Daylesford Gardener Conversion Design
Client Overview
The Daylesford Gardener provides professional lawn mowing and garden care across Daylesford and Hepburn. Their website was originally launched by Brighter Websites on a minimal budget back in 2020, designed to help a small local business compete in a crowded local market.
Four years later, with limited updates the site remains a top performer, ranking #1 in Google for “Daylesford Gardening”, “Daylesford Lawn Mowing”, and “Gardener in Daylesford” thanks to its solid technical SEO, clean schema structure, and long-form content that established early authority.
This 2025 update wasn’t about ranking, it was about conversion optimisation. We needed to turn consistent traffic into qualified leads through improved UX, trust signals, and smarter form design.
Purpose-Driven Design
The redesign combines proven SEO foundations with modern conversion design. Visitors can now find what they need instantly, clear headings, service clarity, and well-timed CTAs keep the user journey friction-free.
We restructured the layout to highlight real outcomes: reliable service, easy booking, and quick local quotes. Each page balances aesthetic design with measurable action.
Conversion Design & CRO Improvements
Above the Fold (ATF) Redesign
We replaced generic taglines with a clear value statement like Quality lawn mowing in Daylesford and Hepburn, Supporting proof points (“Local gardener”, “Fully insured”, “Fast quotes”) that immediately establish trust and reduce hesitation, and added two CTAs, for Instant clarity, faster engagement, and a visible path to conversion.
Simplified Quote Form for Speed & Confidence
The original quote form asked too much, too soon. We redesigned it to focus on action over admin, So we reduced mandatory fields to essential information only, added tick boxes for services, made it clear that a message was optional. We also added privacy reassurance (“No spam. No newsletters.”) and Strengthened the response promise: “You’ll hear from us promptly with a clear quote and next steps.” This is important as shorter forms convert up to 40% higher in local service markets.
Trust Signals & Visual Proof
Because the business lacked enough real imagery to use throughout the site and was mostly using stock photos, we generated new, unique visuals based on regional Victorian landscapes. We also gave the owner a photo checklist for future before-and-after captures, ensuring long-term authority building through authentic visuals. In the meantime we were able to create before & after galleries for visual proof, and a team introduction for a personable “Meet Your Local Gardener” block to create human connection and accountability. We have since been able to add a video testimonial too adding emotional credibility. Each element builds trust through transparency, a cornerstone of conversion design.
Did you know we also offer local business website and airbnb photography as well as AI generated photo’s product imagery and enhancements? Contact Us to learn more about improving your website imagery.
Content & Flow Simplification
We restructured each service page to follow a proven CRO flow, This design mirrors how users make decisions, see, believe, act, without unnecessary scrolling or distractions.
Technical Foundations & Tracking Setup
While the 2020 version succeeded through strong on-page SEO and long-form content, this update focused on measurement, monitoring, and conversion insight. Beyond the front-end design, we focused on measurement and visibility, ensuring every click and impression can be tracked, analysed, and improved.
Google Business Profile (GMB) Optimisation
GBP optimisation increases local pack visibility and helps new customers discover the business through “near me” searches.
- Updated service areas and categories for “Lawn Mowing” and “Gardening Services”
- Added consistent NAP (name, address, phone) details
- Linked the website for strong local citation signals
- Helped the Business owner with ideas and workflow to ask for reviews and follow up for them.
Google Search Console Integration
Search Console provides visibility into Google’s indexing and performance data, crucial for early detection of technical or crawl issues.
- Verified the new domain structure post-launch
- Submitted updated XML sitemaps
- Monitored coverage and performance reports to ensure reindexing stability
- Set up page-level click tracking for service pages
Google Analytics (GA4) Setup
GA4 enables data-driven decisions and reveals where visitors drop off in the quote journey.
- Defined custom conversion goals (form submissions, calls, click-to-email)
- Connected with Search Console for keyword visibility
- Added event tracking for form interactions and button clicks
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools Integration
Ahrefs helps identify ranking opportunities and link quality, vital for local SEO growth without ad spend.
- Added site property for backlink monitoring
- Tracked keyword rankings for “Lawn Mowing Daylesford” and “Gardening Services Daylesford”
- Created a monthly visibility report for ongoing performance tracking
Long-Term Visibility & Next Steps
Since its first launch, this site has dominated local rankings purely through content and technical strength, without ads, backlinks, or social media. That’s the power of:
- Well-structured on-page SEO
- Fast, schema-rich technical setup
- Genuine, informative long-form content that solves user intent
For faster ROI, we first implemented conversion optimisation on the two highest-traffic pages, the Home and Lawn Mowing pages, to test and refine the approach before rolling out site-wide.
Now that these top-performing pages have a stable technical foundation and are fully conversion-optimised, the analytics show solid engagement, reduced bounce rates, and a steady increase in quote requests. We’ll continue to monitor performance data, review heatmaps and form completion metrics, and progressively extend the same structure and design logic across the remaining service pages.
With on-page optimisation complete, the next growth phase focuses on building off-page authority. This evolution transforms a static local business website into a dynamic marketing engine that attracts, converts, and retains customers.
- Backlink Building – leveraging partnerships and local directories
- Social Media Presence – visual proof, seasonal updates, and community engagement
- Digital PR – highlighting sustainable gardening tips and seasonal guides to attract editorial links
Performance & Visibility Results
The Daylesford Gardener project proves that conversion design isn’t about flashy visuals, it’s about structure, speed, and simplicity backed by trust.
By combining clear messaging, real proof, and solid technical foundations, even small local service businesses can achieve measurable results and long-term visibility.
The Daylesford Gardener now has a sustainable digital presence, a technically sound, conversion-ready website that continues to generate qualified leads year after year.
- Consistent #1 rankings for key local terms since 2020
- +47% increase in quote requests post-CRO update
- -31% bounce rate reduction
- 42% faster page load times
- Higher mobile conversion rate and improved quote completion flow
Project Budget Breakdown
| Item | Description | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Initial 2-Page CRO Copy Implementation & Testing | Focused on the Home and Lawn Mowing pages, the two highest-traffic areas. Conversion-optimised copy, layout refinements, and CTA structure implemented first to validate the CRO framework and measure ROI. Fast Tracked 1 day rebuild / post analytics analysis | $1200 |
| Site-Wide CRO Rollout (5 Service Pages) | Applying proven conversion design principles site-wide. Each service page restructured for clarity, scannability, and consistent user flow while maintaining keyword relevance and local search performance. | $850.00 |
| Blog Content Expansion (12 existing + 8 new) | Refreshing 12 existing articles and creating 8 new long-form posts from repurposed service page content. Each blog targets specific informational or seasonal search intent, reinforcing topical authority and user engagement. ($50.00/per article with bulk discount) | $1200.00 |
| Additional SEO & Performance Tuning | Technical checks and improvements including site speed optimisation, schema validation, crawl health review, and Core Web Vitals adjustments. | $400.00 |
| Total Investment | $3650.00 |
