The Island Creative

The Island Creative Branding, websites and marketing that feel clear, connected and doable. Based in Tasmania. Led by Erica. Their process is collaborative and transparent.

Helping small business owners build an online presence that actually works. The Island Creative team specialises in building websites and marketing that help small businesses show up with confidence. They care about usefulness over pretty fluff, because a website should guide people, not confuse them. They bring structure, insight and a healthy dose of reality so clients can make informed choices

without guessing their way through. They champion simple actions that create genuine momentum. Tasmania is home, Australia is their backyard and they love working with clients who value honesty, clarity and a little light humour.

Getting people to your website is only half the job.If they land there, have a poke around and quietly disappear, the pr...
03/09/2026

Getting people to your website is only half the job.

If they land there, have a poke around and quietly disappear, the problem isn’t necessarily that you need more traffic.

Maybe they can’t work out quickly enough what you actually do. Maybe every button is asking them to do something different. Maybe the information they need is technically there, but buried halfway down the page under a heading that says absolutely nothing useful.

If I was you, that’s the bit I’d be looking at!

Before you put more effort into getting more people through the door, have a look at what’s happening to the people who are already there.

Are you making it easy for them to understand what you do, trust you and take the next step?

Or are you accidentally making them work for it?

Before you jump into a big website project, spend thousands of dollars, or start changing things because you think they’re the problem, let’s work out a plan.

I’ve put together a service called the Mini Strategy Session, you’ll fill out a pre-session form so I can get a proper picture of what’s happening, then we’ll spend 60 minutes together looking at your online presence and working through what’s actually getting in the way.

Afterwards, I’ll turn everything we’ve uncovered into a personalised strategy document with a prioritised list of what to do first, what you can tackle yourself, and what might be better outsourced.

So instead of leaving with another giant list of things you could do, you’ll know what’s actually worth doing next 🤩

You can book a Mini Strategy Session through The Island Creative website, or if you’d like more info, let’s chat!

I’ve just finished a wee little “week off” while one of my besties visited from NZ.Sara is also a web designer, and for ...
20/08/2026

I’ve just finished a wee little “week off” while one of my besties visited from NZ.

Sara is also a web designer, and for 5 years we’ve been yapping online and have developed such a great friendship. She booked to come over for my birthday and so we could meet, in person, for the very first time! 🤩

Sara and I have SO many similarities but for this cave dweller (me) having her here for a week meant I had to venture into the great outdoors (where she thrives 🙈🤣)

On the first day we visited Stanley. Sara bought us medals to commemorate climbing the Nut and you know what, I shall have NO SHAME in wearing it around the house.😅

We had a quick interlude for birthday celebrations and a stay out at Hawley, which included beach walks with the girls.

I spent a lot of time as a kid in the Central Highlands, so no adventure on “Erica’s guided tours” could skip this area of the state. It’s a unique landscape up there, and I felt really grounded after visiting the Great Lake and filling my bottle with the delicious cold water. We stopped in at Liffey Falls on the way home, they don’t give out medals for this walk (they should) but it’s such a beautiful little walk down to the stunning waterfall! I didn’t like the walk back up as much.

Our next trip was to Devils Gullet Lookout and we were both really excited for the incredible views we saw on our Google Search. If you’ve made it to the video, we actually ended up in more of sensory deprivation experience 🤣 I can saw that I have never in my life stood in so much nothingness. We were quite literally up in the clouds and not a single mountain range, or even the bottom of the valley could be seen. I have extreme fear of heights so I didn’t make it all the way out to the end of the lookout to double check but Sara did confirm that there was nothing to see. We were disappointed and decided to head into Mole Creek to King Solomon Caves, which certainly made up for things!

It’s been an awesome week, showing off our little patch of the world. A sad goodbye to Sara but more of a see you soon (and not just for our daily Zoom calls), she will be back!

This is 40!! I’ve been so pumped in anticipation of turning 40 and the last few days have really just exceeded my expect...
16/08/2026

This is 40!!

I’ve been so pumped in anticipation of turning 40 and the last few days have really just exceeded my expectations on how wonderful it would be!

I’m feeling all loved up today and so grateful for all of my incredible family and friends who’ve messaged, called, visited or joined me over the last few days to celebrate. 🩵

I picked this song purposely, but if anyone has footage of my karaoke debut and EVER shares it publicly there will be severe consequences 😅☠️

Pic 2: Lauren made this awesome cake 🤣 (it was also DELICIOUS!)

Pic 3: My beautiful family 🥹 it’s small, but it’s mighty!!

Pic 4: I’m so lucky to be surrounded by the best people EVER!!

Pic 5: If you haven’t already heard, or even if you have… We climbed the Nut! 🤣 I’m on tour guide duties for a week as my bestie is here from NZ!

Pic 6: Quick nap at the top of the Nut 🤣🤣 in case you’ve never been, it’s STEEP!

Pic 7: My beautiful friend Amy and I had a joint celebration on Saturday! We had the best afternoon!!! 🤩

Pic 8: Duck Cakes!! Thanks Mum for your skills in whipping up these little cuties!

Pic 9: 🥹🩷🌏

Pic 10: Sara!! 5 years of chatting almost every single day online to FINALLY chatting for real life when she flew in last week! It’s been the BEST birthday present to have her here! 🩵

Pic 11: My beautiful collection of the Commonwealth 👑 🤣

In order; New Zealand, Canada, Aus, Singapore & Scotland! Just missing my other fave girl from Singapore!

Pic 12: 🐻🩷

Pic 13: My Mummsy and Andy my brother from another Mother (and Father 🤣) 🩵

Pic 14: Thank you Kat for the amazing venue and AWESOME catering!!

Pic 15: Ended the weekend with a ripper of a day, my two beach babies made the most of it 🥰

I design websites, but that’s NEVER (bold, italic, underlined‼️) been the whole job. Never.Usually, someone comes to me ...
05/08/2026

I design websites, but that’s NEVER (bold, italic, underlined‼️) been the whole job. Never.

Usually, someone comes to me because they think their website is the problem. Sometimes it is. Quite often, though, the website is just the most visible part of a much bigger mess happening underneath.

The brand doesn’t feel like them anymore. The messaging is vague or outdated. People can’t find them unless they already know the business name. Marketing is happening in random bursts when they suddenly remember Instagram exists. Enquiries are being managed through six emails, two forms and a mental note that absolutely will not survive until Friday.

That’s why I created The Connected Ecosystem (name TBC 😅😅 everything’s always a WIP, am I right?!)

But in a sweet little nutshell, it’s how I look at the six interconnected parts of a small business’s online presence: Brand, Messaging, Website, Visibility, Marketing, and Systems & Automation.

A beautiful website can’t do much if nobody can find it. Better marketing won’t fix messaging that people don’t understand. Posting more consistently won’t help if every post feels like it belongs to a slightly different business. No single piece works particularly well when the others are off doing their own thing.

My job is to look at the whole picture, work out where the break actually is, and help bring the right pieces together.

Also, putting this carousel together has made me realise I really need to update my brand photos.

I’ve basically used all the good ones in one post, and they were taken five years ago 🤣

Five years of running a business, raising children, changing direction more than once, solving everyone else’s online problems and replying to an unreasonable number of emails has definitely happened since then.

So yes, new brand photos have now officially made the long, loooooong to do list!!

Your website is one piece of the puzzle. If you need help putting all the pieces together, I’ve packaged up a “Mini Strategy Session” to go over how your biz currently sits online, and gives you a guide on what to focus on first. Interested? Let me know!!

Spreyton Cider Co. had grown a lot since its website was first built, and the site was being asked to do jobs it was nev...
03/08/2026

Spreyton Cider Co. had grown a lot since its website was first built, and the site was being asked to do jobs it was never really designed to do.

It needed to handle online sales, cellar door visits, food, live music, major events, ticketing, product launches and the wider orchard story, without making things harder for the team behind the scenes.

Spreyton is such a familiar part of North West Tasmania. I’d known the brand for years, so when the project came through a local referral, I was very happy to have my name put forward. So much of small business happens in conversations you’re not in, and I’m grateful that a beautiful friend thought I was the right person for this one.

The project became a full redesign and rebuild, including the WooCommerce shop, custom event and ticketing solutions, new content structures and a large amount of custom development.

Behind the scenes, there was product logic, ticketing workflows, integrations, mobile behaviour, performance work and plenty of technical problem-solving that most people will never notice.

That’s generally the goal. People should be able to find what they need, buy what they want and book an event without wondering what complicated nonsense is happening in the background.

SEO was considered throughout the build, including the structure, headings, content, product categories and internal links. Since launch, the website has seen stronger organic traffic, better keyword visibility and in conjunction with paid ads & email marketing, is seeing growth in both online sales and enquiries.

During a team marketing session, I was super lucky to sample the hard raspberry lemonade before it hit the shelves. I’m not a big drinker, because my natural ability to be a silly goose does not need alcoholic enhancement, but this particular beverage has quietly worked its way into the occasional Saturday night. It’s very nostalgic of childhood “fire engines” at the pub!

I’m continuing to work with the Spreyton team across website strategy, SEO, content, technical development, it’s actually such a cool feeling to build, launch and then nurture!

I don’t start a website project by choosing colours and fonts.Before anything visual, I need to understand what the webs...
24/07/2026

I don’t start a website project by choosing colours and fonts.

Before anything visual, I need to understand what the website actually needs to do.

I do that by asking A LOT of questions. Who’s landing on it? What are they trying to work out? What do they need to understand about your services before they feel ready to enquire or buy? Because if I don’t understand your business, your clients and what you’re trying to achieve, I’m guessing. Educated guessing, sure, but still guessing.

A beautiful website that doesn’t speak to the right people or guide them anywhere useful is a VERY expensive online business card.

So many people, website designers included, underestimate this part of web design. To a client, a website can look like a few words, some photos and a couple of buttons, but there are so many layers sitting underneath it.

Messaging, customer journey, SEO, accessibility, layout, calls to action, how someone moves through the site, and whether the whole thing makes sense once they arrive.

It’s a LOOOOOT more than making something look nice.

Imagine building a house and letting the builder make every decision for you. It might look great, but would it suit the way you actually live? Would the kitchen work for how you use it? Would there be enough storage? Would the rooms be where you need them?

Probably not.

That’s why I ask so many questions at the start. Not to make the process feel bigger than it needs to be, but because the answers shape the whole project.

Once we understand the job the website needs to do, the design decisions become much clearer. The colours, fonts and layout still matter, but they’re no longer floating around on their own trying to look pretty.

They’re there to support the message, guide the right people and help the website do its job for the business behind it.

I can pretty much set my watch by what happens after someone launches a new website.Week one, you’re buzzing. You share ...
21/07/2026

I can pretty much set my watch by what happens after someone launches a new website.

Week one, you’re buzzing. You share the link everywhere, friends leave lovely comments, and enquiries might even nudge up a bit.

Then it goes quiet, and the doubt creeps in.

Getting a website live is a big deal. It deserves the happy dance, the high fives, and the celebrations.

But here’s the bit that catches people out. A website launch feels like the finish line, and that’s exactly the problem. It’s not the finish line. It’s the start of your online presence actually doing its job.

Your social media, Google profile, emails, content and offers are meant to be sending people to that website. When they’re not, the website just sits there looking lovely on its own. All dressed up, nobody popping by to visit.

None of this means starting again or building a 47-step funnel with colour-coded spreadsheets and a mild identity crisis. Most businesses just need a clear look at what they’ve got and what to fix first.

Maybe your content isn’t sending people anywhere useful, your Google profile is out of date, or your enquiry process gets clunky right when it matters. When one part of your Connected Ecosystem breaks, it flows on to every other part.

The good news? You don’t need to fix everything at once. Find the break, deal with that first, then move on to the next part.

So celebrate the launch, you’ve earned it. Then ask the better question.

Is everything actually connected?

If your website’s live and something still feels off, book a free Clarity Call and tell me what’s been happening. I’ll help you work out what needs attention first.

14/07/2026

🙈

When I ask someone what they do, they usually start with the list.They tell me the service, the package, the session, th...
13/07/2026

When I ask someone what they do, they usually start with the list.

They tell me the service, the package, the session, the deliverable, or the thing someone can technically book. That makes sense, because the list is the easiest place to start. It gives the business a practical shape and helps people understand what’s available.

But the list isn’t the whole message.

Your services tell people what you offer. The problem you solve tells them why it matters. That’s the part that often gets missed when a website, bio or sales page is built around a neat little menu of services and nothing much underneath it.

A bookkeeper doesn’t just “do bookkeeping.” They might help business owners stop feeling constantly behind and finally understand what their numbers are telling them. A photographer doesn’t just “take photos.” They might help someone show up online in a way that actually reflects the business they’ve built.

The service category might be familiar, but the reason someone chooses you usually sits deeper than that.

That’s why “what do you do?” isn’t always the most useful starting question. A better one is, “What problem do you solve?” because that answer tells us who you’re speaking to, what they’re struggling with, what they need from you, and what has to shift before they feel ready to enquire.

It also makes your marketing much stronger. Instead of only saying, “Here are my services,” you can speak to the actual moment your client is in. The messy bit. The confusing bit. The thing they know isn’t working, even if they haven’t quite found the words for it yet.

Your services still matter, obviously. People need to know what they can book, buy or ask about. But they’re not always the main character.

The stronger message usually starts with the problem your client is trying to solve, and the outcome your work helps them reach.

Each part of the online space your business sits in is connected (well, it SHOULD be 😬🙈) I’m neck deep in creating a webinar that walks you through the “Connected EcoSystem” the 6 focus areas on your online presence. Stay tuned, I’ll be holding a free live session soon! Want more details? Comment yes and I’ll keep you posted!

Address

Devonport, TAS

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm

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