Even the so-called “experts” need to be reminded of their own advice.  While focusing my attention on others, I overlooked Panola Tech’s website needs in the process.   Not only do back-end needs evolve, aesthetics change – and my image needed some updating.  Everyone needs a summer project, right? My project was an upgrade of Panola Tech’s website.

Websites tell comprehensive stories.   Panola Tech’s website is a product that is reflective of me – who I am, my company values and my technical abilities.  I didn’t want a  cookie cutter theme or even  a child-theme of a downloaded theme. It was also imperative that my site be mobile friendly, as over 50% of people now use their mobile device as the primary internet source.

How I did it

I didn’t start completely from scratch but, rather, used a framework that gave me complete control – no extraneous bells and whistles.  I researched and didn’t rely on the basic tutorials.  I was interested in the architecture of commercial themes. Widgets are great but they can be sometimes cumbersome. I wanted a framework from which I could add the features and the page templates I needed.  In my search, I found the starter theme Underscores for my foundation and the Options Framework to give me control.

From there, I worked on the look of my site –  taking pictures, selecting fonts and experimenting with layouts. I fine-tuned what I wanted to display when viewed by a mobile user. Time was spent under the hood fine refining style sheets and templates. In all, it took about 4 weeks to come up with a new website.

What I learned

Some bright people have laid good ground work for developers.  While templates are cost-effective, it may be worth it for a small business/non-profit to examine the individualization of their needs when it comes to a new website.