10 of My Favorite Showit Websites From 2020

It’s that time of the year!

That’s right… I’m talking about my year-end website roundup!

We all know 2020 was an unexpected year of ups and downs, but I’m so thankful I’ve had the opportunity to work with dozens of clients on their Showit websites.

Weirdly enough, even in the midst of a pandemic, my business actually grew in this past year. Who would have thought? Not me!

With this growth, I was able to open my calendar and work with a variety of clients  — from portrait photographers to wedding venues to business educators to even a plant-based podcaster!

Keep reading on to learn more about my favorite projects of the year.

Bloom & Grow Radio

Services: Custom Showit website development

Maria, the host behind Bloom & Grow Radio, is branded as “your new Best Plant Friend,” but what you might not know is that Maria is one of my real-life best friends! She also happened to be one of my first clients when I started Digital Grace Design.

Since then, she’s been growing (pun intended) her YouTube channel, podcast, and brand over the past few years to such a point that her website needed a glow up!

This was one of my favorite projects of the year because not only did I get to work with a great friend, but the final product makes me want to turn my Harlem apartment into an indoor jungle. When you explore every nook and cranny of her website, I have a feeling you’ll feel the same way.

What I loved about this website:

• Because the Bloom & Grow Radio brand is geared toward plant lovers, I had the opportunity to design around the most beautiful plant imagery. The fresh pops of green made the whole design feel refreshing!
• Maria offers a few freebies on her website, but one of my favorites is her quiz! You already know I’m quiz-obsessed, so incorporating her plant parent personality quiz into the website was a blast.
• Maria takes her plant obsession to a whole other level with her new site, which is complete with an eCommerce shop that’s full of branded merch, product recommendations, plant accessories, and so much more. She also offers 1:1 plant consultations as a service (yes, that’s a thing!), so we decided to keep it simple by keeping all of these offers on one easy-to-navigate page.

 

KSS Photography

Services: Custom Showit website development and visual branding

Warm, welcoming, feminine, and sophisticated are all perfect words to describe Kiamarie’s new Showit website. Named one of Nikon’s top 100 photographers, there’s no doubt that Kiamarie is an incredibly talented photographer. Based in New Jersey, she captures weddings and engagements for a diverse set of clients.

What you may not realize is that Kiamarie is a triple threat! She’s not only a photographer but she’s also a videographer and business educator for other photographers. If that doesn’t make you want to work with her, I don’t know what will. 🙂

I loved that we had full creative freedom because we were starting from scratch on her website and visual brand. Since I only offer visual branding services when they’re added onto a custom Showit website package, this gave me an opportunity to flex even more of my design muscles.

It can be scary to invest in your brand and website all at once, but take it from Kiamarie: it can seriously pay off! Within the first few hours of her website being live, she booked 4 weddings and already made over $20,000. That’s right — in ONE day! It’s clear to see why I fondly remember this project from last year.

What I loved about this website:

• To highlight Kiamarie’s depth of experience and her mentorship offers, we decided to create a separate sales page that’s only for fellow photographers. In this page, we cover how someone can work with her through workshops, styled shoots, or 1:1 mentoring consulting sessions. I love how all of this can be found under one roof!
• After taking a look at Kiamarie’s work, it won’t be a surprise that her weddings are frequently featured in wedding publications like Carats & Cake, New Jersey Bride, Contemporary Weddings, and more. We decided to put all of these features into one easy-to-find Press page. 
• When communicating her pricing, Kiamarie shares everything that is typically included in her wedding photography collections. She also adds her starting investment along with an average investment number so brides are aware of what it costs to work with her. It’s simple and straightforward, ensuring Kiamarie spends her time nurturing brides who are in her premium price range.

 

Crossed Keys Estate

Services: Custom Showit website development and custom copywriting

Not only did I get to redesign Crossed Keys Estate’s website on Showit, but I also got to help them craft new messaging! Writing beautiful website copy around this gorgeous family-owned and operated wedding venue was easy. I mean, just look at how stunning it is!

To capture the interest of sophisticated brides all around New Jersey, we positioned Crossed Keys Estate as a high-end historic property that will give modern couples everything they need to have a storybook beginning to their happily ever after.

As the website strategy came together, it became clear that the website needed to be full of movement and thoughtful details.One of our initial challenges was creating a website that included all of the necessary information couples need when researching a venue while also keeping it easy to navigate.  The final result definitely reflects these initial goals!

What I loved about this website:

• It would be easy to highlight the venue’s imagery because every space is a showstopper — from the outdoor fireplace to the immaculate grounds to the floor-to-ceiling windows and huge wooden beams. Speaking of imagery, I like how we were able to include a gallery full of styled photos of each space on the homepage. It helps couples envision what their own wedding could look like at Crossed Keys Estate instead of only seeing inspiration from other couples.
• Since this venue was established in 1999, it was such a joy to bring its story to life on their About page. The Rodriguez family’s passion for the wedding venue is so apparent in everything they do, so it was important to weave all of this into their brand story. 
• The staff at Crossed Keys Estate take care of the whole wedding planning process, making this venue a no-brainer for brides who want to relax and enjoy their wedding day. In addition to a list of venue features, we also created a wedding planning process in a simple timeline format to show what happens in each step. I love it!

 

Moxie Bright Events

Services: Custom Showit website development and custom copywriting

Wedding planner Renee started her Los Angeles-based company in 2014, which means she’s  a true pro when it comes to planning fun, sophisticated, and personal weddings. But when she outgrew her old website, she decided it was time to revamp it to match the quality experiences she provides for her couples.

Together, we incorporated her existing Moxie Bright Events branding, wrote new messaging, and created a custom Showit website that is uniquely her — witty, smart, clear, and full of stunning images from past weddings she’s thoughtfully planned. Her new website perfectly prepares her to step into this new season of business.

Also, it didn’t hurt that Renee is a former theatre person as well! They’re just my kind of people. Her creativity oozes from every corner of this website, and she has more confidence than ever in her wedding planning (yes, even during a worldwide pandemic!).

What I loved about this website:

• As a wedding planner, sometimes it can be hard to include imagery that has the same editing aesthetic because you’re not in control — the wedding photographer ultimately is. We were really intentional when it came to selecting images that had a similar vibe so her website would feel more consistent and cohesive.
• To make it easier to contact Renee, we installed a chat bot from Drift. After seeing the success my past client Henry of Aevitas Weddings has had with chat bots, this felt like a no-brainer for Renee. We know it’s been working since she has seen an increase in leads after using it!
• Of all the copy I wrote for her website, I still love the main header on the homepage months later. It says “Frazzled is not a good wedding day look.” Who else can agree?!

 

Bella Vita Creative

Services: Custom Showit website development

Is it just me, or is it impossible to keep yourself from swooning when you see beautiful, fine art photography? I can’t help myself! If you take a look at Dana’s work on her new Bella Vita Creative site, you’ll have a similar reaction.

Dana is an award-winning photographer that specializes in fine art and heirloom portraiture in Mount Vernon, Washington. Her portraiture style is stunning, and her photos are absolutely dreamy!

It was such a pleasure to work with Dana, and I’m so honored by her recent reaction to her new site: “I just have to say that I LOVE my new website! Never, in a million years, did I think I would have a website that looked this good!” We’re both thrilled with how it turned out!

What I loved about this website:

• Dana is a true artist, which means she’s known for producing a wide variety of high-quality images for her clients. Since she specializes in portrait photography, she offers family, maternity, children, and senior sessions to name a few. It was fun to showcase a variety of work on the website. 
• While portrait photography and headshot photography may seem similar at a quick glance, it was important for us to create two unique pages for each offer since they attract different audiences. Portraits are more focused on family clients whereas headshots are geared toward executives, entrepreneurs, and creatives who want personal brand shots.
• In Dana’s About page, she beautifully shares her personal story of how a cancer diagnosis changed the way she captured family heirloom photographs forever. I greatly admire her vulnerability and honesty in telling this story.

 

Amanda Zabrocki Photography

Services: Showit template customization

Have you ever felt over-the-moon excited to launch something? That’s how I felt when we had Amanda’s website go live back in April! As a wedding photographer navigating the COVID pandemic, Amanda knew it was the perfect time for her to reinvest in her business and use her influx of time to reimagine her website.

Instead of creating a custom Showit website, we worked together to customize the Brooklyn template from With Grace and Gold. The template was made with multi-faceted business owners in mind, and that perfectly describes Amanda and her many talents!

For the last 15 years, Amanda has been photographing weddings, engagement sessions, and families in the Tampa, Florida area. It was so fun to collaborate with Amanda, and I love how the final site turned out! I have a feeling you will too.

What I loved about this website:

• Can I start by saying I’m loving the overall vibe of Amanda’s site? Everything from the color palette to the lush images to the high-end editorial fonts feel just right. 
• Since Amanda has been photographing clients for over 15 years, it’s no surprise that she has gathered a LOT of testimonials. We found ways to highlight her testimonials throughout her website pages and even in the footer of her site.
• Now for something a little different! It was fun to put together her vendor recommendations page, which gives a full list of wedding vendors and service providers she loves. This is an amazing resource for her couples, and it doesn’t hurt that the design is simple and gorgeous!

 

Glossible

Services: Showit template customization

If you’ve been wondering how well Showit integrates with other tools, you’ll love what we’ve done with Sonia’s site. As the first on-location makeup artist in Chicago, she now spends much of her time educating other makeup artists about building better businesses while running her own beauty line. Yeah, she’s a powerhouse!

Her new site integrates Interact for her fun quiz, Kajabi for her course content and shop digital downloads, and Shopify to sell her Sonia Roselli Beauty products. Since Sonia has a few moving pieces behind her Glossible brand, it made sense for us to heavily customize a Showit template (using the Limoncello template from Tonic Site Shop) so she could organize all of her offers in one place.

Making sure the user experience on Sonia’s website was streamlined and seamless was our top priority. We’re really happy with the end result. It reflects Sonia’s personality so well and helps her lead with value by offering a wealth of knowledge upfront through freebies, blog content, podcast episodes, and more!

What I loved about this website:

• One of the things that stands out about Sonia’s website is how everything is organized. Since Sonia gives free weekly trainings and offers dozens of freebies, it was important for us to make sure people could find what they were looking for without getting overwhelmed. I think we did a pretty great job, if I do say so myself.
• Sonia’s website makes it incredibly clear to understand what she is an expert in: being a beauty business mentor! No matter what page you visit or piece of content you read, it all positions Sonia as the friendly, knowledgeable expert she already is.
• I love how everything Sonia offers through Glossible is branded with a similar name. Her shop is called ‘glossishop’ and her course is called ‘glossischool.’ I love the consistency this brings to everything she does now and into the future!

 

Melanie Anne Photography

Services: Showit template customization

Have you ever visited a website that’s so pretty you just want to live in it? It can’t just be me! Once you visit Melanie’s website, I have a feeling you’ll react similarly. With soft tones and lots of natural light, Melanie’s stunning photography work made designing her website a breeze.

As a wedding photographer, it’s not surprising that Melanie loves all kinds of love, but how she talks about her couples and work is sure to inspire you. You can see every bit of heart and soul she puts into her work from scrolling through her website.

With a well-stocked portfolio of weddings, elopements, engagements, and beyond, you’re sure to find images that speak to you. When creating her website, it was clear to both of us that her design should simply play a supporting role to her amazing images. Every decision we made together has allowed her soft, feminine aesthetic to shine through. I, for one, love how it all turned out!

What I loved about this website:

• This may seem like a small detail, but I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed designing this website with Melanie’s typography selections. I’m a sucker for a good font (anyone else?), and Melanie chose such beautiful ones. I especially love how we used italics and all-capitalized headers to emphasize important details. It looks so pleasing to the eye!
• Head over to Melanie’s About page and check out the Fun Facts section! When you click each item (like her favorite quote or favorite food), it will reveal the answer on the right. It was so fun creating this and brainstorming with Melanie. 
• If you visit every page on Melanie’s website, you’ll notice they all end with a unique photo banner with a button that directs her visitors to the Contact page. We made this decision because having someone fill out the contact form is Melanie’s most important goal, so we wanted to make sure every page pointed to it. 

 

Carolyn Teague FNP

Services: Custom Showit website development and visual branding

In the last couple of years, I’ve discovered a passion for working with health and wellness professionals. That’s why I was delighted to see Carolyn’s project inquiry come through my inbox! As a functional medicine practitioner (FNP), Carolyn has a wealth of experience and has cultivated a holistic approach to modern medicine.

From the moment I met Carolyn on our first discovery call, I knew we were going to be a great fit. Her calming energy was so inspiring, and I knew right then and there that her site had to represent her grounded presence.

Since she offers a wide variety of virtual consults, it was more important than ever for her website to stand out from other competitors. By highlighting her experience and her sweet family while crafting a gorgeous new visual brand, it’s safe to say we accomplished that with her website!

What I loved about this website:

• Carolyn’s personal health journey has not been a straight path, which we go in depth with on the About page. Even if you haven’t experienced the same medical mysteries that Carolyn did, you’ll likely resonate with parts of her story. This is the perfect place for her to honestly talk with her audience, get on their level, and show how approachable she is. I love it!
• Because many people who visit Carolyn’s website may not know what a FNP is or what they do, we wanted to use her homepage to educate and inspire. To make sure website pages didn’t get too long, we pared down her content to only the most important pieces of information and added many links to other resources and pages that explained each aspect in more detail.
• If you scroll to the bottom of each page, you’ll notice a section that lets visitors know how they can get started working with Carolyn. It’s so smart for her to transparently outline what this process looks like so it feels less scary to talk about their health. They also know exactly what to expect when they meet for a consultation, giving them more confidence in hiring Carolyn. 

 

Cari Long Photography

Services: Showit template customization

If you’ve been hanging around my portfolio, you know I’m no stranger to working with photographers. They’re some of my favorite clients! What you may not realize is how unique every photographer is. This is what makes it so fun to design Showit websites for them!

This is especially true for Cari, who is a multi-passionate portrait photographer from Raleigh, North Carolina. Instead of photographing weddings, Cari likes to capture milestone moments in everyday life. From vow renewals to anniversary sessions to family portraits, she does it all!

Since Cari wanted her website to show the breadth and depth of her artistic work, we found different ways to highlight this on her website by offering multiple calls-to-action and Service pages (including Love Stories, Seniors, and Motherhood).

What I loved about this website:

• From Cari’s photography slideshow at the top of her homepage, it’s clear to see she loves taking photographs of weddings, seniors, maternity, and more. Since Cari doesn’t want to work within one niche, this slideshow suits her well. 
• One of my favorite things Cari included in her website, aside from her gorgeous work, is this quote: “Photographs have the unique ability to capture a moment that’s instantly gone forever and impossible to reproduce…I’m honored to help you create tangible keepsakes to cherish for years to come.” Doesn’t that hit you right in the feels? It is so, so good!
• Because Cari has been a photographer for over 16 years, it made sense for us to create a page that highlights all of the testimonials she’s received over the years. We called it her Kind Words page, and it features multiple portraits from each client’s session, along with their glowing review of Cari’s work.

Looking back on these favorite websites from 2020, I can’t help but get excited for the amazing projects already on the horizon for 2021.  If you’re looking to elevate your brand, website, or messaging this year, let’s chat!  I’d be honored to help you tell your story beautifully and strategically online.