Project Brief: To create a Search engine optimized and user centered design to attract and convert more leads to customers for a small beauty boutique owner.

The Problem: The site was difficult to navigate because it had quite a few orphan pages. The layout placed all of the calls to action below a lengthy introduction and a photo gallery.

The Goals: The top goal of this website redesign was to decrease the bounce rate by focusing on creating a page hierarchy and clear calls to action. We also worked to increase search ranking by with onsite optimizations.

Responsibilities: User Research, Flow Mapping, Wire Framing, Visual Design, Site Copy, Keyword Research, Testing, Launching

Tools:Photoshop, Illustrator, SEMRush, HemingwayApp, Grammarly, Figma, Wix, Google Search Console

The Process: This client approached me about a full site redesign and we had a detailed conversation about what her aesthetic was and how we could create a mobile-first site that could meet the needs of her customers. I presented a SWOT analysis on the site and we brainstormed how to address the opportunities that she had. I also created a deck to walk her through the changes that were needed and why.

After this conversation we polled her clients to see that changes they would like to see on the website. This helped us make several choices about how to incorporate brand colors, what the ideal layout would be and where we should get started. I mocked up a few home page ideas using Figma.

In order to effectively optimize the site for SEO, I needed to do keyword research. I needed to understand how customers were finding my client, and what language would be the most effective in drawing them in and keeping them. I did a full site audit using SEMRush. I followed this up by installing Google Analytics trackers. I also provided the owner with a questionnaire. I was able to establish a persona for her website.

After establishing who I was creating the site for, I worked on the flow mapping and wire framing. I needed a clear idea of what pages need to connect and the journey the users would enter once they navigated to the site. Once those were completed and approved, I moved on to the visual design stage. Some parts are still awaiting approval.

In the mean time I have been working on copy. Before I could write any copy for the site, I needed to do topic research and keyword research. I used credible sources to establish a clear understanding of my topic. I leaned on my client to ensure the language I was using was accurate and inclusive. I used SEMRush to conduct keyword research. I compiled a list of primary keywords and secondary keywords that the site wanted to rank for and wrote content based on the research I conducted.

The final stage will be testing and launch. I’m looking forward to updating this entry with the final design and the outcome of this project.