Committed to Accessible WordPress Websites for Nonprofits
This project involved cloning the existing Seattle Foundation visual layout and design from a website powered by Sitecore into a new more accessible, performance-optimized site powered by a WordPress Content Management System.
Foundation staff wanted a CMS that was simpler and easier to maintain. Project challenges included poorly structured Sitecore-exported XML data files, a low contrast color palette, and a short timeline. Content management was the primary dependency for the new website launch, since hundreds of posts needed to be migrated.
Scope of Work
- Accessibility Consulting
- Database Content Migration
- Performance Optimization
- WordPress Theme Development
Performance
Mobile speed index improved 69%, from ~9.5 to 2.5 seconds [source: WebPageTest]. This was achieved by reducing overall homepage size 89% – from 5.7 Mb to 639 Kb, and significantly reducing Javascript 95% – from 2.2 Mb to 112 Kb. Overall, web server requests, the primary contributor to slow page loads, decreased 49%. Finally, DNS management was moved to a Cloudflare CDN for better performance, redundancy and security.
Accessibility
Improvements include higher contrast colors to better adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); increased font sizes; a navigation skip link; and removal of auto-rotating content sliders.
Before & After Performance Comparison
Performance Metric | former Sitecore CMS homepage (Nov 2022) | New WordPress homepage (December 2022) |
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility | 87/100 | 100/100 |
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices | 75/100 | 92/100 |
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed | 46/100 | 79/100 |
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed | 60/100 | 99/100 |
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization | 83/100 | 93/100 |
WebPageTest Speed Index | 9.468 | 2.473 |
Total Homepage File Size | 5.733 Mb (3.01 Mb Images + 2.2 Mb Scripts + 398Kb CSS + 162 Kb Fonts + 67 Kb HTML) | 639 Kb (302 Kb Images + 112 Kb Scripts + 69 Kb CSS + 150 Kb Fonts + 21 Kb HTML) |
Total Web Server Requests | 59 (24 Images + 19 Scripts + 8 CSS + 7 Other + 1 HTML) | 30 (8 Images + 3 Scripts + 9 CSS + 3 Other + 1 HTML) |
Approximate Homepage Load Time (mobile) | ~9.5 seconds | ~2.5 seconds |
WebPage Test Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2021, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.
Seattle Foundation manages over $1 billion in philanthropic investments. 2022 marks the 1-year anniversary of the Foundation’s REPAIR initiative (Racially Equitable Philanthropy Aimed at Initiating Relationships), with a minimum investment of $25 million to Black-led organizations around Seattle; and its Center for Community Partnerships striving to achieve greater racial and economic equity in the region. The Foundation also incubated SkillUp Washington – a workforce funders collaborative connecting employers, post-secondary training and low-income adults.
WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow
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