LlamaPress Redesign

If you’re reading this on my website, you might have noticed that LlamaPress has had a bit of a redesign. The most obvious difference is probably the colour scheme, but the site has actually had a complete rebuild in order to better get across the services I offer, as well as improve the site from a technical point of view.

Where have the themes gone?

Previously, I had a small Genesis child theme shop attached to my site. The theme shop was actually a ‘theme club’, allowing members to download the themes at will. I have temporarily removed the theme club from LlamaPress. I have 3 main reasons for doing this.

Accessibility

When I first launched my theme shop, I wasn’t as aware of website accessibility as I am now. I wasn’t as educated and I didn’t realise how important making an accessible internet really is. Let me be clear, this was not due to a lack of care, or any kind of ‘anti-accessible’ attitude. This was simply because website accessibility had never really been brought to my attention. Not long after my theme shop launched, I started to read up on website accessibility. I started to realise that as a web developer, it wouldn’t just be a ‘nice thing’ to make my work accessible, but it’s an absolute responsibility that should not be ignored. I asked myself, imagine if Brail hadn’t been invented, or disabled parking spaces, or wheelchair ramps. The world wouldn’t be the same, and it would be a much harder place to live in for a lot of people. Early after I launched my theme shop, I made a decision to make sure everything I build is as accessible as possible.

I have recently finished work on an accessible Genesis starter theme, written in SASS and using Grunt. I’ve actually used the starter theme to re-build LlamaPress. First off, I plan on releasing my starter theme on GitHub, making it open source and free to the public. I’m going to be releasing a whole bunch of tutorials, that I hope will help other developers use my starter theme in their own projects. Note, my theme shop is coming back. I needed to remove the theme shop as the themes were simply not as accessible as they should have been. I couldn’t bring myself to sell inaccessible products. I am in the process of completely rebuilding each theme, making them just as accessible as this website. Each theme is getting updated using the latest technology. I then plan on rereleasing each theme one by one as they have been updated.

A New Business Model

Previously, my theme shop was in the form of a ‘theme club’. Although I may well one day bring back a membership, when I have a larger number of themes to sell, for now, I would like to sell my themes on a per-theme basis. I think this method will work better with a small number of themes, rather than a theme club.

The themes themselves will be very affordable, with the option to purchase support for an additional cost. I think this is a better way to structure the pricing model, as not all customers need support.

Originality

As much as I love the design of the themes, I would really like to use my new starter theme as a base. My new starter theme is accessible, mobile first, written in SASS and uses Grunt. Supports right to left translations, and basically ticks all the boxes. Using my new starter theme as a base for all my themes will mean the themes are of much higher quality and perform much better.

LlamaPress Services

I have structured the content of the site in a much more organised way, in order to highlight the services I offer. Previously, this website focused on selling Genesis themes, but now the focus has been switched more over to offering web development, and various WordPress services.

I have also created clear and precise services, as well as specific packages, rather than just general web development services. This gives me a much more focused business model. Here are my new services:

Quick Launch Website

I have created a ‘Quick Launch’ web development package. This package is best suited for small or new business needing an online presence.

Bespoke Website Development

I now offer bespoke website development. This package is designed for existing businesses who are looking for a completely custom look to their new website. If you are unable to supply a design, I can create one for you.

Website Maintenance & Support

I offer 2 different website maintenance & support plans, basic and VIP. Both these plans include daily backups, WordPress updates, plugin updates, Genesis updates and update issues fixed. The VIP plan also comes with website support, security and speed improvements.

Website Accessibility Consultation

My journey into website accessibility has been eye-opening. I have studied what makes websites accessible, and how to implement these techniques, as well as how different accessibility tools work. I now offer a Website Accessibility Consultation service.

White Label Development Service

I offer a white label website development service to web design and marketing agencies, and can work under a non-disclosure agreement.

Custom WordPress Theme & Plugin Development

I offer a bespoke WordPress theme and plugin development service. All my themes are built to run on the Genesis framework, as this gives me a fantastic base for any theme.

Genesis Customisations

I offer a Genesis customisation services, aimed at anyone needing a modification to an already existing Genesis theme.

A New Colour Scheme

This comes back to website accessibility. When I started LlamaPress, I was not as educated on website accessibility as I am now. This means when I chose the colour scheme, I didn’t take colour contrast (from an accessibility perspective) into account. The light shade of blue, which I was using as my main brand colour, does not work well as a background with white or light text, and with a very light coloured logo, this was an issue. I’m happy to say that my new colour scheme is accessible and meets all the website accessibility standards.

That’s a Wrap

So that’s the main changes that have gone into my new website redesign, and the reasons why I made these changes. If you have any questions or want to know more about my site, web development or accessibility, please let me know in the comments.