The real purpose of your website
Your website’s job is not to impress – it’s to connect
I recently had a discovery call from a potential client who was really worried about her website looking ‘generic’ because so many websites seem to follow templates. She was very concerned about portraying herself as super successful and making herself stand out from the crowd (even though she had just qualified). My initial worry was that she was expecting too much from an affordable website service, but then realised she just needed a bit of reframing and reassurance. I talked her through the purpose of her website and by the end, she understood and felt much better.
This article is a summary of what we talked about with some added info.
As someone working with real people in vulnerable situations (whether you’re a nutritional therapist helping clients through health crises, or a coach guiding someone toward a better life in difficult times) how you present yourself matters deeply. The mistake some make is treating their website like a flashy advertisement for a product.
Your website’s job isn’t to dazzle with how much time, money and creativity you poured in. It’s to make someone feel: “Yes! This is the person who gets me. I can trust them. They understand. I want to speak with them.”
Why chasing the “trendiest” website can backfire
There’s a lot of talk in web design circles about the latest animations, 3D scroll effects, hero-videos, ultra-minimal designs, bold fonts etc. But there are some important warnings in the research:
Trendy design elements often become outdated quickly. Timeless and highly-crafted design feels solid, whereas the latest fad may outdate quickly and feel ‘fly by night’ quickly.
Prioritising aesthetics over usability or clarity can reduce engagement. For service-based businesses in particular, the site must answer very quickly: Who am I? Can you help me? How do I take the next step? If the site hides information behind fancy scrolls or obscure navigation, you make it harder for your viewer. The last thing someone who needs help from you needs is to expend more effort.
For service-based work (like yours) the website is less about product display and more about trust, authenticity, and connection. The guidance is clear about the best ways to connect with your audience. They simply want to feel you’re real, you offer a good solution, good value, and you are approachable.
In short: yes, your site should look clean, fresh and modern, but not just for the sake of looking “cool.” It must feel human. It must feel safe. It must feel relevant to your audience and their problem (not the latest cool trend).
Think of your site like a well-cooked meal
Here’s a useful analogy: building your website is like preparing a nourishing meal for someone who’s been through a tough time. You aren’t trying to create a Michelin-star spectacle with flamboyant plating and avant-garde ingredients. You’re creating something comforting, clearly prepared, with high-quality ingredients, that makes someone feel better, understood, and invited. As a qualified nutritional therapist I couldn’t help myself with this analogy and I think it does make sense!
High-quality ingredients: Your story, your photos, your copy that speaks to the pain point, your clear service offering.
Clean preparation and structure: The recipe (template) is the familiar structure: homepage, service page, about page, contact/booking page. You don’t need to reinvent the structure because all websites function within certain frameworks and devices (laptop, phone, tablet).
Inviting setting: The visual feel, the tone, the way you walk someone through the site so they feel welcome, safe, seen.
Not over-spiced: Avoid overwhelming them with the latest gimmicks or ultra-fancy design flourishes that distract from the message. No artificial flavouring please!
The visitor’s journey: what your website should do
Because you’re offering human-centred services (not a product on a shelf), the pathway through your website must gently guide a visitor to the first meaningful connection: the discovery call. Here’s a suggested structure. Think of it as the courses of your meal:
Hero / arrival
At arrival (homepage), the visitor needs to quickly answer:“Have I arrived at the right place?”
“Do you understand my problem?”
That means your headline, subheading and hero image need to speak straight to the niche (“I work with fertility nutrition”, “I coach professionals to financial freedom”, etc). Crisp, clear, welcoming. Research shows visitors decide in 10-20 seconds whether to stay and take the next steps to get in touch.You understand them
Immediately after, you need to show empathy and understanding: “I know you’re feeling [describe the pain point]. You’ve tried X and you’re still stuck.” This builds connection. Then you show the solution: “Here’s how I help.”Authenticity and trust
This section introduces you as the person behind the service: professional yet real. Use your own name in the business if you can. Use high-quality but natural photos of you. Research supports that investment in professional photography pays off.What you do (your service offering)
Walk them through the steps of what happens: step-1 we do this, step-2 we do that, here’s the outcome. You want a clear path. Avoid vague fluff. On service-based sites, best practice includes individual service pages, detailed benefits, FAQs, clear CTAs.Why you do it (your mission)
Simon Sinek famously said, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” It might sound simple, but he’s right. People make decisions based on emotion, not logic. What you do (your service) is the practical part, but why you do it (your mission) reveals your passion, purpose, and values. When potential clients connect with that deeper “why,” they feel trust and alignment, making them far more likely to choose you over others who may offer similar services.Call to action → offer options
Because you’re selling human-centred services, people usually won’t just click “Buy now”; they want to talk with you either on the phone or via email. Your website should offer a very clear next step: schedule a free discovery call, or email to ask more. Not everyone feels comfortable talking to someone right away so don’t pressurise them to make a discovery call. The more options you give, the more likely people will get in touch in a way that feels safe to them.Social proof & testimonials
When someone is feeling vulnerable, they need reassurance that others in their situation have been helped. Testimonials, case studies, clear benefits help build that. The website design best practices show this boosts trust and conversion.
Let them eat cake (but make it a good one)
There’s a reason most websites are built on standard templates. They have to work within certain constraints so they look good on desktop, tablet and phone. Using my previous recipe analogy, menus, hero sections, and mobile layouts are the flour, eggs, and sugar of web design: the basics that make it work.
The magic isn’t in reinventing the recipe, but in using it well, bringing your own story, voice, and visuals to the mix. Just like baking, change the recipe too much and it stops being cake. There are plenty of ways to spice up a standard recipe with a secret ingredient, and guess what? You are the secret ingredient that brings your website to life. No custom-coded masterpiece or flashy new trend can do that.
In summary
Your website’s job is not to impress with how much you spent on it or how trendy the design is.
Instead, its job is to connect, to show your ideal client: “You understand me. You can help me. I want to talk to you.”
Make sure your site:
communicates in <10-20 seconds who you help and how
presents you as a real, trustworthy person
clearly offers the solution and the next step (discovery call)
avoids being overcomplicated or driven by fleeting design trends that may damage usability or trust
uses high-quality imagery (especially of you) and well-chosen visuals to support your message
uses well-written copy to communicate
Use a good structure (template) but make it yours. Your story, empathy and clarity are the secret ingredients that will make your business stand out.
Think about creating that meal: nourishing, comforting, clearly understandable, with high-quality ingredients and served in a welcoming setting. That’s the experience your website should offer to someone who is probably already feeling anxious, uncertain or vulnerable. If you serve that well, you will win the right clients: the ones who resonate with you and will value your help.
If you’d like any help with your website or branding, get in touch any way you’d like by going to my contact page.