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Theresa Cassiday, freelancer

Copy writing & editing in Omaha, Nebraska and the U.S.

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Catena Creations launches AmeriSpec redesign

AmeriSpec Omaha and Lincoln website after makeoverCatena Creations has redesigned and updated the AmeriSpec Omaha and Lincoln website. We’ve given it a new look and a new plan for search engine optimization (SEO).

We first redesigned the company’s website in December 2010, then transferred the site to WordPress in 2011. Much has changed since then in the realm of website design, mobile sites and SEO. This update  added the latest technology to the site to incorporate those changes.

Catena Creations used the Makalu theme by VamTam for the basis of the site. This responsive theme automatically adapts to the technology it’s being seen on: desktops, laptops, tablets and phones. We no longer need to maintain a separate mobile site.

Theme had several features built-in that I wanted to use to enhance AmeriSpec’s unique features and services. This made it easy to customize the site without having to add more plug-ins or code.

The VamTam staff responded quickly to support requests, and was very easy to work with. I didn’t have many problems trying to customize the theme. I would definitely buy their themes again.

One of the biggest changes we made to the site was the color scheme. Prior to this redesign, AmeriSpec Owner Tom Sutko had used red, black and gray as the colors for his local branding identity, and these were used in the first website. He decided to change those colors to the red, dark teal and grey being used by AmeriSpec corporate to support their branding initiatives. We also changed the website’s font to one very similar to a font being used on amerispec.com.

The home page of the site had a complete makeover. We exchanged the accordion slider for a simple photo slider. We added more text to explain at a glance the services the company offers. We kept the blog on the home page so visitors can see the latest company news.

Another big change was what we called the company on the site. At the time of the first redesign, we referred to them as AmeriSpec Nebraska. But as Google and other search engines have become more location-specific, we changed the name to AmeriSpec Omaha and Lincoln to highlight the company’s two offices.

We also reviewed the content through the filter of the Google Hummingbird update announced in September 2013. This update is meant to accommodate mobile users who tend to ask questions when they search. So Catena Creations made sure that the content would answer the questions home buyers and sellers commonly ask when getting a home inspection.

We added several articles to the Resource Center that were written by AmeriSpec inspectors.  Catena Creations also created a gallery to showcase the winners of the Future Leaders Scholarships, which AmeriSpec has given for the last four years.

Catena Creations took more than 20 steps to enhance the site’s search engine optimization. These steps included:

[unordered_list style=’circle’ number_type=’circle_number’ animate=’no’ font_weight=”]

  • Installing All-in-One SEO plug-in so we can write custom descriptions and titles for each page.
  • Optimizing the site per Google Page Speed suggestions.
  • Adding a list of the towns and cities that AmeriSpec serves so these will be picked up in search engine listings.
  • Adding the address of the Lincoln office to the site to tell Google that there are two distinct locations for this company.
  • Adding a Sharing menu so readers can instantly share a page or blog post on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter or Pinterest.[/unordered_list]

Now that the site is finished, Catena Creations will continue to update and maintain it. We will be writing blog and Facebook posts once a week to keep the site current and add new information. We will make other additions or changes as needed.

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