling of your professional brand and the ways you showcase your offering online!
This summer I had a chat with acupuncturist Eloise Coulson, who was curious about the ways she could refresh and improve her website. I’ll let Eloise share her experience:
“I arranged a chat with Nicky to review my acupuncture business website that I felt didn’t really represent who I am or the messages I wanted to convey. After an inspiring and productive first chat I decided to bite the bullet and go for a completely new website design.”
I know that website design can feel daunting to many, but sometimes going for a big change like this will bring welcome, fresh energy into your practice - and with it new results too! At that time of our first call, Eloise had a one-page Wordpress website. And with exciting partnerships in the pipeline and practice expansion on the cards, she was in need of a more elevated website that aligned her online brand with her new vision. Our goals for the redesign included an increase in booking enquiries, made possible by a better user experience with smooth booking journeys, and showcasing Eloise’s expertise & services more effectively. And the end result was exactly as we’ve hoped, soon after the website launch Eloise shared “I’ve already had so many more bookings and enquiries from my website, even though it’s only been live for a few weeks!”
Here’s a quick video of her website as a reference, or you can visit www.eloiseacupuncture.com.
To support and inspire you on your own website designing journey, let me take you behind the scenes and spotlight some of the foundational design elements that I used in Eloise’s website. These are essential ingredients for an effective, user-friendly website that converts visitors into clients - without sleazy marketing tactics or pushy sales pitches! Or if you’re not a DIY kind of person, and are looking for support with your website (re)design, visual storytelling or content - send me a note and we can chat about ways I could help you too. To add to today’s case study, this is what Eloise had to say about our collaboration, “working with Nicky was an absolute dream. She is initiative, responsive, creative and ultimately bloody good at what she does. I can’t recommend her enough and will absolutely work with her again.”
Ok, now let’s run you through part of this checklist that I use in my website design work!
Homepage - create a welcoming & visually appealing homepage that clearly communicates your mission, offering and who it is you can help.
On Eloise’s homepage we featured a clean design, with playful colours and images. And we wrote an introduction to herself, her services and the clients and health symptoms she usually works with. Key tip: having all the information on her homepage means that any visitors who are in a rush can still get all the crucial info without having to visit all the separate pages.
About Me - share your background, qualifications, and the story behind your practice to establish trust and build a connection with potential clients.
On the About Me page we added in logo’s of the regulatory bodies that Eloise is registered with, as well as the professional networks she’s a member of, alongside her personal journey of becoming an acupuncturist and her feature in the Evening Standard too. All this helped spotlight her credentials and qualifications to build trust with her audience. And pictures of dogs are always a welcome bonus!
Responsive design for bookings - make sure your website is mobile-friendly and adapts to different devices, allowing users to access information easily on the go.
As most of Eloise’s website visitors were on mobile devices, we made sure the booking journey was effortless on both mobile and desktop - with booking buttons, testimonials and treatment information in the right places to guide people in their decision making, and on their booking journey.
On top of this checklist, don’t forget the key design elements of using a simple and clean layout, easy-to-use navigation, and including your brand's colour palette, imagery and fonts consistently. Website design is a creative process, and your website is a work in constant progress too! Making tweaks and changes is absolutely worthwhile as you learn new things about your clients, decide to change the way you present your offering or if you’ve outgrown your brand. Think going from artist studio to Tate’s white cube gallery spaces.
You can opt for the DIY route, but partnering with a professional designer can bring your website to the next level with expert support and less effort from your part. Think taking it from the artist studio, to the museum gallery space. And if you’re looking for website support, I’d love to help! At Circe Studio I have worked with acupuncturists, osteopaths, yoga teachers, nutritionists, breathworkers and health coaches to create beautifully designed, and functional websites customised to your unique needs, and the needs of your audience. If you’re curious to find out more, you can schedule a free intro call to chat through ways we can work together, and I can answer any questions too.