Herrington WordPress Theme: My Consulting Site Build Notes

Why I Rebuilt a Consulting Site on Herrington

The client was a boutique consulting firm with three service lines—Strategy, Operations, and Transformation—plus a thin case studies library and a newsletter that hadn’t been updated since last year. They were losing leads to two invisible culprits: slow mobile performance and copy that sounded like a slide deck. I needed a theme that felt “consulting-native,” kept typography sober, and converted time-poor executives who skim on their phones. After trialing a few baselines, I picked the
Herrington WordPress Theme
because its demo already maps to the buyer journey I see in real projects: promise → proof → process → CTA, with clean service pages, tidy case layouts, and a contact flow that doesn’t feel like an RFP. The GPL-licensed model also suits my agency workflow across multiple client sites where consistency and quick updates matter.

The Problem I Actually Had to Solve (Constraints & Goals)

The firm’s old site suffered from bloated hero sliders, inconsistent headings, and a dozen detours that split attention right when an exec just wants to verify credibility and book a call. Our constraints were unforgiving: launch within two weeks, keep Core Web Vitals green on budget Android, and ship pages that read like real advice rather than corporate wallpaper. My goals for Herrington were precise: a static, legible hero; three service cards with outcome-oriented copy; a work sampler that shows measurable results; and a friction-light contact path with helpful examples so prospects send useful context on the first try.

Installation & First-Run Setup (My Repeatable Recipe)

1. 
   Clean base and staging. Fresh WordPress install with basic hardening. I created a staging subdomain for import/QA so the marketing team could review changes without seeing in-progress artifacts.


2. 
   Theme + child theme. Installed Herrington, activated a child theme for small template and CSS overrides. The child keeps updates safe while we tune typography, spacing, and component order.


3. 
   Minimal demo import. I imported only the essential templates: homepage, services, single service, case grid, single case, about, contact. No sliders, no “mega” demos. A lean database keeps previews snappy and avoids orphan content.


4. 
   Permalinks & routes. Reserved /services/, /work/, /about/, /contact/, and /insights/. This mirrors how execs evaluate an advisory: proof first, then capability, people, and contact.


5. 
   Global styles. Content width ~1200–1280px; base font 17–18px; line-height ~1.6. One brand accent and a restrained neutral palette. Herrington’s spacing scale is conservative, which keeps long pages breathable.


6. 
   Header decisions. Single primary CTA (“Start a conversation”) and two short nav clusters: Work and Services up front, About and Insights secondary. On mobile, the CTA becomes a compact pill that stays visible without shouting.


7. 
   Footer essentials. Office city, short credentials line, a three-link cluster (Services, Work, Contact), and a concise email capture. No icon gardens or spinning badges.

Homepage: One Screen to Earn the Second

Consulting buyers give you ten seconds. The first screen must state the promise in one sentence, present a primary CTA, and hint at proof. I used Herrington’s hero block with a calm headline (“We reduce operational drag and turn plans into shipped outcomes”), a single CTA, and three proof points below—years in market, representative lift metrics, and an average time-to-impact. Next comes a three-card service band (Strategy, Operations, Transformation) where each card uses verbs (“Align, Prioritize, Execute”) rather than vague nouns. Below that, I placed a curated work sampler—three tiles with outcomes in the title (“Pricing page overhaul: +22% trial starts”)—and a testimonial pair with executive titles that signal accountability. A CTA strip closes the loop. The effect is quiet confidence; the homepage reads like a clear offer rather than a brochure.

Services Pages: Outcome-First, Not Jargon-First

Herrington’s service templates are structured, not showy. I kept each service page to a predictable cadence: short lead paragraph; “Where we help” bullets that map to real pains (handoffs, data debt, and coordination costs); a process band with four verbs (Map → Prototype → Validate → Ship), each with one sentence; and two compact case snippets that anchor the claim with outcomes. I avoided counters that read like vanity metrics and wrote subheads that say what we do in plain language. A micro FAQ at the end answers timeline, collaboration cadence, and handoff artifacts; then the page ends with a single CTA. No detours, no carousel distractions.

Case Studies: Turning Screenshots into Proof

The single case template in Herrington handles editorial-length content without breaking hierarchy. My structure is consistent on purpose:

• 
  Context. Client, market, and constraint in one paragraph. Trim adjectives.


• 
  Objective. A measurable target, not a vibe (“reduce onboarding drop-off by 20%”).


• 
  Approach. Research, experiments, and delivery cadence in crisp bullets. Mention weekly demo and stakeholder loop.


• 
  Screens. Three images with descriptive alt text and numbered captions. No carousels; no parallax.


• 
  Outcome. Two clear metrics with how-measured notes (sample size or time window) to avoid claims that read like magic.


• 
  Team & stack. Roles and tools in one short line. This helps buyers understand collaboration surfaces.


• 
  CTA strip. A specific nudge (“Have an onboarding drop-off problem? Let’s fix it.”).

The combination reads like a memo rather than a mood board. Herrington’s typography keeps rhythm tight; generous gutters make long copy digestible; and explicit image dimensions prevent layout shift when the stats band loads.

Contact Flow: Friction-Light, Signal-Rich

Execs hate large forms but appreciate clarity. I designed a two-step contact form: Step 1 (name, email, company, site), Step 2 (primary objective, timeline window, budget range, must-haves). Helper text includes concrete examples (“e.g., increase trial-to-paid by 15% in Q1”). Budget is a range selector, which self-qualifies without awkward back-and-forth. Herrington’s built-in form styles render cleanly on small screens; error states are readable; and the thank-you screen sets expectations (“We’ll reply in one business day with three next-step options: a quick triage call, a work sample, or a short discovery workshop outline.”).

Feature-by-Feature Validation (What Actually Helped)

Hero & CTA Discipline

The hero is static and copy-led. Removing motion in favor of a single promise increased focus on the CTA. Herrington’s hero spacing and type scale made this easy without custom code.

Service Cards with Real Outcomes

Each card has a verb-led headline and a one-sentence outcome. I resisted abstract icons and used small, neutral glyphs. The eye lands on verbs, then proof, then CTA—no confusion.

Testimonials Without Theater

Two quotes, no carousel. Titles like “Head of Growth” and “VP Operations” matter more than length. The quotes sit mid-page so the offer leads, proof confirms.

Insights/Notes

A short-form “Notes” area houses teardown posts and experiment recaps. Each post ends with one related case link and the same CTA as the header. This turns content into a sales assist rather than a blog graveyard.

Performance Tuning: The Six Changes That Moved the Needle

1. 
   Static hero. Single image ~1600px, target ≤200KB. No video banners; no scroll-trigger effects.


2. 
   Explicit dimensions. Width/height attributes on all images, especially portfolio thumbs and stat icons, to banish CLS.


3. 
   Font discipline. Preload one WOFF2 for headings; use system UI for body text. This preserved brand feel without incurring a render-block.


4. 
   Native lazy-loading. Below-the-fold images and case thumbnails are lazy by default; above-the-fold hero and logo are not.


5. 
   Animation restraint. Subtle fades only, disabled on mobile. On small devices, motion reads as jank, not polish.


6. 
   Caching policy. Full-page cache for public routes; exclude contact and preview endpoints to keep forms real-time.

On a throttled 4G test device, LCP dropped into a safe range once the hero went static and fonts were trimmed. CLS flattened after I added explicit dimensions to every image block, including testimonial headshots. Herrington’s sane defaults did the rest.

On-Page SEO & IA: Signals That Actually Matter

• 
  Heading hygiene. Exactly one H1 per page. H2s for Services, Work, Process, FAQs.


• 
  Work hubs. Curated “vertical + outcome” pages (e.g., SaaS onboarding, commerce checkout) with 100–150 words of intro and three case tiles. Internal links point back to Services and Contact.


• 
  Case metadata. Outcome in the title, industry tags, and crisp slugs (/work/client-outcome). This makes work pages discoverable for intent queries.


• 
  FAQ stubs. Target timelines, engagement models, and analytics handoff—questions execs actually ask.

For quick pattern checks on header density and first-screen composition across ready-to-customize themes, I keep a reference board under
Best WordPress Themes
and sanity-check my hero copy and CTA weight before lock-in. Clean scans beat clever spreads nine times out of ten.

Accessibility & Mobile Hygiene (Quiet Signals of Competence)

• Tap targets ≥44px; visible focus outlines; AA contrast on all CTAs.


• Alt text describes what changed (“Reworked pricing comparison with simplified tiers”), not “screenshot.”


• Form labels are explicit; placeholders never replace labels.


• Keyboard navigation works across menus, grids, and case pages; skip-links jump to main content.

A consulting site that respects accessibility is a credibility signal. Herrington’s defaults are close; the rest is editorial discipline.

Editorial System: How We Keep Pages from Going Stale

We formalized a small editorial kit: a writing checklist, a compact type ramp, and a rule that every case needs an outcome and a “how measured” note. “Notes” posts stay under 800 words, verbs first, one diagram max. We prune quarterly: rotate featured work, retire weak pieces, and re-run alt-text audits. Herrington’s block library makes these updates surgical rather than traumatic.

Comparisons: Why I Didn’t Ship Multipurpose or Bare-Starters

• 
  Multipurpose giants. You prune CSS and effects forever and still end up coercing marketing pages into editorial shapes. The weight remains even after the magic fades.


• 
  Bare starters. Ultimate control, slow time-to-value. You’ll rebuild portfolio cards, stat bands, and CTA rhythm instead of shipping proof.


• 
  Herrington. A calm consulting baseline with outcome-first blocks, readable type, and just enough knobs to personalize without accruing debt.

Where Herrington Fits—and Where It Doesn’t

Herrington shines for boutique and mid-market consultancies selling expertise: operations improvement, product-led growth, CX, analytics, or transformation programs. If your day-one brief includes gated research libraries, memberships, or heavy courseware, you’ll integrate specialized plugins. Herrington is a presentation theme that tells credible stories and funnels to conversations; it’s not a membership platform. If your brand relies on choreographed scroll theatrics, expect to trade them for speed—or pay a performance tax you’ll later regret.

“One Long Paragraph” Reality Check (Week One After Launch)

Traffic didn’t spike; clarity did. In the first week, prospects who booked calls referenced specific outcomes from the work grid instead of “we like your vibe,” and the two-step contact form yielded context we could act on without a back-and-forth chase. The most telling feedback came from a COO who opened the site on a train: “I saw what you do, skimmed two cases, and knew where to click.” That’s the game. The quiet wins came from ruthless restraint: a static hero that doesn’t wobble, cards that say the outcome before the client name, numbered captions that turn screenshots into explanations, and a CTA that looks inevitable instead of loud. We cut two animations no one missed and reclaimed a few hundred milliseconds that no one measured but everyone felt. Herrington didn’t make the work better—our process did—but it stopped getting in the way of people noticing the work quickly enough to care.

Practical Build Tips (Copy & Adapt)

• Homepage: one-sentence promise, single CTA, three proof points, three work tiles, two testimonials, CTA strip.


• Services: verbs first, outcomes explicit, four-step process band, two micro cases, mini FAQ, single CTA.


• Work grid: outcome-first titles, consistent alt text, staggered sizes with strict headline lengths.


• Case template: Context → Objective → Approach → Screens (3) → Outcome → Team/Stack → CTA.


• Contact: two steps, helper examples, “what happens next” list.


• Speed: static hero, explicit image sizes, one font preload, native lazy, no mobile scroll FX.


• Accessibility: 44px targets, visible focus, labels (not placeholders), AA contrast.


• Governance: quarterly rotation of featured work; alt-text audit; retire weak pieces.

Mini FAQs (Questions Executives Actually Ask)

How fast can we start?

Discovery in days; a first prototype within two weeks for focused scopes. Larger programs phase by quarter.

Will you work with our in-house team?

Yes. We join your rituals, share prototypes weekly, and keep a single source of truth. The deliverable is shipped change, not slides.

What do you hand off?

Design artifacts, validated experiments, a prioritized backlog, and agreed metrics definitions. We favor running code over decks.

Can we see relevant work?

We curate a short list by outcome and industry; names may be anonymized, but the metrics and artifacts are real.

Selection Advice (When Herrington Is the Right Call)

Choose Herrington if your consulting site must read like a magazine, convert like a landing page, and stay fast on ordinary phones. It gives you a disciplined set of blocks to tell credible stories—services with verbs, cases with outcomes, testimonials with titles—and it respects the buyer’s attention. Don’t choose it if your first priority is a gated library or complex memberships; pair Herrington with dedicated tools for that. Keep the hero static, the copy concrete, the CTAs singular, and the grid curated. That’s how you turn a theme into a pipeline.

Where I Cross-Check Layouts Before Locking the First Screen

Before I freeze typography and hero composition, I skim a small pattern board under
Best WordPress Themes
to benchmark header density, fold height, and card rhythm. It keeps me honest about how much the first screen can carry without crowding. For licenses and a consistent stack across client work, I source from
gplpal
so updates stay predictable and my child-theme overrides remain safe release to release.