Fresh build
Mulch Masters Forestry
A launch website that made a “new” forestry business feel anything but new.
Year :
2025
Industry :
Forestry
Client :
Mulch Masters Forestry
Project Duration :
5 weeks
Situation
Colin was a local tradie who saw a real opportunity in forestry services.
At the time, the business existed more in intent than infrastructure. Colin hadn’t even bought the machine yet. What he had was experience – running his own farm, working on other properties, and knowing first-hand what landowners actually need when it comes to mulching, clearing, and access work.
What he didn’t have was a brand, a website, or anything digital that would help him compete beyond word-of-mouth.
Tradie websites in this space are often an afterthought. Generic templates, vague service descriptions, no proof, no clarity, and no attempt to explain why one operator is better than another. I wanted to do the opposite – and use this project as an example of how trades businesses can show value properly from day one.
Challenge
The biggest challenge was credibility.
Mulch Masters Forestry was a new business on paper, but Colin wasn’t new to the work. The website needed to bridge that gap without pretending the business had been around forever. Saying “we’re new” would hurt trust. Pretending otherwise would feel dishonest.
There was also a practical constraint: almost no visual assets. Colin had an iPhone photo of the machine. That was it. No on-site shots, no action footage, no polished imagery. Launching with generic stock would’ve undermined the whole point of building trust locally.
At the same time, this wasn’t just a brochure. The site needed to be SEO-ready, location-aware, and structured to capture demand across Gippsland and wider Victoria – not just look nice on day one.
Solution
treated the project as a full business launch, not just a website.
Brand and positioning
Colin came with inspiration for a logo, which I refined and modernised while keeping the spirit intact. The colour palette was chosen deliberately – strong greens paired with dark neutrals to signal forestry, land care, and reliability, without drifting into cheap “tradie green”. It needed to feel natural, grounded, and confident.
Language across the site avoids “new business” signals. Instead, it leans on experience, local knowledge, and practical outcomes – faster access, safer properties, cleaner land.
Visual strategy – AI, but not generic
Almost all imagery was AI-generated, but not lazily.
Colin sent through a photo of his machine from his phone. I used Google’s Banana AI to superimpose it into realistic Gippsland landscapes, then Kling AI to create a hero video shot for the homepage header. That hero does a lot of work – it immediately grounds the business in place and activity, not theory.
Behind the scenes, there was careful research to ensure landscapes, vegetation, light, and terrain actually matched what you’d expect in Gippsland. AI works best when you don’t let it drift generic.
The About page reinforces trust by showing Colin’s face prominently. For a local services business, this matters. You’re not buying a brand – you’re trusting a person on your land.
Services, structure, and parity
Services were structured based on competitor research – not to copy, but to ensure points of parity. If others talk about forestry mulching, access tracks, fire breaks, and land prep, Mulch Masters needed to speak the same language to be taken seriously in search results and comparisons.
Each service page is clear, practical, and outcome-focused. No fluff. Just what it is, why it matters, and when you’d need it.
SEO, locations, and authority
SEO wasn’t bolted on later – it shaped the site.
Town names and regions are deliberately called out to capture local intent. The Insights (blog) section was created to build authority early, with practical articles around land prep, fire safety, weed control, and access management. These aren’t content-for-content’s-sake posts – they answer real questions landowners actually Google.
Conversion and setup
Multiple conversion paths were built in: contact forms, “drop your number” callbacks, clear CTAs, and FAQs that remove hesitation.
Beyond the website, I set up the full digital foundation: domain, email, Google Workspace, Facebook, tracking, and analytics – effectively giving the business a clean launch that Google (and customers) could trust from day one.
Outcome
Mulch Masters Forestry launched looking established, capable, and local – without pretending to be something it wasn’t.
Colin walked away with:
a clear brand identity he was proud to stand behind
an SEO-optimised website designed to capture local demand
visuals that feel grounded in Gippsland, not stock-photo generic
authority-building content that supports long-term growth
and a complete digital setup ready to scale as the business grows
More importantly, the site does what most tradie websites don’t: it explains value. It shows why Colin, why this service, and why now.
This project is something I point to often – not because it’s flashy, but because it proves you don’t need years in business or perfect assets to launch properly. You just need the right structure, the right signals, and a bit of discipline.
More Projects
Fresh build
Mulch Masters Forestry
A launch website that made a “new” forestry business feel anything but new.
Year :
2025
Industry :
Forestry
Client :
Mulch Masters Forestry
Project Duration :
5 weeks
Situation
Colin was a local tradie who saw a real opportunity in forestry services.
At the time, the business existed more in intent than infrastructure. Colin hadn’t even bought the machine yet. What he had was experience – running his own farm, working on other properties, and knowing first-hand what landowners actually need when it comes to mulching, clearing, and access work.
What he didn’t have was a brand, a website, or anything digital that would help him compete beyond word-of-mouth.
Tradie websites in this space are often an afterthought. Generic templates, vague service descriptions, no proof, no clarity, and no attempt to explain why one operator is better than another. I wanted to do the opposite – and use this project as an example of how trades businesses can show value properly from day one.
Challenge
The biggest challenge was credibility.
Mulch Masters Forestry was a new business on paper, but Colin wasn’t new to the work. The website needed to bridge that gap without pretending the business had been around forever. Saying “we’re new” would hurt trust. Pretending otherwise would feel dishonest.
There was also a practical constraint: almost no visual assets. Colin had an iPhone photo of the machine. That was it. No on-site shots, no action footage, no polished imagery. Launching with generic stock would’ve undermined the whole point of building trust locally.
At the same time, this wasn’t just a brochure. The site needed to be SEO-ready, location-aware, and structured to capture demand across Gippsland and wider Victoria – not just look nice on day one.
Solution
treated the project as a full business launch, not just a website.
Brand and positioning
Colin came with inspiration for a logo, which I refined and modernised while keeping the spirit intact. The colour palette was chosen deliberately – strong greens paired with dark neutrals to signal forestry, land care, and reliability, without drifting into cheap “tradie green”. It needed to feel natural, grounded, and confident.
Language across the site avoids “new business” signals. Instead, it leans on experience, local knowledge, and practical outcomes – faster access, safer properties, cleaner land.
Visual strategy – AI, but not generic
Almost all imagery was AI-generated, but not lazily.
Colin sent through a photo of his machine from his phone. I used Google’s Banana AI to superimpose it into realistic Gippsland landscapes, then Kling AI to create a hero video shot for the homepage header. That hero does a lot of work – it immediately grounds the business in place and activity, not theory.
Behind the scenes, there was careful research to ensure landscapes, vegetation, light, and terrain actually matched what you’d expect in Gippsland. AI works best when you don’t let it drift generic.
The About page reinforces trust by showing Colin’s face prominently. For a local services business, this matters. You’re not buying a brand – you’re trusting a person on your land.
Services, structure, and parity
Services were structured based on competitor research – not to copy, but to ensure points of parity. If others talk about forestry mulching, access tracks, fire breaks, and land prep, Mulch Masters needed to speak the same language to be taken seriously in search results and comparisons.
Each service page is clear, practical, and outcome-focused. No fluff. Just what it is, why it matters, and when you’d need it.
SEO, locations, and authority
SEO wasn’t bolted on later – it shaped the site.
Town names and regions are deliberately called out to capture local intent. The Insights (blog) section was created to build authority early, with practical articles around land prep, fire safety, weed control, and access management. These aren’t content-for-content’s-sake posts – they answer real questions landowners actually Google.
Conversion and setup
Multiple conversion paths were built in: contact forms, “drop your number” callbacks, clear CTAs, and FAQs that remove hesitation.
Beyond the website, I set up the full digital foundation: domain, email, Google Workspace, Facebook, tracking, and analytics – effectively giving the business a clean launch that Google (and customers) could trust from day one.
Outcome
Mulch Masters Forestry launched looking established, capable, and local – without pretending to be something it wasn’t.
Colin walked away with:
a clear brand identity he was proud to stand behind
an SEO-optimised website designed to capture local demand
visuals that feel grounded in Gippsland, not stock-photo generic
authority-building content that supports long-term growth
and a complete digital setup ready to scale as the business grows
More importantly, the site does what most tradie websites don’t: it explains value. It shows why Colin, why this service, and why now.
This project is something I point to often – not because it’s flashy, but because it proves you don’t need years in business or perfect assets to launch properly. You just need the right structure, the right signals, and a bit of discipline.
More Projects
Fresh build
Mulch Masters Forestry
A launch website that made a “new” forestry business feel anything but new.
Year :
2025
Industry :
Forestry
Client :
Mulch Masters Forestry
Project Duration :
5 weeks
Situation
Colin was a local tradie who saw a real opportunity in forestry services.
At the time, the business existed more in intent than infrastructure. Colin hadn’t even bought the machine yet. What he had was experience – running his own farm, working on other properties, and knowing first-hand what landowners actually need when it comes to mulching, clearing, and access work.
What he didn’t have was a brand, a website, or anything digital that would help him compete beyond word-of-mouth.
Tradie websites in this space are often an afterthought. Generic templates, vague service descriptions, no proof, no clarity, and no attempt to explain why one operator is better than another. I wanted to do the opposite – and use this project as an example of how trades businesses can show value properly from day one.
Challenge
The biggest challenge was credibility.
Mulch Masters Forestry was a new business on paper, but Colin wasn’t new to the work. The website needed to bridge that gap without pretending the business had been around forever. Saying “we’re new” would hurt trust. Pretending otherwise would feel dishonest.
There was also a practical constraint: almost no visual assets. Colin had an iPhone photo of the machine. That was it. No on-site shots, no action footage, no polished imagery. Launching with generic stock would’ve undermined the whole point of building trust locally.
At the same time, this wasn’t just a brochure. The site needed to be SEO-ready, location-aware, and structured to capture demand across Gippsland and wider Victoria – not just look nice on day one.
Solution
treated the project as a full business launch, not just a website.
Brand and positioning
Colin came with inspiration for a logo, which I refined and modernised while keeping the spirit intact. The colour palette was chosen deliberately – strong greens paired with dark neutrals to signal forestry, land care, and reliability, without drifting into cheap “tradie green”. It needed to feel natural, grounded, and confident.
Language across the site avoids “new business” signals. Instead, it leans on experience, local knowledge, and practical outcomes – faster access, safer properties, cleaner land.
Visual strategy – AI, but not generic
Almost all imagery was AI-generated, but not lazily.
Colin sent through a photo of his machine from his phone. I used Google’s Banana AI to superimpose it into realistic Gippsland landscapes, then Kling AI to create a hero video shot for the homepage header. That hero does a lot of work – it immediately grounds the business in place and activity, not theory.
Behind the scenes, there was careful research to ensure landscapes, vegetation, light, and terrain actually matched what you’d expect in Gippsland. AI works best when you don’t let it drift generic.
The About page reinforces trust by showing Colin’s face prominently. For a local services business, this matters. You’re not buying a brand – you’re trusting a person on your land.
Services, structure, and parity
Services were structured based on competitor research – not to copy, but to ensure points of parity. If others talk about forestry mulching, access tracks, fire breaks, and land prep, Mulch Masters needed to speak the same language to be taken seriously in search results and comparisons.
Each service page is clear, practical, and outcome-focused. No fluff. Just what it is, why it matters, and when you’d need it.
SEO, locations, and authority
SEO wasn’t bolted on later – it shaped the site.
Town names and regions are deliberately called out to capture local intent. The Insights (blog) section was created to build authority early, with practical articles around land prep, fire safety, weed control, and access management. These aren’t content-for-content’s-sake posts – they answer real questions landowners actually Google.
Conversion and setup
Multiple conversion paths were built in: contact forms, “drop your number” callbacks, clear CTAs, and FAQs that remove hesitation.
Beyond the website, I set up the full digital foundation: domain, email, Google Workspace, Facebook, tracking, and analytics – effectively giving the business a clean launch that Google (and customers) could trust from day one.
Outcome
Mulch Masters Forestry launched looking established, capable, and local – without pretending to be something it wasn’t.
Colin walked away with:
a clear brand identity he was proud to stand behind
an SEO-optimised website designed to capture local demand
visuals that feel grounded in Gippsland, not stock-photo generic
authority-building content that supports long-term growth
and a complete digital setup ready to scale as the business grows
More importantly, the site does what most tradie websites don’t: it explains value. It shows why Colin, why this service, and why now.
This project is something I point to often – not because it’s flashy, but because it proves you don’t need years in business or perfect assets to launch properly. You just need the right structure, the right signals, and a bit of discipline.