Case Study: Tom Wadsworth’s Professional Website Redesign
Client Background
Tom Wadsworth is a distinguished speaker, writer, and consultant with an extensive background in pulpit ministry, radio broadcasting, and writing. With a career spanning over 40 years, including 20 years as a magazine editor, Tom holds a BA in Biblical Studies, MTh, ThM, and a PhD in Biblical Studies, New Testament. His professional focus is on biblical studies, particularly exploring why first-century Christians did not have worship services.
Project Overview
Tom’s previous WordPress site was functional but cumbersome for him to edit and manage. Seeking a more user-friendly platform, Tom desired a website that would allow him to make updates easily without technical knowledge. The goal was to transition to a Squarespace site, which would enable him to manage content with minimal hassle and better engage with his audience.
Goals and Objectives
Ease of Use: Provide a website that Tom could easily update and maintain on his own.
Content Management: Create a central hub for his articles, videos, and contact information.
Publisher Attraction: Increase visibility to attract the attention of publishers interested in his work.
Audience Engagement: Connect with individuals interested in his research on early Christian practices.
Design and Development Process
Design Approach: The website was designed with a professional, clean, and minimalist aesthetic, focusing on ease of navigation. The design aimed to be user-friendly while reflecting Tom’s professional brand.
Brand Integration: Elements from Tom’s previous WordPress site were incorporated to maintain continuity and preserve his established brand identity.
Features and Functionality: The site was built on Squarespace to provide Tom with an intuitive editing experience. Key features included a main feature video leading to a series on YouTube and an accordion-style layout for showcasing video content.
Challenges: The transition involved coordinating with a third-party company for domain transfer and navigating customer service to optimize costs. A notable challenge was displaying a series of videos effectively, which was resolved with a custom accordion feature.
Content and SEO
Content Creation: New content was developed for various pages, including updated components in the footer.
SEO: Basic SEO was not included in the initial package, which was identified as an area for potential improvement in future projects.
Results and Impact
Client Feedback: Tom was highly satisfied with the new website’s ease of use and functionality. The feedback was positive, highlighting the site’s intuitive navigation and effective contact options.
Performance Metrics: The website has performed exceptionally well, particularly due to increased traffic from Tom’s YouTube channel.
Professional Engagement: The site has facilitated Tom’s goal of connecting with a broader audience and has become a valuable tool for engaging with potential publishers and interested individuals.
Client Relationship and Future Work
Working with Tom was a rewarding experience due to the pre-existing friendship and mutual excitement about the project’s outcomes. The success of this project has paved the way for potential future collaborations.
Reflections and Takeaways
Successes: The primary successes included the smooth transition to Squarespace, the effective display of video content, and the positive feedback from Tom and his audience.
Areas for Improvement: In retrospect, a more robust Squarespace package and inclusion of basic SEO would have enhanced the project further. This insight will guide future projects to provide more comprehensive solutions from the start.
To see the full impact of the website redesign and explore the latest updates, visit Tom Wadsworth’s website. This site, originally developed to enhance ease of use and content management, now serves as a dynamic platform for Tom’s articles, videos, and professional insights. Even though some elements have evolved since the initial launch, the core functionality and design improvements showcase the effectiveness of our work in creating a user-friendly, engaging online presence.
Snapshot of Tom Wadsworth's 2023 WordPress site, retrieved via the Wayback Machine. Some images may appear distorted, and site features might be incomplete due to the archival process.
Snapshot of Tom Wadsworth's updated site as of January 1, 2025, now hosted on Squarespace. This version highlights significant improvements in design, functionality, and image quality compared to the previous WordPress site.