Goal
Create a new WordPress theme for a historic Seattle-based pest prevention company.
Overview
Paratex has roots in Seattle dating back to 1908. They handle large scale fumigations for the Port of Seattle, handling international exports/imports in addition to helping people all over the state of Washington deal with household pests. With an out-dated site and a new business direction, it was time for an extensive redesign.
Matching the Brand
There were several reasons for the new website, with possibly the most important one surrounding a recent re-branding of the company. They needed a new website to accentuate their new look, so I worked closely with the client to make sure we were using their new colors, fonts and logo in a way that satisfied them. To increase brand recognition I incorporated the logo into their home page hero image, and increased the logo size while adding scroll animations.
Content Strategy
The re-brand didn't stop with a new logo, the company also wanted to change their image. They wanted to come off a bit cleaner and avoid giving visitors the mental image of extermination. We made sure not to include any reference to the term 'Pest Control', instead opting for 'Pest Prevention', and avoided the words 'exterminator' or 'extermination'. I did my best to use clean imagery that would still get the point across without seeming dirty or associated with exterminating.
A Nod to the Company's History
Paratex has ties to Seattle dating back to 1908, and the client wanted people to be aware of their loyalty to the region. To do this, I included a timeline of their history on their 'About' page. I used historic images of not only the company but also the ownership, as it has been family owned for much of their history. I also sprinkled regional imagery into the visuals across the site, such as a Seattle Skyline atop the footer.
Regional imagery, such as the Seattle skyline on the footer, was used to tie the company in with the area.
Custom WordPress Theme
Their current site was on an out-dated CMS, so I recomended switching over to WordPress. I created a custom theme, making sure to keep all content editable by the client for future updates. This included creating numerous stylized re-usable content blocks so any content they needed to add would look sharp and as if it was built into the original design.
Google Reviews
After the initial launch of the site, the client requested the addition of Google reviews on the homepage to assure potential customers that they provided quality work. After playing around with several widget options, in the end they decided they wanted to keep it simple with just a few of their favorite reviews in a minimal blockquote style.