Habitat for Humanity of Grand County homepage

Case Study: Grand County Habitat for Humanity Website Redesign

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Grand County Habitat for Humanity (GCHH) is a branch of the non-profit organization that builds affordable housing for families in need. GCHH had a website, but it had been almost 10 years since it had been built. They were looking for someone to perform a website redesign.

The website was using an old WordPress design that was behind the times. Some of the functionality that they were relying on for volunteer sign-ups was no longer working. In addition, there was some confusion amongst current members on how to properly update the website with news. The website was in desperate need of help, and they contacted Black Lion websites to help get it back on track.

To make this project this work efficiently, I used my tried-and-true 5 step website process.

  1. I met with the President of the GCHH to discuss pain points and find out what improvements they were looking for. I also communicated my own suggestions, and learned their project timeline. Using that meeting to determine a project scope, I provided a very affordable and fair cost estimate, which they agreed to.
  2. Then I got to work doing some competitive analysis. I came up with a design and some functionality improvements, and provided the Board with a mockup of several pages on the site. They swiftly approved the mockup designs.
  3. I then moved into the build phase of the site, following the blueprint that was established in the mockups. This blueprint allowed to me to quickly and accurately pull the website together. The Board was thrilled with the results and had very few changes.
  4. We were able to hit our launch date on time and on budget.
  5. Post-launch, I created videos to show the Board how to update and maintain their new website.

They now have a website that they can be proud of, is fully functional, and is one of the best websites of all the Habitat for Humanity branches in Colorado.

website redesign

5 Reasons You Should Invest in a Website Redesign

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A website redesign isn’t usually something people consider. It’s easy to put up a website and then leave it alone. It’s out there on the internet, people can access it, and that’s great. Right?

Not so fast. Over time your website can actually do more harm than good, especially if you run a business. Your website is the most valuable marketing asset you own. It speaks volumes about you, and it’s accessible 24/7 to 4.6 billion people worldwide. So it’s important to keep it looking good because over time your website can cause problems. If it’s been a while since you launched your current website, let’s explore why a website redesign can help you.

Keeping Up with Trends

Animated gifs. Visitor counters. Messages that scroll across the page. All of these trends were popular features 20 years ago, but now they’re not a recommended part of a website. The website industry changes regularly, and trends come and go. Using an outdated trend on your website can send a message to your visitors that you don’t visit your website. So why should they? A website redesign will enable you to implement new website functionality that brings your website up-to-speed.

Advances in Website Technology

Not only do trends change in the website industry, but the technology changes frequently as well. New standards in programming code, or updates in the devices that are used to view websites, can affect how your website is viewed. One example is the rise of mobile devices. In 2000, very few people were viewing websites on their phone. Now, having a website with a responsive design that adapts to the size of the screen that the visitor is using, be that screen a cellphone or a desktop monitor, is a must. A website redesign can bring your website in line with current technology recommendations.

You Are Embarrassed By Your Website

Not keeping up with website trends or technology can make you embarrassed about your website. You probably know that your website doesn’t look good compared to other websites you visit, or your business competitors. In turn, you’re reluctant to send your customers or potential clients to your site because it pales in comparison to the others. A website redesign can help you feel proud of your most visible marketing asset, and boost your confidence when interacting with potential customers.

Changes in the Company’s Offerings and Capabilities

In today’s business world, companies constantly need to change and adapt. This change often reveals itself in the form of offering new products, services, and capabilities. These new offerings need to be reflected on your website, but your current website design could get in the way of promoting these new features. Your design might lack the available space on a page, or it might lack the functionality to promote them in a interesting way. A new design can enable you to point your customers to these new features, resulting in more business.

Greater Control Over Updating Your Website

Website platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Webflow periodically update their user interface to make it easier to use. They want you to easily update your website, even if you don’t know any programming code. If you are stuck in a website platform that isn’t working for you because it’s too difficult to update, switching to another platform might help. And switching to a new platform might require a website redesign, because you can transfer a design from one platform to another. You can try to replicate it, but copying it exactly might prove to be difficult. Switching website platforms is a great opportunity to give your website a fresh new look, while enabling you to make updates on your own.

So, What Should You Do?

Websites should be updated on a regular basis, and a review of your design should happen every couple of years. Take a look and see how it can improve. Is your site underperforming in terms of visits? Is it lacking the interactive features that can help your website, and your business, stand out from the competition? A website redesign can breathe new life into your online presence, and your business. Drop me a line and let’s talk about getting your website back on the right track.

 

website design process

My Website Design Process: Step-by-Step

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An important aspect of hiring a web designer, but one which a lot of people might not think about, is the website design process. How do they go about building the site? How much do they allow the client to get involved in the process? Is their process well-intentioned and methodical, or is it chaotic and all over the place? Does it seem slow and inefficient with way too many steps and milestones, or is it streamlined and geared towards delivering a website quickly?  I  briefly describe my process on my website process page, but this article goes more in-depth on my website design process and provides some insight into how I work with my clients to build their website.

Step 1: Free Consultation

When I first get in contact with a potential client, I’ll first encourage them to fill out a questionnaire online via my website. This survey will provide me with some background on the business or organization, what the scope of the project is, and some other aspects that might help me get a “lay of the land” for the upcoming project. Then I’ll schedule a meeting where we can meet, go over the answers to the questionnaire, and dig into the details of what’s involved. I’ll use this meeting to draft a contract with a price of the project, 50% of which will be due up front, and the balance will be due upon launch. Everything in this first step happens at no cost to you, so there’s no risk or obligation to you at all.

Step 2: Design

Using the questionnaire and our meeting as a guide, I’ll design the layout and functionality of the website. I use software to create the design mockups which I’ll provide to you in a pdf format, and this mockup document serves as a blueprint for the build phase. We’ll probably go through a few iterations of mockups until we have something that you approve of. Once I get your sign off, I’ll start building the site.

Step 3: Build

In the same way a contractor uses a blueprint to build a house, I’ll use the approved mockup as a guide to build the website. To ensure that search engines and others can’t view the website as it’s being built, I’ll password-protect it. I’ll provide you with the link and the password so that you can see the progress. You will also provide the content for the website during this step.

Step 4: Launch

Once the website has been built and everything is in place, we’ll meet to go over the site together. I’ll address any changes that you would like to see made to the website. We can have numerous reviews until we get the website to a place where you’re happy with it. When you feel like the site is ready, I’ll assign the website address to the site, take off the password protection, and the site is launched!

Step 5: Support

This step is what differentiates me from my competition. At the end of the day, I want you to be happy with the website I build for you and I won’t leave you hanging.

After launch, I’ll provide 2 weeks of unlimited support for free. If there are any issues, I’m ready and available to address any changes that need to be made at no charge to you.

Following the two week support period, you can handle the website updates on your own if you’re so inclined, or we can establish a maintenance agreement where I make updates for you upon request. A lot of web designers will charge you a monthly fee, regardless of whether you ask them to make updates to the site or not, but I won’t do this. I’ll only bill you when I do work for you.

What Does This All Mean?

My web design process is a streamlined, efficient workflow that has never failed me, and it won’t fail you either. Whenever you’re ready, contact me and we’ll walk through these steps together and arrive at our destination: A website you can be proud of.