Restaurant Site
Technologies: HTML CSS JavaScript
Overview
This client came in as a referral. Their existing website crashed and the developer quit. The initial request was to restore the crashed website. I worked with their web host provider and restored their website to the most recent backup on file since the source code was unavailable. Afterwards, the client wanted some updates to their website (which is built in Wordpress) and I sketched a template of their site since there was some interest in updating the design.
Design Process
I gathered some website data regarding their existing website and provided a recommended assessment including performance optimization with page speed recommendations (the site ranked a 30/100 on desktop and a 5/100 on mobile), design recommendations for aesthetics and web accessibility, a competitor analysis, and recommendations for improving SEO. I drafted a web proposal and after approval, I began a site map and templating the layout of the client’s website. Following another meeting, the client decided that they wanted to keep their existing website.
Code Process
The primary goal was to bring their current Wordpress site up to date, so I went through their c-panel and updated their prices, menu items, hours of operation, and images to be relevant. I also cleaned the code aesthetically since their were some blank holders acting as padding and began adding text to alt tags since they were blank and this would benefit their SEO.
The secondary goal was to update the entire site to be modern and mobile friendly and the client was interested in a particular layout from another website. I sourced images from the client’s Wordpress site, and I began the layout process to create a hierarchy and consistency across the pages.
I also built this site in HTML and CSS to demo for a potential site restructure and used Floats for the menu to make the menu 1 column for mobile friendliness, strengthened the brand by adding images in the same color palatte, made the site easier to navigate by making the navigation bar stand out and be consistent across the pages.
Key Takeaways
- Sometimes it is better to start small & work with sections of an existing site
- Building a brand new website costs not just their resources, but yours too
- Make sure that you schedule deliverables and have a sign off at each point before proceeding