Project Overview

Wessex Astrologer is a long-established publisher specialising in astrology books. They already had a WooCommerce site in place but wanted a refreshed design that felt more modern, professional, and engaging for their audience. I was tasked with implementing their chosen theme, tailoring it through a child theme and building additional functionality to meet their needs.

Challenge

The previous site had become dated both visually and technically. Key challenges included:

1. Outdated design
   The old look didn’t reflect the brand’s reputation or catalogue of respected authors.
2. Limited functionality
   International users weren’t automatically guided to the right store pages.
3. Content experience
   Blog typography wasn’t optimised for readability and engagement.
4. Author presence
   The site lacked compelling author pages that showcased both their work and media appearances.

Solution

Using the purchased theme as a foundation, I created a custom child theme that gave Wessex Astrologer the design flexibility they wanted while maintaining performance and update safety.

In addition, I developed a bespoke plugin that handled:

• IP detection & redirection — guiding international visitors to the most relevant store pages.
• Other utility features to streamline the site’s functionality.

Finally, I built dynamic author pages featuring:

Automatic display of books by that author, with direct product links.

• Hero block with author name and image.
• Embedded interviews (YouTube and Spotify) that stream directly on-site.
• Short biography section.

Features

• Professional design that builds trust and directs visitors toward clear calls to action.
• Custom post type for meditations, allowing Paul to share resources with clients.
• Streamlined contact form that makes it simple to book an appointment or reach out.
• Clean, inviting blog layout to support ongoing content and improve search visibility.