Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. Or, in my case, those who can eat gluten do; those who can’t become a gluten free chef, start a gluten free cooking and catering company and change their lives and the lives of others as a result. Ain’t no rest for the wicked and the fabulous, am I right?

My Gluten Free and Fabulous Journey

Okay, things might be fabulous now, but for the majority of my adult life, I suffered from a variety of health ailments. I had been told this, that, and the other for years, but despite my most desperate attempts, no remedy, pill, or potion seemed to help. Finally, I sought the help of a naturopathic physician who recommended a gluten free diet. I gave it a whirl, and within a month, the painful symptoms I had lived with for so long had dissipated.

*Cue chorus of angels singing in praise.*

At long last, I felt like myself again, and with a renewed lease on life, I started cooking gluten free meals for loved ones, sharing my recipes on social media, began my career as a gluten free personal chef, and created a line of gluten free flour and seasonings that gluten and non gluten eaters alike could enjoy.

Honey, gluten free does NOT mean living a sad and boring existence lacking pastries, bread, and fried chicken. Not if I have anything to do with it anyway. (You can thank me later.)

To me, cooking is so much more than “chop, bake, saute, feed, clean, repeat.” My mission is to create culinary experiences focused on both the physical and spiritual nourishment food offers, knowing each client is uniquely different from the next. I only cook gluten free meals and create gluten free products while holding an intention for taste, health, healing, peace, and love.

My Investment In Digital Marketing and Web Development

As a small business owner and entrepreneur, I wear dozens of hats. Two hats I do not wear however are those of digital marketer and web developer.

In the past, I have tried to take on these roles. Hell, I’ve even worked with dedicated companies who tried to take on these roles but produced less than optimal results. I recently began working with digital marketing and web development agency Gravity Junction, and the difference I have noticed in my business is night and day.

Vee Culinary and Gravity Junction: The Numbers

I had two goals when I began working with my marketing and web development agency: increase my leads and improve the quality of my website.

I am pleased to report that within our short tenure of working together, I’ve seen massive improvements in my online performance, allowing me to focus less on that aspect of my business and giving me more time to create recipes, serve clients, and focus on my line of gluten free spices and flours.

Numbers speak louder than words, and in this case, the numbers are screaming from the rooftops. Within a month’s time, Gravity Junction had generated the following results for the Vee Culinary website:

• Gained more leads in one month than they had in the previous twelve months
• Increased website traffic by 27%
• Decreased the website’s bounce rate by 90%
• Increased page views by 155%
• Nearly doubled the amount of time people were looking at the website
  • The length of website visits increased from two minutes to almost four minutes

The proof is in the (gluten free) pudding, and the numbers don’t lie y’all.

So, how did Vee Culinary achieve these results in such a short time frame?

Integrations, automation, and search engine optimization are the name of the game. Aside from that I’ve worked with Gravity to implement cohesive branding throughout all facets of Vee Culinary.

Integrations And Automation

Incorporating seemingly small integrations and automations can and did make a massive difference when it came to generating increased web traffic and increasing Vee Culinary’s bottom line. The right integrations and automations allowed me to focus on bringing joy, peace, and love to others through food instead of spending hours pushing papers and tracking down client information.

One of my favorite new automations on the Vee Culinary website is the WordPress Recipe Maker plugin which:

1. Makes it easier for more people to find the Vee Culinary website, thanks to improved search engine optimization (SEO)
2. Offers an incredibly practical tool for visitors looking for specific nutrition information

Gravity Junction also incorporated Zapier, utilizing it in several capacities, most notably for clients filling out food questionnaires. (This has been a Godsend!)

Previously, clients would have to fill out several forms, and I would have to manually track down the results in various locations. Now when a client fills out a questionnaire, the data is automatically pushed to specific locations, sending notifications to the client, myself, and the Vee Culinary staff, saving all parties time and frustration.

SEO Optimization

Another change that has had incredible results was creating the stunning new Vee Culinary website and moving the previously mentioned questionnaire from its home on Google to its new home on the Vee Culinary website.

Adding the questionnaire to the website intrinsically increased the SEO value because clients are now spending more time on the website, filling out the questionnaire. The way clients had been previously filling it out on Google offered no value or SEO benefits.

Before working with the Gravity Junction team, the content on the Vee Culinary website was not optimized for SEO. If you’re not a web developer (and let’s face it, most small business owners aren’t), you would have no idea the impact SEO has on your website.

While a majority of the words on the Vee Culinary website stayed the same, the way copy was used in headlines, meta-data, and alt-tags, as well as the plug-ins that were added to the website made a world of difference, drastically improving the website’s SEO.

Cohesive Branding

From the logos, colors, and tone of voice used on the Vee Culinary website to the vehicle magnets on the catering vans and everything in between, we’ve worked to create a strong and cohesive brand felt throughout every facet of my business.

My business is gluten free culinary services, however, my brand is SO much more than that. When you visit the Vee Culinary website, social media channels, or even have a conversation with me, I want you to quickly realize that my food is so much more than just a delicious meal.

While I make an insane rack of lamb with a side of glazed carrots to satisfy your appetite, my goal is to bring you joy and instill a feeling of peace through food.

Work With Vee Culinary

Instead of shuffling through paperwork, I now have more time to serve my clients (that’s you!) If you’re interested in an incomparable dining experience for you and your loved ones, contact me today for a gluten free and fabulous meal!