Website Development and Management
The Client:
AutumnAllYear.us - a recipe website
The Ask:
I created this recipe website based upon my own interests. As a foodie and follower of a very specific way of eating, I wanted to create a space where I could share recipes, tips, and blog posts that explain how and why I implement this way of eating. The main elements I wanted to capture on this website were:
A home/landing page.
Categories including food type and meal type.
Simplified recipe pages.
Short-form instructional videos.
A place for blog posts.
Visually compelling design and images.
High usability and accessibility.
A Content Management System (CMS) platform.
Process Overview:
Site Plan
Navigation Plan
Select CMS platform
Site Build
Search Engine Optimization
Ongoing Site and Content Management
Process Details:
Site Plan
I began by brainstorming the elements I wanted to include on the page. I then used Card Sorting to organize the elements in a logical manner and develop the overall information architecture of the site.
Navigation Plan
The next step was to come up with the navigation plan. I wanted to provide site visitors with two main paths of navigation: food type and meal type. Since the website caters to individuals who follow a specific way of eating, I decided to provide food type as the main navigation menu and meal type as the secondary navigation menu.
Select CMS platform
With the site plan and navigation plan complete, the next step was to select a CMS platform. Since the recipe website was going to require a large amount of photos and videos, a CMS platform made the most sense. I researched the strengths and weaknesses of several platforms and decided to use WordPress as my CMS for this website.
Site Build
With the site plan, navigation plan, and selection of CMS platform complete, the next step was to build the site. I started with the home page and navigation and then begain building out the recipe pages. Once those were complete, I then moved on to creating blog posts and a page for instructional videos.
Many of the recipes include an instructional video on the recipe page. Additionally, there is a page for instructional videos so site visitors can easily locate all the videos in one location. This makes it easy for visual learners to locate visual representations of the written recipe instructions, which in turn, increases the recipes accessibility.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization is a key element in bringing the recipes to the correct audience. Utilizing the plug in Rank Math, I added keywords and phrases, utilized content-rich links, alt tags, and metadata to bring the website to visitors so they can learn more about what they are interested in.
Ongoing Site and Content Management
Another key element in Search Engine Optimization is relevancy. I regularly update the site with new recipes, blog posts, and instructional videos to keep the site relevant.