Your Website Is Telling a Story, Is It the Right One?
Why Storytelling Matters So Much for Women in Business
When I was a young girl, I would sit across from my grandmas absorbing their stories. How they would share parts of their life with me through the lens of what was going on in my life, whether it be graduating high school or having kids, those stories have always stuck with me.
I can take myself back to the place where, over a visit, I would be sitting across from them, either knees pulled in a cross-cross applesauce position on the couch or sitting across from them at the kitchen table, I always felt at ease, eager to hear the ending of their story.
I would go to bed that night and start daydreaming about what life I was creating.
Time and time again, I find myself back listening to women’s stories, how they overcame something life-changing, holding space for them with tears in our eyes when they finally accomplished their goals.
I think that’s why storytelling has always felt so natural to me. It’s how women have always connected. Through stories, we make sense of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going next. We listen, we relate, we nod along quietly thinking, me too.
In business, it works the same way.
A lot of women’s work, whether it be in the home or in the office, isn’t witnessed. I know I’ve heard jokingly a lot of women say to their family members, “Do you think it happens by magic?” And the truth is, we are often the glue that holds everything together. We have an eye for the details, and we know how to create a seamless experience for everyone around us.
When we share our stories and what really goes on behind the making of those experiences, we allow other women’s struggles to be validated.
We allow ourselves to see that we are strong women, and that sometimes life is hard.
We show others, and ourselves, that when we put our minds to something, we accomplish it. Maybe not in the way we originally thought, but we get there.
And when we’re willing to share those parts of the journey, we make things easier for the women around us, sometimes even changing the timeline of what they believe is possible.
Coming Home to Your Own Story
When I think about storytelling in this way, it always brings me back to how our own stories are shaped long before we ever name them as such. By the women we’ve sat beside, and the conversations we’ve listened in on. The moments where someone else’s words landed at just the right time in our lives.
Maybe it was a grandmother, a mother, an aunt, a friend, or a teacher.
Maybe it was a woman you barely knew who shared something honest and real, and it stayed with you longer than you expected.
These stories quietly shape how we see ourselves, what we believe is possible, and the kind of life we imagine for ourselves.
Sometimes it helps to pause and look at your life through that lens. To notice the women whose stories have shaped you, and to consider the story you’re living right now. Not the polished version, but the real one, the one unfolding quietly in the background of your everyday life.
Because your story doesn’t have to be extraordinary to be meaningful. It just has to be yours. And chances are, it’s already shaping someone else in ways you may never fully see.
A Few Questions to Sit With
I’m one for spending time each day reflecting and journaling. I find that when I allow myself to write freely, I am able to learn more about myself. These questions are a starting point for developing your own story because, as adults, our stories always stem from childhood memories and experiences.
What is a story from your childhood that shaped who you are today?
Who did you look up to growing up, and what did you admire about them?
Who do you look to for inspiration now?
What parts of your own story feel most important to you, even if they’re rarely shared?
If you were to share your story today, what would it look like?
Using Your Website As A Tool to Share Your Story
This is where storytelling shows up most clearly for me, because it’s how you present yourself and your business online that makes a great first impression.
A website gets to be a tool outside of social media and your email list, where people get to discover who you are and what you can do for them.
It’s a place to list services, share your credentials and your vision in a way that works with human psychology.
I love to bring together my clients’ business goals, services and the way people naturally navigate a website to create a website that converts.
For me, what conversions really mean is how people are being connected with something or someone that they need to help them live a better life.
When I talk about storytelling on a website, I’m thinking about sharing your story with intention and clarity.
Making sure the right pieces of your story are in the right places on your website, so the right people who are ready to work with you know what the right next step is to work with you.
That’s where strategy comes in.
And when your website does that well, it stops feeling like a marketing tool and starts feeling like a place where connection happens.
Let’s take a closer look at Cheri’s website. Our goal was to create a classic and timeless look that highlighted Cheri’s experience with mortgages, how she has long-standing relationships within the industry, and her involvement in her community.
For Angelica, we created a calming atmosphere with calm greens and blues. We intentionally used language that felt inviting and inclusive. Angelica has so many amazing offers that complement her in-person and virtual therapy, and we made sure to include them throughout her homepage so people could find their way to connect with her.
What Do You Want Your Website to Do for You?
Before you think about fonts, colours, or layouts, where I like to start is with getting clear with what do you actually want your website to do for you?
For some women, a website needs to build trust. It needs to explain what they do clearly, answer common questions, and help someone feel comfortable reaching out. For others, it’s about guiding people through a process, booking a call, or understanding their services without feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes a website is meant to support where you are right now. Other times, it’s meant to support where you’re headed next.
I find it helps to think less about what a website should do and more about what would make your life easier. What questions do you answer over and over again? Where do people tend to get stuck or confused? What would you love your website to take off your plate?
When you’re clear on that, everything else becomes simpler. The structure, the messaging, the flow — all of it has somewhere to land. Your website stops feeling like another thing you need to manage and starts feeling like something that supports you and the people you want to help.
Reflection Prompts
Here are some questions to help you understand what direction to take your website in. Take a few moments to think through each question and you’ll have a better idea of what the next right step is.
What do you want someone to understand about you within the first few minutes of being on your website?
What would you love your website to help you explain so you don’t have to repeat yourself as often?
How do you want people to feel when they land on your site?
What feels hardest about your current website, or about the idea of having one?
If your website could support you better, what would that look like?
I hope this post gives you permission to think about your website differently. Not as something you need to perfect, but as something that gets to support you and the people you want to help.
Your story already exists. Your website simply gives it a place to live.
And when you’re ready for deeper support, I’d love to help you design a website that feels like home for your brand — one that reflects your story, your energy, and your rhythm.
