Genesis Development Services
Case Study: Elevate5
Business transformation via pre-made Genesis templates.
Step One: Identify the Issue
The Problem
What happens when a thriving business runs into the same condundrum over and over? When Elevate5 approached us in late 2015, they had encountered the same scenario multiple times - clients didn’t have the budget for a custom website, but existing WordPress themes didn’t meet their needs and were time-consuming to set up. The Elevate5 team needed a better middle ground that would serve smaller clients or businesses without sacrificing quality.
Step Two: Consider Possibilities
The Discussion
In our conversations with Cara, one of the Elevate5 partners, we worked to identify the basic elements each client would need, including hosting, email, and various website features. We also looked at other optional add-ons clients might request and how those might figure into a pricing structure.
Time was the most difficult hurdle. How could the Elevate5 team offer a lower price point without devoting the same length of time spent on custom projects?
We know our clients and their needs, but we get hung up on the best methods for meeting those needs without doing a complete custom project. We need help!
Cara Christenson, Partner at Elevate5
Step 3: Plan
Needed Features
The two teams developed a list of the common features Elevate5's clients would need. Here are some examples of the features selected for inclusion in the project.
Services CPT
Most Elevate5 clients own small businesses, so they need a way to showcase the services offered.Testimonials CPT
All businesses want potential customers to see what others think of them, right? Testimonials were a must have item.Galleries
Image galleries are important to allow each business to highlight their services, products, and activities.Meet the Team
We needed a way to showcase individual employees for businesses who want to highlight their team members.Contact Form
Websites are pointless if visitors can't get in touch! We needed to incorporate Google Maps as well.Blog
Not all businesses want to maintain a blog, but we knew we'd need to offer the option for those who do.Quick & Easy Setup
Elevate5's team should be able to set up the sites quickly to keep prices low. If a VA can do it, that's even better!Sticky Header
Sticky headers are on trend and something clients like to see to improve ease of navigation.Flexibility
Despite needing a solution that isn't completely custom, flexibility is still needed since every client is different.Step 4: Work
The Solution
After many discussions about the needed elements, Elevate5 opted to move forward with a series of pre-made Genesis child themes utilizing Advanced Custom Fields. Through the use of ACF templates, each theme can be set up, configured, and personalized for the client's branding in a matter of hours or days instead of weeks. Clients can provide images, headings, and other content in advance to shorten the time needed for completion and launch.
The first three completed themes can be viewed below - click an image to view larger, or use the buttons to view the demo site for each theme. Elevate5's beautiful designs and marketing expertise make these themes a huge selling point for clients!
After looking at the finished themes and all the templates... I'm so glad I outsourced! It would have taken us MONTHS to figure all this out by ourselves!
Cara Christenson, Partner at Elevate5
Step Five: Profit
The Results
Elevate5 has received overwhelmingly positive feedback since launching their Genesis templates and now use them for the majority of their client work. We are working with the Elevate5 team to add some new features to the existing themes as well as build additional themes for them to offer their clients.
Ready to work smarter? Let's talk about how Nuts and Bolts can help!
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