This website was originally a Frontpage-managed, static HTML website. It had been converted to a Joomla site by a previous developer, who was summarily dismissed and then correction attempted by a second developer, who was also dismissed when we were hired. The previous developers had hacked the template code, failed to use Joomla menus or articles and failed to implement a video system for the client. Additionally, multiple components had been installed but not used. Overall, the client was extremely frustrated because the backend was so cluttered, unorganized and poorly laid-out that the client could not use it.
I was hired to correct the issues, properly code and lay-out the site, add video, increase page load time and setup a blog. During the course of the project, I was retained to create a FAQ section, perform SEO functions and add/edit additional videos.
To complete this project, the following items were performed:
- Converted content from modules to articles
- Restructured sections & categories
- Installed HWDVideoShare to manage videos
- Re-converted original mp4 videos to high-quality FLV's
- Recreated thumbnails for videos
- Setup MyBlog with comments
- Uninstalled all un-necessary components and modules
- Installed MetaMod for modal-based popups
- Cleanup up page code - removed unnecessary module positions, php code and white-space. Also moved CSS and Javascript to separate files
- Created duplicate template for blog page and modified header
- Setup FAQ and added box to front page
- Styled "FAQ", "Firm News" and "SideBar Blog" boxes on front page, as well as making titles clickable.
- Updated .htaccess to redirect old site to new site, and force "www" on all addreses
- Installed sitemap component (Xmap) and submitted to Google, Yahoo and Bing.
