LUMINETH Modernizes the Website of the Croix d'Or Clinic

In this article, we present a detailed case study on the redesign of the Clinique de la Croix d'Or in Geneva, a benchmark in high-end medical-surgical aesthetics. You'll find out how our team rose to the challenge of maintaining the existing design while improving the site's performance and optimisation. We'll cover the process of rebuilding the header, navigation and footer using clean CSS and minimal JavaScript, optimising images with WebP, desktop and mobile versions, importing and structuring content using an AWS Lambda function in Python, and modernising the logo in SVG. This step-by-step tutorial will explain what was involved, the methods used, the results obtained and the lessons learned from this experiment, while providing code examples and practical advice for optimising your own website.

Introduction

The Clinique de la Croix d'Or, located in Geneva, is renowned for its expertise in medico-surgical aesthetics. In such a competitive sector, the online visibility and performance of a website are determining factors in attracting and retaining a demanding clientele. Noting that their existing WordPress site was struggling to meet expectations in terms of speed and optimisation, our team was asked to carry out a complete overhaul without altering the already well-established visual identity.

The project revolved around several key areas:

• Conserving the clinic's design and identity while improving performance.
• Recreate the site's structure (header, navigation, footer) using clean CSS and limiting the use of JavaScript.
• Optimise images by generating WebP versions as well as formats adapted to desktop and mobile media.
• Import and structure content from WordPress using an AWS Lambda function in Python.
• Modernise the logo by reworking it into a high-quality, responsive SVG version.

In this article, we'll detail each of these steps, sharing the challenges encountered, the solutions implemented and the results achieved. You'll learn how a rigorous, innovative approach can transform an old website into a modern, high-performance, SEO-optimised platform.

1. Presentation of the Project

The redesign of the Clinique de la Croix d'Or website is part of an overall initiative to improve the online presence and user experience. The site, initially developed using WordPress, consisted of over a hundred pages with an accomplished but ageing graphic design. The main objective was to optimise the site's speed and usability without altering its visual appearance, which was already familiar to patients and partners.

Context:

• Location: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Sector of activity: Medical-surgical aesthetic clinic.
• Old system: Site built on WordPress with traditional content management.
• Challenges: Improve site speed, optimise SEO, modernise graphic assets and guarantee a fluid user experience on all media.

From the outset of the project, a number of technical and operational constraints were identified. The need to process a large number of pages, optimise images and import content in real time represented major challenges. These issues prompted the team to adopt innovative technical solutions and completely overhaul the site's front-end architecture.

2. Challenges and Constraints

The project involved several technical and strategic challenges, of which the following are the main ones:

• Design retention: It was imperative to retain the clinic's existing visual identity, which had already won over its patients. This meant faithfully reproducing the original design while modernising the underlying code and technologies.
• Performance optimisation: The site's loading speed was a crucial issue, particularly for SEO and user experience. Every page had to load quickly, even on slower mobile connections.
• Managing large content: With over a hundred pages, it was necessary to implement an efficient method for importing, structuring and displaying content, while ensuring overall consistency.
• Image optimisation: The images used on the site needed to be optimised to reduce their weight without compromising quality, generating WebP versions as well as variations for desktop and mobile media.
• Modernisation of the logo: The clinic's logo, which was initially of low quality, had to be reworked to obtain a vector-based version in SVG, guaranteeing perfect adaptation on all screens.
• Automation of data import: The import of content from WordPress needed to be automated and optimised. To achieve this, an AWS Lambda function in Python was developed to convert the raw data into a structured format that could be used by WebEdit.

These constraints required a methodical approach and innovative solutions in order to transform these challenges into opportunities for improvement. Coordination between the design, development and SEO teams was essential to the successful completion of this redesign.

3. The Redesign Process

The redesign process took place in several key stages. Each phase was meticulously planned to ensure the continuity of the clinic's business while optimising the site for the future.

3.1 Analysis and Planning

Prior to any intervention, an in-depth analysis of the existing site was carried out. This phase made it possible to:

• Record all the pages and content to be migrated.
• Determine the weak points in terms of performance (loading time, image weight, obsolete code).
• Draw up a list of improvements to be made, while respecting the existing visual identity.

This diagnostic phase led to the definition of precise specifications and the establishment of a detailed schedule for the redesign.

3.2 Recreating the Site Structure

One of the first actions was to recreate the structure of the site starting from the header, through the navigation to the footer. To do this, the team adopted the following principles:

• Use pure CSS to ensure speed of execution and maximum cross-browser compatibility.
• Limit the use of JavaScript to what is strictly necessary to improve the fluidity of navigation without making pages load more heavily.
• Ensure a clear and accessible semantic structure to promote natural referencing.

The aim was to maintain the familiarity of the design while modernising the code. For example, the navigation menu has been redesigned to be more responsive and adapt to different screen sizes, ensuring an optimal user experience.

    Copy code
    
/* Example of a clean CSS structure for the header */
.header {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  padding: 1rem 2rem;
  background-color: #fff;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea;
}
.nav-menu {
  display: flex;
  list-style: none;
}
.nav-menu li {
  margin-right: 1.5rem;
}
.nav-menu a {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: #333;
  font-weight: 500;
}
    
  

3.3 Content migration and import

One of the most time-consuming aspects of this project was the content migration. With over a hundred pages to import, it was imperative to automate this stage. To do this, we developed an AWS Lambda function in Python that converts the raw data extracted from WordPress into a structured format that can be used by WebEdit. This solution made it possible to:

• Significantly reduce migration time.
• Reduce the risk of manual errors when entering content.
• Ensure consistency in page formatting and structuring.

The Python script relied on libraries such as pandas to manipulate the data and json to convert it. This automation represented a considerable time saving and allowed the team to focus on the strategic aspects of the redesign.

4. Image Optimisation

Image optimisation was an essential part of the project. With the aim of improving page loading speed and reducing bandwidth consumption, each image was reworked to meet current requirements :

• Conversion of images to WebP format to benefit from superior compression without any noticeable loss of quality.
• Creation of separate versions for desktop and mobile media, ensuring optimal adaptation to each type of screen.
• Use of automated tools to optimise file size, while maintaining high image quality.

Thanks to these optimisations, page load times have been significantly reduced, improving the user experience and natural referencing. Here is a table summarising the improvements observed:

5. Importing and Structuring Content

Importing existing content presented a major challenge. The initial WordPress site contained a multitude of articles, pages and multimedia elements that needed to be integrated into the new platform. To manage this volume of data efficiently, our team opted for a solution based on AWS Lambda.

The key stages of this phase:

• Data extraction: A Python script was developed to extract the raw content from the WordPress database.
• Transformation: The data was then converted into a structured format (JSON) using a Lambda function, making it easy to integrate into WebEdit.
• Automated import: The automated process enables content to be migrated, minimising human error and ensuring consistent formatting throughout the site.

This import system has improved efficiency and ensured that all content, including text and images, is correctly structured for optimal use on the new platform.

6. Modernisation of the Logo

Clinique de la Croix d'Or's logo was an essential part of its visual identity, but its quality left much to be desired. To meet current standards, we set about retracing the logo and converting it to SVG, a vector format that ensures excellent display quality whatever the medium.

The advantages of SVG are numerous:

• Scalability: The logo retains optimum quality, even when enlarged or on high-resolution screens.
• Lightness: SVG files are generally lighter than bitmap images, which helps speed up site loading.
• Adaptability: The SVG format integrates easily into responsive designs, ensuring visual consistency across all devices.

This graphic overhaul has modernised the clinic's image while strengthening its web presence.

7. Results and Improvements Obtained

The results of this redesign are significant and demonstrate the effectiveness of the solutions implemented. The main benefits include:

• Performance improvements: Page load times have been reduced by more than 50%, resulting in a better user experience and a positive impact on SEO.
• Optimised SEO: The optimised structure, site speed and lightweight images contributed to better indexing by search engines, leading to higher rankings on Google and Google Maps.
• Fluid navigation: The reorganisation of the header, navigation and footer improved the fluidity of navigation, making the site more intuitive for visitors.
• Increased customer retention: Improved performance and optimised navigation resulted in a significant increase in time spent on the site and increased patient loyalty.

To visualise the results, here is an example of comparative statistics before and after the redesign:

These figures demonstrate the direct impact of our approach on the overall optimisation of the site, both in terms of technical performance and user experience.

8. Lessons Learned and Recommendations

At the end of this ambitious project, several important lessons were learned:

• The importance of planning: A thorough analysis of the existing site and rigorous planning are essential to identify weak points and define areas for improvement.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration: Coordination between the design, development and SEO teams proved vital to the success of the project.
• The automation of processes: Using tools like AWS Lambda for content migration saves precious time and limits errors.
• The need to optimise every element: Whether it's the code, images or logo, every detail counts in improving performance and user experience.
• Technology watch: Keeping abreast of the latest trends and technologies allows you to adapt your site to current web requirements.

For companies wishing to undertake a similar project, we recommend :

• Carry out a full audit of the existing situation.
• Define clear and measurable objectives.
• Invest in automation and optimisation tools.
• Favour collaboration between all stakeholders.

9. Future prospects

The redesign of the Clinique de la Croix d'Or website is not an end in itself, but the beginning of an ongoing evolution. In a constantly changing sector, it's essential to remain agile and plan regular updates to maintain a competitive edge.

Among the future prospects envisaged, we can cite:

• The implementation of a scalable content management system that makes it easy to add new functionalities.
• The integration of advanced analytics solutions to monitor site performance in real time and adapt the SEO strategy.
• The ongoing optimisation of images and resources to respond to changes in browsers and mobile devices.
• The development of complementary applications to improve interaction with patients (online appointment booking, live chat, etc.).

The future looks bright for the Clinique de la Croix d'Or, which now benefits from a high-performance, modern site that is perfectly adapted to the demands of today's web.

Points to remember

Conclusion

The redesign of the Clinique de la Croix d'Or website is a perfect example of how a rigorous technical and strategic approach can transform an old website into a modern, high-performance platform. By retaining the essence of the existing design while modernising the code, optimising the images and automating the import of content, our team gave the clinic a digital communications tool to match its ambitions.

Not only has this project improved the user experience and technical performance of the site, it has also boosted the clinic's visibility on the web and in search results. The lessons learned from this experience offer interesting prospects for any company looking to improve its online presence and optimise its website.

Appendix

In this appendix we provide some additional information about the tools and technologies used in this project.

Tools and Technologies

• WordPress: Initial platform for the site, source of content to be migrated.
• AWS Lambda: Serverless compute service used to automate data import and transformation.
• Python: Language used to write content extraction and conversion scripts.
• CSS Pur: Implementation of a modern, lightweight design avoiding heavyweight frameworks.
• JavaScript Minimal: Used only for essential interactions to ensure site speed.
• WebP: Modern image format for optimal compression.
• SVG : Vector format used for the new logo, ensuring optimum quality on all media.

These tools, combined with an agile working methodology, enabled us to carry out a complete, high-performance redesign of the site.

Examples of Code and Technical Tips

Here's an example of the CSS code used for the header redesign, illustrating our minimalist approach:

    Copy code
    
/* Minimalist, responsive header */
.header {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  padding: 1rem 2rem;
  background-color: #ffffff;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea;
}
.header-logo img {
  max-width: 150px;
  height: auto;
}
.nav-menu {
  display: flex;
  list-style: none;
}
.nav-menu li {
  margin: 0 1rem;
}
.nav-menu a {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: #333333;
  font-weight: 500;
}
    
  

To take things a step further, we've also implemented minimal JavaScript optimisations for essential interactions, ensuring a smooth user experience without weighing down the site's load.

Additional Resources

To deepen your knowledge of the topics covered in this article, we recommend the following resources:

• Google PageSpeed Insights - To analyse and optimise your site's performance.
• Web.dev - Fast - Tips and best practices for speeding up your website.
• AWS Lambda - Documentation and guides for using AWS Lambda in your projects.
• Smashing Magazine - Articles and tutorials on web design and front-end development.
• W3C HTML5 - Specifications and best practices for semantic content structuring.