CotswoldXL Magazine
Publishing & Advertising
Branding
Editorial Design
UI / UX
Website Design
Website Development
CotswoldXL Magazine is a digital magazine & marketing agency based in the heart of the Cotswolds. They create a variety of local content and support local businesses in digital advertising & marketing pursuits. I was at the company full time for 4 years which comprised of me working with a variety of small & medium sized businesses, doing stuff from social media content creation to full website design & development for clients. I recently moved to working remote and more on a freelance basis and during this time we re-branded and redesigned the website, and that's what this project is about.
The magazine platform was failing to engage users, leading to high bounce rate and low conversions.
The digital magazine was underperforming in engaging its target audience. Users struggled to navigate and locate articles due to a suboptimal user experience, which in turn hindered the conversion of traffic into subscribers and advertisers. Additionally, the existing brand identity was misaligned with audience expectations. In collaboration with editor Mide, we recognized that a refreshed branding strategy was essential to create a stronger connection with the readers and improve overall engagement.
Logo / Masthead
Typography
Primary Headings
Semi Bold
Regular
Body
Regular
Light
Secondary Headings
Regular, Uppercase,
10% Letter Spacing
Colours
#D3D3D9
#9999A1
#28132C
#D3C759
Refreshing the brand to connect with the target audience more deeply.
Before the rebrand, the magazine relied on bold sans-serif typefaces that evoked a modern, business-like aesthetic. To better capture the timeless charm of the Cotswold region while retaining its distinctive modern edge, I refined the typography by introducing a classic serif font for headings. This change balanced heritage with innovation, setting CotswoldXL Digital Magazine apart from other local publications. Additionally, I updated the color palette to feature luxurious hues like deep purples and rich golds, further aligning the visual identity with our target audience and enhancing overall brand appeal. I also applied this refined design system to the magazine’s editorial layouts, ensuring a seamless visual experience across all touchpoints, and providing concrete examples of the rebrand’s impact.
Website user experience overhaul
During the rebrand, my first step was to conduct comprehensive user research. I discovered that the website suffered from a high bounce rate, with users disengaging early likely due to an unoptimized layout. Articles were presented in a standard list format without any filtering or sorting options, making it difficult for users to locate content efficiently.
To address this, I restructured the article presentation by introducing filtering and sorting functionalities, which significantly enhanced content discoverability. Additionally, I redesigned the hero section by incorporating clear call-to-actions and showcasing popular and recent articles above the fold. This strategic update not only improved navigability but also reduced the bounce rate, ensuring that users engaged more deeply with the site.
Automated lead generation system
To support business growth through the CotswoldXL Magazine’s Online Business Directory, I designed a fully automated lead generation system. This included planning the entire strategy, building out the user journey, and implementing the technical infrastructure. I created a signup flow that captured business information via a form and used Make.com to automate a multi-step process: generating a CMS listing, adding the contact to the CRM, and initiating a targeted lead nurture email sequence. The system streamlined internal workflows and enabled the team to easily manage, track, and upsell directory leads without manual input (until they wanted to)—turning the directory into a scalable, revenue-generating asset.
Simple A/B testing to further increase conversions
A website’s true value is measured by its ability to drive user action. To boost conversions, I integrated strategically placed subscriber pop-ups, which significantly increased sign-ups. I also conducted A/B testing on various contact forms and call-to-action elements to fine-tune the user experience. I created automations to not only capt By prioritizing ease of use and clear engagement paths, I achieved an 80% increase in conversion rates for form submissions.
Results
As a result of the redesign and optimisation work, the website saw a 16.4% decrease in bounce rate and a 42.9% increase in engaged sessions per active user — clear indicators that users were spending more time engaging with the content. Most notably, conversion rates (form submissions) increased by 82.4%, demonstrating that the improved user journey, automations and CRO enhancements successfully turned more visitors into leads.
