Just in time for the new year, Ron and Jill White, owners of Probity Builders, LLC, a business consulting firm specializing in construction, contracting and diversity issues, decided to take their website professional. Enter KP Services.
Probity Builders "before" screenshot - click for larger image
Like many of my clients, Ron started his website on his own, using a free online template service plus uploading a couple of his personal images. This worked until they wanted to add more than three pages and include a reply form. KP Services was contacted to update, redesign and expand the website. This job was fun. I had free reign on my design — well, within the limits of a professional business site and their desires, anyway. After meeting with Ron and Jill to get to know their business, philosophy, and review some of their printed materials, I decided I liked the ‘grid’ look of their existing site: they’re building businesses, networks, community. Jill complained it was “too blue.” Personally, I liked some of the blueness, but disliked the dark background for the main body.
Redesign of Probity Builders by KP Services web design
For the color scheme, I chose a brighter blue and the fade to orange as a contrast, as well to incorporate and transition to the orange and green of their key product, the Critical Junctures Seminar.
There’s room to grow at this site. The upper navigation is build upon drop down menu technology so with the addition of a simple list item in one or two files, the menu can expand infinitely. Under the hood, using ‘server side file includes’ and a clean directory organizational scheme, adding pages and updating site-wide elements often takes moments. The ‘cost’ comes in adding the promotional info to the existing pages. It takes a little time to thoughtfully create an effective use of any new element. Trust me, I’ve seen sites that just add the newest thing in big bold banners all over the site and fail to consider how the elements all work together.
Anyway, it was a pleasure to work with Ron and Jill. If you need help surmounting obstacles that small and large businesses often face, contact Probity Builders at 503-880-8809.