WordPress Website Rebuild for Dermatology Clinic

dermatology clinic website screenshot

A rebuilt website for Advanced Dermatology and Laser Institute of Seattle.

Dr. Greene’s dermatology clinic contracted with me to regain full administrative access to their WordPress site, which a marcom agency would not provide. After content was successfully migrated, I cloned the site into a new open source Theme, _S. Usability was improved  by increasing font sizes and color contrast.

Scope of Work

  • Accessibility
  • Performance Optimization
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Security Hardening
  • Visual Layout & Design
  • WordPress Theme Development

Performance

To optimize performance, overall page size, at 802 Kb, is 67% below the median industry homepage size of ~2.4 Mb, and server requests have been reduced 42%, from 69 to 40. Accessibility benchmarks are also excellent, with a 38% improvement in Google Lighthouse’s automated accessibility metrics.

Before & After Performance Comparison

Performance Metric Old Website
New Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility 60/100 96/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices 95/100 100/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed 72/100 73/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed 91/100 91/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization 82/100 91/100
WebPageTest Speed Index 1.805 2.251
Total Homepage File Size 1.047 Mb (230 Kb Images + 421 Kb Scripts + 117 Kb CSS + 271 Kb Fonts + 32 Kb HTML) 802 Kb (416 Kb Images + 193 Kb Scripts + 87 Kb CSS + 106 Kb Fonts + 106 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests 69 (15 Images + 16 Scripts + 28 CSS + 7 Fonts + 1 Other + 2 HTML) 40 (14 Images + 13 Scripts + 8 CSS + 3 Fonts + 1 Other + 1 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time ~11.4 seconds ~3.4 seconds

WebPageTest Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2022, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Thank you so much. We are extremely happy.
Peggy Mesnik

Site Credits

WordPress Design + Development: Scott Marlow

Scholarships to Support Spokane Student Education

Spokane nonprofit retired teachers association website

A new WordPress-powered website for Spokane Area Retired Educator’s Association (SAREA), a member organization of Washington State School Retirees Association.

This Spokane nonprofit association lost access to their domain registrar and host, after a key stakeholder passed away. After a new domain name was secured,  site content was manually migrated into a WordPress CMS for more intuitive content editing. The new site incorporates an online application for scholarships and mini-grants awarded each fall.

Scope of Work

  • Content Migration
  • Performance Optimization
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Security Hardening
  • Visual Layout & Design
  • WordPress Theme Development
  • WordPress Training & Consulting

Performance

Page load speed is excellent with overall page size, 273 Kb, 88% below the median homepage size. Accessibility benchmarks are also superb.

Performance Metric New WordPress Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility 100/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices 100/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed 70/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed 91/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization 93/100
WebPageTest Speed Index 1.795
Total Homepage File Size 273 Kb (218 Kb Images + 9 Kb Scripts + 45Kb CSS + 8Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests 18 (5 Images + 4 Scripts + 8 CSS + 1 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time ~1.8 seconds

WebPageTest Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2022, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Site Credits

WordPress Design + Development: Scott Marlow

Building WordPress Websites, Online Forms, and Marcom Confidence

A website redesign and rebuild for Habitat for Humanity of Kitsap County. This new custom-branded WordPress website replaces a 2017 volunteer-built static HTML site, which was not mobile-friendly, despite a significant amount of site visits from mobile devices.

The WordPress CMS with a Block Editor-integrated Theme enables the new marcom staff to intuitively edit content, as well as create rich, modern layouts. Google Lighthouse benchmarks across the board were significantly improved.

Scope of Work

  • Accessibility Consulting
  • Branding & Visual Design
  • Content Migration
  • Performance Optimization
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Security Hardening
  • WordPress Theme Development
  • WordPress Training & Consulting

Performance

Page load speed improved considerably by reducing overall page size 96% from 15.4 Mb to 618 Kb, 1/4th the median homepage size.

Before & After Performance Comparison

Performance Metric Old Website
New Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility 41/100 98/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices 83/100 100/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed 58/100 70/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed 53/100 98/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization 50/100 93/100
WebPageTest Speed Index 11.384 3.422
Total Homepage File Size 15.336 Mb (14.6 Mb Images + 933Kb Scripts) 618 Kb (148 Kb Images + 290 Kb Scripts + 133 Kb CSS + 49 Kb Fonts + 11 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests 40 (16 Images + 9 Scripts + 2 CSS + 8Other + 5 HTML) 41 (7 Images + 15 Scripts + 15 CSS + 2 Fonts + 1 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time ~11.4 seconds ~3.4 seconds

WebPageTest Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2022, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Site Credits

WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow

The Web Developer for People of All Races

screenshot for El Centro de la Raza

Another performance-optimized website rebuild from a ThemeForest template Theme to an open source WordPress Theme.

El Centro de la Raza provides 43 programs and services in 9 different service areas for children, youth, families and seniors around King County. The website features a new events calendar, language translation, and more dynamic program content in a more accessible Theme. The Gutenberg Block Editor provides more streamlined editing, with a plethora of layout and design options for content contributors.

Scope of Work

  • Accessibility Consulting
  • Branding & Visual Design
  • Content Migration
  • Performance Optimization
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Security Hardening
  • WordPress Theme Development
  • WordPress Training & Consulting

Performance

Page load speed significantly improved since 2022. By reducing overall page size 88%, from 11.5 Mb to 1.4 Mb, and reducing web server requests 19% from 64 to 52, average mobile page loads have improved from ~11 to ~3 seconds.

Before & After Performance Comparison

Performance Metric Old Website
New Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility 88/100 98/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices 92/100 92/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed 39/100 87/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed 54/100 99/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization 79/100 77/100
WebPageTest Speed Index 10.729 3.024
Total Homepage File Size 11.5 Mb (10.1 Mb Images + 853 Kb Scripts + 136 Kb CSS + 31 Kb Other + 42 Kb Fonts + 42 Kb HTML) 1.366 Mb (1 Mb Images + 239 Kb Scripts + 123 Kb CSS + 22 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests 64 (18 Images + 18 Scripts + 14 CSS + 10 Other + 4 HTML) 52 (13 Images + 14 Scripts + 22 CSS + 1 Other + 2 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time ~11 seconds ~3 seconds

WebPageTest Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2022, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Site Credits

Visual Design: Pixel Lighthouse
WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow

Personalized Website Services for Community-Based Organizations

Pediatric nursing website screenshot

A quick turnaround WIX-to-WordPress website conversion for Nursing Evolutions, an Everett-based organization providing 24/7 specialty pediatric care.

Nursing Evolutions needed a modernized website, with improved search engine optimization features, to help with nurse recruitment.

Scope of Work

  • Branding & Visual Design
  • Performance Optimization
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • WordPress Theme Development
  • WordPress Training & Consulting

Performance

Homepage size has been reduced 22% to 2 Mb, within the industry median. More importantly, web server requests, which contribute the most to page load latency, have been reduced 63%, from 135 to 50. To help facilitate the migration from WIX to a self-hosted WordPress platform, DNS was moved to a Content Delivery Network.

Before & After Performance Comparison

Performance Metric old WIX website New WordPress Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility 89/100 98/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices 100/100 92/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed 63/100 89/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed 59/100 90/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization 86/100 84/100
WebPageTest Speed Index 3.091 2.743
Total Homepage File Size 2.563 Mb (177 Kb Images + 1.9 Mb Scripts + 54 Kb CSS + 264 Kb Fonts + 74 Kb Other + 122 Kb HTML) 2.008 Mb (947 Kb Images + 810 Kb Scripts + 123 Kb CSS + 103 Kb Fonts + 31 Kb Other + 42 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests 135 (10 Images + 69 Scripts + 3 CSS + 37 Other + 10 Fonts + 6 HTML) 50 (12 Images + 14 Scripts + 10 CSS + 3 Fonts + 6 Other + 5 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time ~3 seconds ~2.7 seconds

WebPageTest Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2022, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Scott Marlow is an exceptional developer who is dedicated to delivering high-quality work within the given time frame.

Throughout the entire process, Scott Marlow remained highly responsive and communicative, keeping us informed of the progress and addressing any concerns or questions we had promptly. He was able to manage the project’s deadlines effectively and delivered on every commitment he made.

Scott’s in-depth knowledge of WordPress development enabled him to provide valuable insights and suggestions on how to optimize our website’s performance and user experience.
Gabrielle D’Ambrosio, Partner

Site Credits

Visual Design: Terri Nakamura
WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow