Squarespace Portfolio spotlight: Alex Ballagh's epic FREE website makeover - before & after!
Hang on, did you really say FREE website makeover?? Yup, that’s right…you did NOT mis-read that!
In October 2025, I did something smart a tad unhinged, and decided to run an EPIC website makeover giveaway on my Instagram account.
Whilst the purpose of this particular blog post is not to unpack the strategy behind this decision, but for now I’ll say that it was a marketing experiment that ended up launching my entire business and it was hands down, the BEST thing I did in relation to gaining visibility & gaining new clients. (Another blog post for another time perhaps?)
In today’s post however, I want to take a moment to reflect on the actual RESULTS of this website transformation.
And by results, I don’t just mean showing you the before and the after shots, though of course, yes we’ll definitely be diving into the transformation of Alex’s website - duh!
BUT I also want to breakdown the actual before and after STATS behind this particular website makeover which I’m super excited to share with you!
So let’s dive into the before picture - Alex’s old website design:
Before I go any further, I want to give props to Alex for the DIY Squarespace website she managed to create for herself. Like many other health coaches and small business owners, web design wasn’t exactly her area of expertise, but she had gotten scrappy and built herself a website that was definitely NOT the definition of a hot mess. (I’ve definitely seen wayyyy worse websites out there, that’s for sure!)
Here are some of my thoughts about Alex’s old website:
The good stuff. Alex’s website did have:
A consistent colour scheme (though it needed fleshing out a bit)
Some use of different sized headings
Pages that were split into different sections, some with more contrast than others such as testimonials and contact.
Alex also had a couple of different pages to display her different options for coaching which went into some good detail of what was included in each module etc.
What I thought could be improved:
Alex’s branding was quite basic and gave off “default setting” vibes in terms of font choices especially. I definitely thought Alex’s website (and her whole business in general) would greatly benefit from an in-depth brand strategy and intentional design style that felt more crafted, unique and had that standout factor.
The main pages of Alex’s website were lacking strategic sales copy that would spark their curiosity and take them on an emotional journey that would end in them inquiring & booking a discovery call.
There were quite a few design issues such as inadequate (or too much) spacing, and misalignment of text that were creating a lot of friction for the viewer which would have negatively affected the overall performance and conversion rate of the website.
As a bonus, the website makeover giveaway also included pre-design & post-launch analytics tracking by the very smart & talented Emily from Commit Me Co.
Before I started the web design process, Emily conducted a Digital DNA Test of Alex’s old website to see how it was performing in relation to the goal of gaining qualified client inquiries.
Emily then passed on this info to me along with her recommendations for the design of the new website, which in all honesty, was pretty rad!
Here’s a breakdown of what Emily discovered about Alex’s old website:
Overall, there was a clear pattern that emerged from the data: Alex’s website had a small, warm audience that already knew her brand (probably from her social media accounts), but her website was failing to convert that interest into “measureable action” A.K.A it wasn’t converting her website visitors into paying clients (and honestly, this is the whole POINT of having a website is it not??) (screenshot of audience stats)
Alex’s pages were creating some interest & curiosity in her offers at the top of her funnel. However, this was not translating into actual inquiries due to “unnecessary friction & cognitive load” at the inquiry stage of the process “when commitment should feel easiest.”
Translation: asking viewers to fill out a long, multi-field contact form introduces a lot of resistance to actually following through with an inquiry.
Is this sounding relatable?!
Here were Emily’s recommendations to increase the performance of Alex’s website design overall:
Establish a measurable conversion rate and identify which channels drive results via GA4 tracking. (Not gonna lie this is Emily’s domain who can give you all the deets on this if you want to learn more)
2. Reduce friction in the funnel by:
Replacing the generic contact page link on offer pages with a direct, low-friction call-to-action such as ‘Book a 15-Minute Spark Call.’
Embedding a Calendly or equivalent scheduler and track click events. This reframes the experience from “fill out a form” to “start a conversation,” aligning with how your clients prefer to engage.
NOTE: In addition to this (and as I stated earlier), I also think that there was a lot of friction created because of design issues which needed to be addressed via implementing a ‘best practice’ redesign of the core pages of her website.
3. Prioritise a long-term email strategy:
Reintroduce the $44 mini challenge as a gateway offer to capture email subscribers and then guide them toward higher-value programs through automated follow-up sequences.
4. Develop an SEO strategy for long-term search-engine discoverability.
Thanks to Emily’s pre-design analysis, the direction was set and it was time for this website makeover to begin!
Fast forward 2 weeks (+ 77 days post-launch analytics tracking) - how did it turn out?
Not only is Alex’s new Squarespace website absolutely beautiful (if I may so myself!) it is also effective & strategically designed to convert and sell. Her elevated brand style is cohesively integrated throughout the site and combines with a thoughtful user-journey paired with best practice design, that viewers can navigate with much more ease.
Thanks to Sarah Marriott’s copy audit, the sales copy is also a lot more structured & developed - it talks directly to her ideal client’s specific pain points, & desires which is crucial in order to move them into action & get them clicking, buying & inquiring!
But am I just talking a lot of hot air OR do the stats actually show the real value of this website makeover process?
Of course, they do!
Before you continue reading, take a look at Alex’s new Squarespace website here:
Here are some of the results from Emily’s post-launch analytics tracking:
What changed & why it worked:
The redesign applied proven web design best practices. Here’s how specific UX decisions translated directly into better results:
Discoverability: The website redesign made the site more discoverable and shareable.
More people are finding the site than ever before. Total website visits increased 17% in the first 77 days after the redesign — and the growth is coming from the right places. Google search traffic jumped 41%, meaning the new site structure and content are helping Alex show up more in search results. Social media traffic grew 50%, suggesting the redesigned pages look better when shared on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Source: Commit Me Co
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE:
Before:
Flat, generic page structure:
The old site used broad pages like /groupcoaching, /wellnessevents, and /alexballagh — generic labels that didn't tell visitors (or Google) what they'd find. There was no blog, no content hub, and no dedicated landing pages for specific services. Traffic had nowhere meaningful to go beyond the homepage.
After:
Purpose-built pages with clear intent:
The redesign introduced a content-driven architecture: a flagship /wellness-woven-in page, a /coaching page with a clear path to book, a full /blog section with SEO-optimized posts, and dedicated pages for Resources and Workplace offerings. Every page has a job to do.
The new /wellness-woven-in page immediately captured 14.5% of all traffic — becoming the #2 entry point. The blog drives 10.8% of visits combined and visitors now have clear paths through the site instead of hitting a dead end.
CALLS TO ACTION:
Before:
No clear conversion path:
The old site had no conversion tracking and no measurable calls to action. There was no way to tell if visitors were signing up, booking, or reaching out. The site functioned more like an online brochure than a lead-generation tool.
After:
Multiple, well-placed CTAs at every stage:
The new site features a prominent "Apply for Coaching" button in the navigation bar (visible on every page), "Browse Offerings" buttons throughout the homepage, and a "Learn More" CTA on each service card. The coaching page gives visitors a clear, frictionless path to take action.
Conversion tracking is now live and capturing real leads. For the first time, Alex can see exactly which pages and traffic sources drive business results, and can further optimize from there.
SEO STRATEGY:
Before:
Page URLs were not optimised & page content was weak overall:
Page URLs were generic and didn't target the keywords Alex's audience searches for. Google had very little content to index.
After:
Structured content being indexed by Google:
Clean URL structures (/blog/feel-good-foundations), proper heading hierarchy, and structured content all help Google understand and rank the site.
Google search traffic jumped a whopping 41% in 77 days! One blog post alone accounts for 6.1% of all site entries — proving that quality content drives real, compounding organic traffic.
SOCIAL PROOF & TRUST SIGNALS:
Before:
Limited credibility elements:
The old site lacked prominent social proof. There were no visible testimonials, no stats highlighting Alex's experience, and no interactive elements to build trust with first-time visitors.
After:
Trust built into every section:
The new homepage features a "Humble Brag" stats section (168+ women helped, 20 years experience, 100% positive reviews), a testimonials section with real client quotes, and an interactive Wellness Archetype Quiz that builds engagement and positions Alex as an authority before visitors even reach the coaching page.
Social media traffic grew 50% — the new site looks credible and professional when shared. Visitors landing from Instagram or Facebook see immediate proof that Alex is the real deal, which keeps them on the site.
VISUAL HIERARCHY & MESSAGING:
Before:
Broad positioning, unclear user journey:
The old site's homepage didn't guide visitors toward a specific action. The messaging was general, and the navigation didn't clearly separate coaching services from wellness content. Visitors had to figure out where to go on their own.
After:
Empathy-driven copy with a clear narrative flow
The redesigned homepage follows a proven storytelling arc: hook ("Holistic Wellness Coach for busy women") → empathy ("You've been so busy managing life admin…") → framework (Mindset, Nourishment, Movement) → proof (testimonials) → action (Apply for Coaching). Every scroll moves the visitor closer to booking.
Overall traffic grew 17% and the site now has dedicated service cards for Group Coaching and Bespoke 1:1 Coaching — giving different audience segments a clear next step instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
Other awesome results to note:
New pages are already pulling in visitors
Source: Commit Me Co
The redesign introduced fresh, purpose-built pages that are performing well right out of the gate. The new Wellness Woven In page is already the second most popular entry point, capturing 14.5% of all visits. A new blog section is generating traffic too — one post alone accounts for 6.1% of all site entries. The /coaching page captures 5.1%, giving potential clients a clear path to book sessions.
Conversions are now being tracked for the first time
Before the redesign, there was no way to measure if visitors were taking meaningful actions like signing up or reaching out. Now, the site has proper conversion tracking in place — and it's already capturing leads. This is a game-changer: Alex can now see exactly which pages and traffic sources are driving real business results, and optimize from there!
Pretty RAD right?! You can also check out Alex’s website project + other transformations via my Portfolio here!
Note: The information for both the website makeover recommendations and the results have come directly from Commit Me Co’s report, from the first 77 days post-launch.
