College Coaching Website: A Collaborative Success Story
This is my first-ever Case Study on my website…
I’m constantly reminding my clients and collaborators to tell the behind-the-scenes stories of successful projects like this one, and yet, my own blog has remained painfully devoid of them.
No more! And we’re starting, of course, with a story of immense impact not just for the business owner, but also the lives of the students she interacts with and guides.
The Before: What wasn’t working for this college coach and advisor…
Meet Kathryn Crosby of Crosby College Coaching. With over 30 years of combined experience in College Advising, Psychology, and Business, Kathryn’s passionate about helping highschool students (soon-to-be college students) find their best fit schools.
Kathryn contacted me thanks to a mutual connection referring her, and shared with me that her existing website was:
- Underwhelming
- Poorly designed
- Uninviting
- NOT an accurate representation of her, her personality, or her business as it was TODAY
Kathryn’s site was a representation of the business owner she was years ago, not the business owner she’s grown to become. As a result, it wasn’t speaking directly to her ideal clients and it wasn’t attracting new leads.
For the web design portion of her project, I connected Kathryn to Alethea Copelas of Inspired Website Design who designs beautiful, intuitive sites on Wix, and off our collaboration went…
Our Collaborative Kickoff
For our project kickoff, we helped Kathryn to clarify her goals and objectives for the new site as well as gained invaluable insight into her ideal clients, personality, unique voice, and how she’s different from everyone else in her industry.
We talked through pain points and challenges when families find themselves in the throughs of college-hunting, and how to speak directly to what they’re facing. Equipped with ample knowledge about her business, clients, expertise, and friendly personality, I got to work creating a Brand Voice Sample for Kathryn’s new site.
Bringing Her Distinct Difference to Life
My process of developing a Brand Voice begins with a little art and a little science. Together, the two make for a seemingly magical blend that reflects the business owner I’m writing for.
I dumped out all the tools in my toolbox including Brand Voice, SEO Research, Voice of Client Research, and a healthy sprinkle of creativity. I cued up my “Focus Music” track on YouTube and rolled up my sleeves.
In this instance, I gave Kathryn a small sample of what she could expect on the Home Page.
"Empowering your student to thrive as they pursue their dreams. Through collaborative and comprehensive college counseling, we guide your student from dream to decision. We help them navigate the many options as they craft a one-of-a-kind college experience, without sacrificing the chapter they’re in!"
Once it got her blessing and green light to move forward, I proceeded in writing the following pages:
- Home Page
- About Page
- College Counseling Services Page
- College Tours Page
- Blog
- Resources/FAQ
- Contact Page
Additionally, we also created special “Location Pages” (I recommend them for many local businesses!) which would help direct local Google searchers find her website through search terms like “College Counseling in Los Angeles“.
Once the writing and revision process was complete, I sent it off into Alethea’s capable hands.
As part of the redesign, Alethea refreshed the branding colors to complement the existing logo, creating a look that feels cohesive, inviting, and true to Crosby College Coaching’s mission. Alethea seamlessly integrated the copy and the site began to come to life. 
A fabulous final outcome!
Not only does Kathryn’s new site look, feel, and sound more like her and her business, it also speaks directly to her new clients and their future-minded teens.
Her site can look forward to an increase in traffic and leads as it begins to rank with search engines.
Even more importantly, Kathryn’s new website will allow her to make the impact in the lives of others that she’s meant to.
Her passion and purpose shine through and I absolutely loved being a conduit for this message as it changes so many lives today and in the future.
The best collaborations are the ones that spark a ripple effect. In my opinion, this one’s got wave-making potential indeed!
Are you a coach or consultant looking for a website refresh like Kathryn’s of Crosby College Coaching? I’d LOVE to chat and be the copywriter to bring YOUR distinct imprint to life.
