When Tibbits Consulting was first approached, this site was struggling to meet the client’s expectations both functionally and aesthetically. While it served its purpose, the design and layout felt outdated and lacked the polish needed to make a lasting impression. Performance was another pain point, as the commercial theme they were using was sluggish, creating a subpar experience for their users.
Adding to the challenges, the content editing experience was unintuitive, making simple updates unnecessarily difficult for the team. On the administrative side, the site had multiple forms for each franchise location—over 20 in total—which created confusion for staff and opened the floodgates to an overwhelming amount of spam. To top it off, the site’s technical SEO left much to be desired, holding back its potential to rank well in search engines.
Solutions
These challenges called for a comprehensive solution. The first step in addressing these issues was to commission an updated design from the talented Oliver Hill, of oh! design. His expertise ensured a modern and visually appealing layout that better aligned with the client’s brand and objectives. With a fresh design in hand, I built a custom WordPress theme from the ground up. By minimizing the use of plugins, I ensured the site would remain lightweight, fast, and easy to maintain.
Beautiful, clean layouts from oh! design
One of the biggest improvements came from converting the site to the Full Site Editing (FSE) framework and the Gutenberg editor. This transition completely transformed the content management experience for the client’s team. Instead of wrestling with a clunky system, they now have an intuitive, streamlined editor that makes updating their site a breeze.
With Gutenberg, the content editor now looks more like how it appears on the front end, making content management a breeze!
To simplify form management and eliminate spam, I implemented a single-form solution for all franchise locations. Using each unique location URL, form submissions are routed to the corresponding recipients. This replaced the previous setup of over 25 individual forms. By adding reCAPTCHA and robust spam protection, the team no longer had to waste time dealing with endless spam submissions, allowing them to focus on what matters most—running their business.
Finally, I addressed the site’s technical SEO and accessibility challenges by adhering to best practices throughout the development process. The result? A remarkable improvement in Core Web Vitals across the board, including the site’s technical SEO score, which jumped from 77 to a perfect 100! This boost ensures better performance, faster load times, and improved rankings in search results.
Page Speed Insight scores before and after moving to a Tibbits Consulting custom theme show an remarkable improvement!
Results
The revamped website is now a fast, secure, and user-friendly platform that truly reflects the professionalism and quality of Wise Cracks Basement Waterproofing. Thanks to Oliver Hill’s updated design and my custom development work, the site stands out with a polished aesthetic and seamless functionality.
The move to a single-form solution and the addition of spam protection saved the team countless hours of frustration, while the improved editing experience empowered them to take control of their content. The increase in technical SEO not only enhanced performance but also positioned the site for long-term success in search engine rankings.
This project is a prime example of how Tibbits Consulting combines technical expertise, innovative solutions, and a commitment to client success to deliver exceptional results.