Website Development for SME Collective

SME Collective is a New Zealand-based business coaching and advisory firm founded to empower small and medium business owners. The founder, a Chartered Accountant turned business coach, set out to guide owners in clarifying their vision, building strong leadership and teams, reclaiming their time, and driving profitable growth.

In this project, the aim was to create a website and digital presence that clearly communicated SME Collective’s unique value proposition, high-touch coaching, advisory services for accounting firms, leadership development workshops and retreats, while reflecting the founder’s credibility and commitment to clients’ success.

Several key challenges needed to be addressed:

Multiple service offerings: SME Collective offers 1:1 coaching, advisory for accounting firms, leadership development programmes, retreats and speaking/workshops. The website needed to present these without confusing visitors.

Targeting different audiences: The client serves small business owners (turnover ~$400k–$2m) as well as accounting firms, senior leadership teams and couples running businesses together. Each audience has different priorities.

Building trust and credibility: Given the financial and leadership advisory nature of the business, it was important to showcase the founder’s accounting background, coaching style, values and results.

Simplifying complex messaging: The business is about vision, time, team and profit, abstract concepts that needed to be translated into clear, actionable messaging that resonates with busy business owners.

To deliver a strong and effective website experience, the following solutions were applied:

Clear service-segmentation: The website was structured so that each major offering (Coaching 1:1, Advisory for Firms, Leadership Development, Retreats & Workshops) has its own page with focused messaging, benefits and calls to action.

Brand positioning based on credibility: We emphasised the founder’s Chartered Accountant credentials, his personal narrative, and values (care & compassion, growth mindset, win-win) to reinforce trust.

Simple visitor paths: We created “Book a Call” prominently across pages, and built content that speaks directly to visitor pain points (lack of time, team issues, profitability plateau) so potential clients quickly see relevance.

Messaging clarity around the four pillars (Vision, Team, Time, Profit): Each pillar is given focus in content, making abstract ideas tangible and tied to business outcomes.

Visual & UX design aligned to brand tone: We chose a professional yet approachable layout, with clean typography, consistent branding, and intuitive navigation that guides the user rather than overwhelming them.

Outcome-led copywriting: We focused on what the client (business owner) stands to gain: more time, better team, clearer vision, improved profit. The language is direct and outcome-oriented.

Highlighting tailored audiences: For example, pages that speak specifically to accounting firms wanting to step into advisory services, or couples in business together (via retreat offering) ensured visitors feel seen and understood.

Enhanced clarity of service offerings: Visitors are now able to easily distinguish which service applies to them (business owner vs accounting firm vs leadership team).

Stronger trust and professional positioning: The founder’s background and values are clearly communicated, improving perceived credibility and lowering barriers to enquiry.

Better visitor conversion paths: The prominent “Book a Call” CTAs and simplified navigation reduce friction and guide users into action.

Brand consistency and differentiation: With a cohesive design and clear messaging, SME Collective presents as a premium yet accessible advisory/coaching business, helping it stand out in a crowded small-business coaching market.

Operational efficiency in marketing: With the website clearly articulating services, less time is spent educating via back-and-forth; prospects come in better informed and aligned, enabling a more efficient sales/consulting process.

By combining strategic messaging, coherent service architecture and a strong visual experience, the SME Collective website now effectively reflects the founder’s mission: to help business owners build vision-driven, profitable, well-led companies, and to reclaim their time and life in the process. The result is a digital platform that supports growth, trust and clarity for all stakeholders.