Aspire to Succeed: Migrating a Coaching & RTO Business Off Squarespace
Aspire to Succeed is a Registered Training Organisation delivering nationally recognised qualifications plus one-to-one coaching. Their Squarespace site couldn't cleanly separate the RTO courses from the coaching services, page speed was hurting mobile conversions, and the enrolment path was buried three clicks deep. We rebuilt the site as a custom React platform designed around one job — get the right learner into the right course, fast.
The Results
Illustrative outcomes reported by the client following the redesign. Figures reflect first-party observations, not independently audited metrics.
The Challenge
- Squarespace templates couldn't cleanly express two very different offerings (accredited RTO training vs private coaching) — visitors were landing on the wrong path.
- Mobile LCP was above 4s, hurting both UX and Core Web Vitals-linked rankings.
- The course list was a flat block with no filtering, so learners had to scroll a long page to find the qualification they wanted.
- There was no Course schema, so Google wasn't surfacing individual qualifications in course-related rich results.
The Approach
- Split the IA into two clear pillars — Accredited Training (RTO) and Coaching — with distinct hero paths and CTAs for each intent.
- Rebuilt every course page with structured Course + EducationalOrganization schema, including provider, delivery mode and duration fields.
- Added course filtering by category and delivery mode so learners can shortlist in seconds instead of scanning the whole catalogue.
- Optimised Core Web Vitals — AVIF/WebP hero images, preloaded LCP, deferred non-critical JS — bringing mobile LCP well under 2.5s.
- Cleaned up 301 redirects from every Squarespace URL to preserve existing ranking equity through the migration.
What We Built
Two-pillar IA
Accredited RTO training and coaching services live on distinct paths with their own CTAs and social proof.
Course schema on every qualification
Course + EducationalOrganization JSON-LD with provider, delivery mode and duration for course rich results.
Course filtering
Category + delivery mode filters so learners shortlist in seconds instead of scrolling a flat list.
Migrated with zero SEO loss
Full 301 redirect map from Squarespace URLs preserved ranking equity through the cutover.
Enquiry-to-enrolment funnel
Course page → enquiry form → automated follow-up email in one clean loop.
Core Web Vitals fixed
Sub-2.5s LCP on 4G, CLS under 0.1, INP well under 200ms.
"The new site actually reflects how we work — learners find the right course quickly and the coaching side finally has its own space."
Key Takeaways
- If a business has two very different offerings, force two distinct paths — don't blend them into one navigation.
- Course schema is one of the highest-leverage additions any training provider can make.
- Every Squarespace-style migration needs a full 301 map — that's the single biggest determinant of SEO continuity.
- Filtering beats scrolling for any catalogue with more than a handful of items.
Technologies Used
React
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
SupabaseCourse SchemaVite Imagetools301 MigrationFrequently Asked Questions
Do you lose SEO rankings when migrating off Squarespace?+
Not if the migration is done properly. Every old URL needs a 301 redirect to its new equivalent, meta and schema need to be reimplemented, and internal links updated. Done right, rankings hold and typically improve as Core Web Vitals lift.
Why not just stay on Squarespace?+
For a single-service brochure site, Squarespace is fine. For a two-pillar business with a catalogue that needs filtering, structured data on every course, and tight Core Web Vitals — the template constraints start to cost you conversions.
How long does an RTO website migration take?+
Aspire to Succeed shipped in about ten days. Timeline depends mostly on how many qualifications need migrating and how much of the copy needs a rewrite versus a straight lift-and-shift.
What schema does an RTO website need?+
EducationalOrganization for the provider, Course for each qualification (with provider, delivery mode, duration), and BreadcrumbList across the site. FAQPage on any Q&A blocks is a bonus.
What tech was used?+
React with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Supabase for enquiry data, and vite-imagetools for AVIF/WebP image delivery. Full Course + EducationalOrganization schema and a clean 301 map from the old Squarespace URLs.
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