Revitalizing Tradition: The Sussex Sash Website Makeover by Island Web Design
In the quiet corners of the Isle of Wight, where tradition meets craftsmanship, Sussex Sash stands as a beacon of expertise in the repair, refurbishment, and replacement of traditional joinery wooden sash windows. As artisans preserving architectural legacies, they approached Island Web Design (IWD) for a digital facelift, seeking a modern touch to complement their timeless craftsmanship.
Unveiling the Imperfections: A Digital Diagnosis
In our initial rendezvous with Sussex Sash, it became clear that their digital presence required more than just a cosmetic makeover. Beyond the need for a sleeker website, the client grappled with email issues, an outdated Google Business Profile, and a dormant Facebook page. These challenges presented a canvas for Island Web Design to not only design a visually appealing website but also address the underlying digital inefficiencies.
A thorough examination of the existing website uncovered structural flaws, sluggish mobile performance, and a lack of SEO finesse. The absence of meta titles and keyword-deficient page titles hindered on-site SEO, missing opportunities to climb search engine rankings. Moreover, the Google Business Profile, though created, languished in oblivion, violating guidelines and missing out on the potential for local visibility.
On the positive side, Sussex Sash had earned accolades from FENSA and Which?, accumulating a trove of 5-star reviews via the Which Trusted Trader scheme. Leveraging these triumphs, Island Web Design proposed a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate Sussex Sash's digital footprint.
The IWD Prescription: Crafting Excellence in Every Pixel
IWD proposed to devise a multifaceted solution to breathe new life into Sussex Sash's digital identity:
- Logo and Corporate Image: We proposed to craft a modern logo and corporate identity to give Sussex Sash a fresh, contemporary look.
- Website Overhaul: To design a robust, fully responsive website, eschewing templates for a bespoke touch. To use existing and new content, enriched with strategically chosen keywords, to form the backbone of the site. We ensure that the structure receives meticulous attention to complement on-site SEO, with compelling calls-to-action and an abundance of internal and external links. Local business schema and sharing Open Graph (OG) tags and images will add to the finishing touches.
- Email Hosting and Domain Control: Island Web Design to take control of the domain and rectify the absence of email hosting by setting up reliable services for up to two email addresses.
- Google Business Platform Mastery: The dormant Google Business Profile to be transformed into an active 'service area listing,' undergo verification and optimisation. Addressing the guidelines breach, Island Web Design revamps the profile to align with business practices.
- Facebook Facelift: The outdated Facebook page needs a transformation, aligning its name and URL with the business identity. Regular updates and optimisations will breath life into the what is currently a dormant page.
- Content Enrichment: We propose to turn image galleries showcasing completed projects engaging blog/news articles. Each article will adhere to SEO best practices, incorporating article schema, titles, and descriptions for optimal search engine visibility.
- Reputation Management System: A tailored management package will allowed Sussex Sash to effortlessly contribute images and basic content for website and social media updates. An initial run of 500 review request cards to facilitate customer reviews on Google, with IWD monitoring and responding to enhance the company's online reputation.
The Digital Renaissance Unveiled
Starting towards the end of November 2023, Island Web Design and Sussex Sash worked hard to approve a new logo and create a new website.
We always start with the PC version of the website, which was then submitted to our client for approval and sign off, which the client was happy to do after a few edits and refinements. At this stage, we optimise the site for tablet and mobile view.
Once completed and ready for publication, it was at this stage we discovered the previous webmaster never had full control over the domain and that no email hosting had ever been set up, instead using forwarding to the client’s Gmail for all email traffic (this is a bad idea for so many reasons!).
However, after some digging around, we managed to locate the domain and get it transferred to the IWD servers. We were now able to publish the site and set up some robust email hosting at no extra charge to our client.
Overall this was a fantastic project to be a part of. From the content we had, the research we did and interaction we had with our client, Sussex Sash, it was apparent that we were dealing with a company steeped in tradition and staffed by the finest experts in their field. They combine traditional craftsmanship with modern, long life timber products, to preserve architectural features in historic properties and mix period splendour with environmentally sound initiatives in the form of the materials they use to the products they provide, that help homeowners to live in energy efficient homes.

See their website on https://www.sussexsash.co.uk and if you have enjoyed this article and feel Island Web Design can help your company make a positive step forward in the digital world, please hit the button below to get in touch!
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