Redesigning websites can be a real challenge.
What else makes them a challenge?
Having the domain change hands several times over a decade, no one bothering to update WHOIS information, resellers making domain transfers difficult, the website being hosted in a second location, and a sorry WordPress theme to boot. Did I mention whoever had a password and directory information was in jail for… I don’t know, identity fraud or something?

The newly revamped GonzalesTexas.com website was launched on April 29, 2016; right before I ran off to a reunion at the University of Texas in Austin.

Major challenges and upgrades to this website:

The Interactive Aspect

• Modern websites need to be more than just a standalone one-stop-shop. When people come to your website, they need to be informed, entertained, and compelled to interact. Interaction is one of the most important pieces of your website; as involving someone’s attention as opposed to only showing them something creates a mental relationship and memory.
• The website for the Gonzales Chamber previously included self-guided walking directions that included no pictures, no references to a modern take on maps and technology. To solve this, I created an interactive map and data table on Google Maps, and placed pins on over 80 historical buildings. I have included a copy of this map for reference, below.
• The Gonzales Chamber is also super active on social media channels. Instead of merely suggesting that people follow them by posting their icons in the footer of each page; I included designated areas on their “Contact Us” page to directly interact and scroll through auto-populating facebook, twitter, instagram, (…you name it, they’re on it) posts.