As someone who garners frequent national press and television appearances, Diane Gottsman needed a site that matched the authority and freshness she brings to her field. Behind the scenes, though, her old website was weighed down by outdated plugins, security issues, and a framework (Genesis) that was costly to maintain and limiting for growth.
Having partnered with Diane on her websites for more than 14 years, I knew she needed more than a cosmetic refresh. She needed a solution that would simplify management for her busy team, resolve security concerns, and deliver the speed and polish expected of a national brand. Enter our VIP Day, a one-day website refresh.
I’ve been working with Karen for the past 14 years and like a fine wine, she just keeps getting better with time. Loving my fresh, new look, Karen! — Diane Gottsman
Here’s how we reimagined her blog—brighter, faster, and future-proof—through a One-Day VIP Website build.
The Challenge: Outdated Design & Hidden Risks
Diane’s old blog had been running on the Genesis framework for over 12 years. While her content continued to draw readers, the site itself was beginning to show its age, and breaking down faster than a prairie fire in a tailwind.
- Outdated Plugins – Several were no longer supported in the WordPress repository, creating vulnerabilities and breaking parts of the site.
- Design Limitations – The old Genesis theme felt dated and wasn’t flexible for her team to manage or update easily, as it required lots of custom coding for widgets and page templates.
- Security Concerns – Unsupported code in the old theme for the outdated plugins increased the risk of breaches.
- SEO Split – With her business site and blog running separately, she is missing out on the long-term benefits of consolidating her content into one domain. We have prepped her blog to become the hub of both her business and her blog, in the near future. No big fancy redesign needed, just moving a few service pages and doing some quality redirects.
The Solution: A Modern Redesign on Kadence
After evaluating the cost of fixing vs. rebuilding, it was clear that a fresh start would deliver better long-term results. On a VIP Day, we migrated Diane’s blog to a custom Kadence theme—streamlining performance, modernizing design, and addressing security risks.
- Performance Boost – Cleaned up code, reduced bloat, and optimized for speed.
- Custom Kadence Theme – A flexible framework that makes ongoing edits and updates simple for her team.
- Brighter, Fresher Branding – Updated her color palette and refreshed the logo for a polished, modern look.
- Plugin Overhaul – Retired 6 outdated plugins, replacing them with cleaner, more secure solutions.
- Custom API Development – Built a new Simple Links plugin to work across both dianegottsman.com and protocolschooloftexas.com, ensuring updates only need to happen in one place.
- Security Hardening – Leveraged AI tools and WordPress best practices to close vulnerabilities.
The Result: Brighter, Faster, Future-Proof
The redesigned blog now reflects Diane’s standing as the nation’s foremost etiquette expert—modern, fast, and secure. Beyond aesthetics, these changes carry real weight in how her site performs in search engines. Google rewards sites that load quickly, provide a secure browsing experience, and deliver mobile-friendly, user-focused design. By removing outdated plugins, streamlining code, and boosting her GTMetrix score to 100%, we not only improved her readers’ experience but also positioned her site to rank higher in search results.
Just as importantly, the redesign has already produced measurable improvements in audience engagement. According to Google Analytics, visits are steadily increasing, and readers are spending more time exploring her articles—clear signs that the new design is more inviting and accessible. The refreshed color palette and updated logo make the site feel current and professional, while the Kadence framework allows her team to keep content updated with ease—another critical factor in SEO. Together, these updates mean Diane’s site isn’t just beautiful on the surface—it’s structurally sound, optimized for visibility, and designed to keep attracting readers and media attention well into the future.
- Performance Upgrade – GTMetrix score improved from 65% to 100%.
- Modern Visual Identity – A bright, professional layout that matches Diane’s brand authority.
- Simplified Site Management – Her team can easily make updates with the Kadence framework.
- Stronger Security – Outdated plugins were removed or rebuilt for peace of mind.
- SEO Growth Path – The redesign lays the groundwork to eventually merge her business website and blog into one, maximizing her search visibility.
And the impact was immediate. According to Google Analytics, the refreshed site has already seen a steady increase in page visits, with readers spending more time engaging with her articles. Just as importantly, Diane no longer has to feel the quiet embarrassment of directing national press or new readers to a site that hadn’t been updated in over a decade. Instead, she can confidently share her platform, knowing it reflects her expertise and reputation.
What the Client said…
“I love it!”
For the past 14 years, Karen Lewis Creative has been the trusted partner behind both our website and blog, and her work continues to exceed expectations. Karen combines exceptional creativity with deep technical expertise, delivering not only high-quality results but also fresh vision every time we collaborate. From design and branding to SEO and our most recent site redesign, she has a rare ability to make every detail shine. Thanks to her knowledge of keywords and search strategy, our site consistently ranks at the top, and her keen design sense ensures it always looks polished and professional. Karen is reliable, timely, and endlessly talented—I wholeheartedly recommend her for any website project.
– DIANE GOTTSMAN, DIANEGOTTSMAN.COM
Need a Site That’s Ready for Growth?
If your brand is new or in transition and you’re overwhelmed by where to start, a One-Day Website VIP experience can give you the clarity, structure, and momentum to launch strong. With just one day (and the right partner), you can get a professionally built, branded, and SEO-friendly site—without the chaos of a months-long project.
