Some websites need a new look. Others need the same look, done properly. Crown Tree Services, tree surgeons working across Norfolk, came to us with the second kind.
Start with what works
The old site had a lot going for it. A memorable logo whose leaves change colour like the seasons. Service descriptions written by the people who do the work. Photos of real jobs. Customers knew where to find the phone number. We kept all of it.
Then lose the weight
The old theme loaded Bootstrap, jQuery, Font Awesome and a carousel plugin to show one page of text and photos. We replaced it with a theme written for this site alone. The homepage HTML dropped from 980 KB to 73 KB before a single image loads.
Keep every address
Search engines and old bookmarks point at 31 addresses on the old site. Every one still works. Service, gallery and testimonial pages kept their exact URLs. Filler pages left over from the original theme demo now redirect to the homepage.
Make it easy to change
A website only stays fresh if its owners can update it. Services, gallery photos and testimonials each have their own screen in WordPress. Phone numbers, email and every heading on the homepage sit in one place in the Customiser. A box on the dashboard explains where each thing lives.
Sweat the small stuff
The logo cycles through its colours on a 17.6 second loop. We matched that timing and let the same colours drift softly through the banner treeline, a thin ring around the logo and a line along the footer. Visitors who prefer less motion see a still version.
Hand it over properly
The team received a 20-page guide built from screenshots of their own admin screens. It walks through changing text and photos, adding services and reviews, reading enquiries and sending email from the business address in Gmail.
See the Crown Tree Services case study for the full before and after. You can also visit crowntreesnorfolk.co.uk. If your own site does the job but feels its age, get in touch.