After evaluating, collecting new parts, and writing, writing, writing, we have come up with a new WordPress-running website redesign that does all its jobs well. See if you don’t agree.
Here are the Before and After screenshots of the sites. If you want to explore the final edition website redesign, click here to see the new Flowers from Scratch.
B E F O R E
A F T E R
First Impressions Made and Exploration Underway
The new WordPress theme serves us well with its clear navigation and organization. This theme design also has a light background which emphasizes the logo. Here’s a close-up comparison:
The other change with this website redesign is the clear organization shown in the navigation bar. The headings were changed to subjects that visitors were looking for, with additional details and links in drop-down menu items. Now it’s easy to find what you want on any page.
Answering Customer Questions
The writing for all the pages was made more engaging and we made sure we were answering questions or solving problems for the visitors by writing from their point of view. First, let’s see how the writing and organization is improved in the Feature section.
The Feature area in the old site was used to announce one upcoming workshop. The call to action was a telephone number. No, it didn’t give the number, it just directed visitors to call. Take a look:
What about the new Feature section? What the website is all about and the current workshops are mentioned in just a few words with a link to more information. The new animation shows photos of each of 5 different workshops with names and dates. It now tells the story in this feature area. This will be the showcase for new workshops throughout the year.
More Answers, Current Activities, and a Profusion of Keywords
The new blog on this WordPress site is easy to access via the new navigation bar. The new blog page lists post excerpts, most current first, with a thumbnail photo with each one. But each post is more that just what Flowers from Scratch is doing, These posts have that new customer point of view, too. Visitors will find subjects they want to know about, with lots of photos. Some posts have links to workshops that are offered on a related subject, too. Can’t miss.
This interelation between the blog posts and the other parts of the website is very simple when it’s all under one “hood.” WordPress posts are as simple as writing in your word processor, maybe easier.
Simplified Talk for Quick Scans
Our beginning website listed all these workshops below the Feature section where they got lost, if they were even read in this very small type on green background. Just about everything the company offered was listed there in that very small, unreadable type. This site also had a sidebar to this message section, offering photos, but not a clear idea of what the visitors should do, if anything. Confusing.
Our new website offers three photos, all with links, plus an excerpt of the information. Each heading is an interesting subject visitors are looking for. If your visitor hasn’t clicked on something yet, these three “Learn More” links should do the trick.
The Foundation of the Page – Every Page
And the footer? The original website really didn’t have a footer, other than the Seasonal Flowers photos at the bottom which were kind of a distraction. (The seasonal design are now reached via the navigation bar with drop-down links for each season.)
The new footer is a tall bar which shows a little about the owners, where to find the studio, and a call-to-action. Lots of important stuff, but nothing that customers are looking for at the top. This is the expected footer visitors are looking for.
A Better Website Offers Even More
A few more items have been added to the new Flowers from Scratch website. I mentioned the call-to-action in the footer of every page. (That was to sign up for the new posts to the Blog.) Other CTA’s were added, one in the sidebar, and another for each page.
Flowers from Scratch now offers a self-published booklet called the “Wedding Flowers Companion.” This one is not free, but is still a valuable tool for flower designers and wedding planners. More details would be given when the Order Now button is clicked.
The other CTA just above the footer offers a freebie: “The Secrets of Finding the Best Flower Deals” e-book download. Give away some valuable information to give yourself credibility and get reluctant buyers more serious about buying your products.
The last addition to this new website is social media links on each and every page. There are button icons at the top right of the pages in the header and at the bottom of each page just below the info for that page or post. We’re ready to share it all!
Our Website Redesign Winner
This redesign was not a small undertaking, but with clear guidelines of what needed to be done and how we planned to make it happen, we were on the right track from the very beginning of this project.
I feel we accomplished what we set out to do. What do you think? Any points about this redesign you want to discuss? Questions on how this design relates to your own? Please share it in the Comments space below.
For a fantastic blog design infographic, see Stanford Smith’s “7-Point Extreme Blog Makeover Guide” at PushingSocial.com.
To get started with your website improvements, download your “10-Step Website Eval.” This 2-page form is packed with all the details you need to check, grade and start on your own Web Improvement Plan.
Try it out today.
About Sally EricksonErickson Creative's Sally Erickson is a WordPress website builder, specializing in evaluating and improving business websites for more leads and better profits. Making better websites everyday…. connect with me on Twitter and FaceBook.
