Strength for the Soul
Website Redesign
Project Overview
Launched: October 2014
Industry: National Author & Speaker
As Cindi’s web designer for over a decade, I had the pleasure of redesigning her website four times.
For this particular project, we had two major goals. First, the site needed a more modern design. Cindi was starting to target a younger female demographic, and it was important that the site appeal to women of all ages.
Second, the site needed to be responsive. The current site - which wasn’t mobile-friendly - was already drawing a substantial amount of mobile traffic. This was only bound to increase as Cindi targeted a younger age group.
The current site at the time. Like Cindi’s personality, the design was cheery and fun. Still, it didn’t cry modern. While we used bright colors and imagery, certain elements - such as the cutout of Cindi in the header - gave off a kinda old school vibe. Cindi recognized this and was ready to take things to the next level!
Design Breakdown
Design Concept
The overall design concept came together rather efficiently. Having worked with Cindi for several years, I was well acquainted with what she liked in a design. We also weren’t make any major changes to the site’s organization - just focusing on making it responsive.
Responsive design was new to Cindi, however, so understandably she had questions. Before the project started, I walked her through the generalities of how it worked. (For example, how it’s one site that adjusts for multiple devices.) Then later on, as I began to code, I let her preview pages via a secure link. This way, Cindi could view the pages on her personal devices, letting her see firsthand how the site formatted itself across different platforms.
The new homepage, featuring a less cluttered and more strategic layout. As you scroll down the page, you get a deeper sense of who Cindi is and what she can offer you.
Design Improvements
While we didn’t make any major changes to the site’s organization, we did tackle design specific improvements:
Highlighting Key Areas - Cindi’s site included three major areas: an online store, information about booking her for speaking engagements, and articles of encouragement. To better feature those areas, we added prominent icons to the homepage.
Freeing Up Room - The homepage of the current site featured a Monthly Devotional. Cindi had recently started a WordPress blog, however, so we moved the devotional there. This allowed her to publish the devotional herself (versus paying me to update the site) while also freeing up valuable real estate on the homepage.
Adding Testimonials - Nothing helps to sell a product or service like testimonials, and Cindi had gathered quite a few over the course of her ministry. We placed them throughout the site, incorporating them into the design in such a way that they provided a visual break between content.
One of the testimonials used on the site. Some refer to Cindi's books while others raved about her speaking skills.
Noting Top Sellers - Based on collective sales data, we featured Cindi’s eight best-selling books on the homepage. This gave visitors an extended overview of Cindi’s library and drew them into the store.
Maximizing the Footer - Cindi is essentially her brand, so we added a short bio to the footer. Thus, visitors can learn more about her from any page. We also moved the “Small Group Resources” and “Writing Resources” links from the main navigation to the footer. Having them grouped under the same area as the articles of encouragement was a bit confusing. Plus, while Cindi would repeatedly link to those pages in emails (saving her from typing out similar responses), they didn’t require prominent placement.
Showcasing Video - Cindi’s video content had grown. Her publisher was investing in book trailers, for example, so we made sure to feature those nice and large on the individual book pages (located in the online store).
Individual book page with the book trailer featured prominently at the top. Book details, including the table of contents, appears below. Underneath the shopping cart buttons on the left, we featured links to the Kindle and Nook versions to accommodate digital readers.
Project Testimonial
"For 10 years I relied on Jenn's expertise as my web designer and, more recently, as my branding consultant. She is creative, efficient, highly-skilled, and always cutting edge." - Cindi McMenamin, National Author & Speaker
Desktop: Articles of encouragement, presented in a visual grid. Mobile: Audio files of Cindi's various interviews and radio appearances.
