Dr Shannon Coates Voice and The Art of Teaching
Dr. Shannon Coates: A Sophisticated Digital Library for a Leading Voice Pedagogue
Client: Dr Shannon Coates: Voice & The Art of Teaching
Industry: Voice Pedagogy
Project Type: LMS with Live course landing pages
Dr. Shannon Coates, a university professor and world-class voice teacher, needed to rescue her unmaintained website to launch her first online course. We began with a complete site triage and redesign, implementing a new 'steampunk' brand identity she loved. The project evolved into a long-term strategic partnership. We architected a scalable e-learning platform that has grown from a single course into a full digital library with multiple subscription options. To manage this growth, we also designed and built a custom Notion workspace to streamline her entire business operation, from content management to team collaboration.
The Mission
Dr. Shannon Coates, a university professor, faced a critical business challenge: her website was unmaintained, filled with broken formatting, and difficult to navigate. She needed a reliable and professional platform to sell her first online course, "The Vocal Instrument 101," and a scalable foundation to support her long-term vision of building a comprehensive digital library for voice professionals.
The Plan
Our plan was a complete digital transformation that began with a triage to rescue the existing site. The core of the plan was a full redesign featuring a new 'steampunk' brand identity, and the development of a new, scalable e-learning platform using LearnDash and WooCommerce. To manage her business growth, the plan also included creating a custom Notion workspace to serve as her central hub for operations, content planning, and team collaboration.
Final Results
The transformed digital ecosystem delivered a thriving and scalable online education business. The new platform has successfully evolved from a single course into a full digital library with multiple subscription options, integrated sales funnels, and automated email marketing.
The custom Notion workspace has streamlined her internal operations, saving her team hours of work.
Most importantly, Dr. Coates gained the peace of mind knowing her technical foundation can support her ambitious growth plans, allowing her to focus entirely on her passion for teaching.
Project
Custom eCommerce and LMS Website
Project Highlights
-
Strategy & Consulting
-
Custom Web Design & Development
-
Membership & LMS Integration
-
E-commerce Integration
The Challenge: Rescuing an Unmaintained Website
When Dr. Coates first came to us, her website was in a state of disrepair. The site had been unmaintained, resulting in broken links and strange formatting on most pages that made it very difficult to navigate. Her branding was minimal, and her blog posts were scattered and unformatted. Most importantly, she wanted to sell her first online course, "The Vocal Instrument 101," but lacked a reliable platform, a secure payment system, and a clear strategy for growth.
Our Solution: A Strategic Digital Transformation
Our partnership began with a critical triage to restore the site's core functionality and evolved into a complete digital overhaul, turning a broken site into a scalable business engine.
Phase 1: Triage and Functional Restoration
First, we restored the site's core functionality. We fixed all broken elements, cleaned up the chaotic formatting that made the site difficult to read, and completely reorganized her blog into a user-friendly, filterable system.
Phase 2: Strategic Redesign and E-Learning Platform Build
With the site stable, we executed a complete redesign. We collaborated with a brand specialist to create a unique 'steampunk' aesthetic that perfectly captured her personality. We then architected a new, scalable e-learning platform using LearnDash and integrated WooCommerce, allowing students to purchase and access her course easily.
Phase 3: Long-Term Growth and Integration
As her business grew, we added new courses, sales pages, and checkouts with ThriveCart to support multiple currencies (USD/CAD). We also integrated a full email marketing system with Convertbox and Mailchimp to manage campaigns, lead magnets, and automated onboarding sequences for new students.
Phase 4: Building a Central Business Hub with Notion
To support this rapid expansion, we designed and built a comprehensive Notion workspace to act as her business's central operating system. This streamlined her project and task management, social media calendar, and SOPs, allowing her team to work more efficiently and saving them hours of administrative work.
The Result: A Thriving and Scalable Online Education Business
The initial site rescue and redesign provided Dr. Coates with a professional, stable platform that she was proud of, leading to a successful launch of her first course.
Our long-term partnership has transformed her online presence from a single course on a broken website into a thriving, scalable online education business. The integrated systems we built—both the public-facing website and the internal Notion workspace—have given her the confidence and the tools to expand her offerings, serve a global audience, and manage her growing team with ease. Dr. Coates remains a valued client on a monthly support plan today.
Project Highlights
- Website Rescue & Redesign
- Learning Management System (LMS) Development
- Custom E-commerce & Subscription System
- Notion Workspace Design & Implementation
- Email Marketing & Sales Funnel Integration
- Fractional CTO & Long-Term Strategic Partnership
Are You Ready to Transform Your Online Platform?
A strategic partnership can make all the difference. If you're ready to rescue, redesign, or scale your online business, let's talk about what we can build together.
