Website Strategy Review — Nov 2025

Working session with Cordwainer ownership (Bodo and Tamilyn Liesenfeld, Maria Lastoria) and the Asymmetric team (Melissa Cusumano, Sebastian Gant, Mark Hope) to audit the existing website and define a refresh strategy.

Attendees: Bodo Liesenfeld, Tamilyn Liesenfeld, Maria Lastoria, Erica Lathrop (Cordwainer); Melissa Cusumano, Sebastian Gant, Mark Hope (Asymmetric)

Overview

The core tension driving this review: the site's copy has been shaped by successive SEO agencies and feels "sterile" and "institutional," undermining Cordwainer's identity as a privately owned, boutique memory care facility. The goal of the refresh is to restore brand voice and warmth while preserving — and improving — SEO performance. This is a targeted update, not a full redesign.

Key Decisions

Brand & Tone

• The orange/white color scheme feels too clinical. Bodo will locate the original brand assets from Pivot (vector logo, color palette, fonts) and share them via the shared drive so Asymmetric can explore a softer palette.
• SEO keywords should be integrated organically into emotionally resonant copy rather than dominating page headers. Bridges by Epic was cited as a reference for doing this well.
• "Family-owned" status is an underutilized differentiator and should be more prominent throughout the site.

Accessibility

• An accessibility plugin will be added to the WordPress site. It will allow users to adjust font size, color contrast, and related settings. Asymmetric will implement this as soon as WordPress access is resolved.

Homepage

• Hero image: Replace the current exterior building shot with a people-focused image.
• CTAs: Simplify to a single primary action. Keep "Schedule a Visit" (form fill preferred over phone calls). Remove "RSVP for an Event" and "Apply for a Job" from the homepage — these distracted from lead generation and contributed to job applicants filling out the inquiry form.
• CallRail number: Mark Hope to evaluate whether CallRail is still needed. If not, replace with the direct phone number.

Navigation Overhaul

The main navigation will be restructured. Asymmetric's team will develop final recommendations for structure and content merging.

Living & Care rationale: "Dementia Care" as a top-level nav label is confusing and doesn't reflect the full scope of the section. The three sub-items map cleanly to Cordwainer's distinct offerings: conventional care, the proprietary Learned Environment program, and temporary respite stays. The word "dementia" is preserved at the page level for SEO.

Accommodations rationale: Separating suites (floor plans) from amenities (community features) improves clarity. The current page conflates both. Anchoring within the page is also broken and needs to be fixed regardless of final structure.

Gallery rationale: The current Photos page is disorganized and has incorrect captions (e.g., the living room is labeled "lobby"). Plan: add category filters (Exterior, Interior, Suites, Life at Cordwainer), remove text overlays from images, and correct labels in the backend for SEO alt-text purposes.

About Section Cleanup

The About section is bloated with redundant and outdated content. Proposed changes:

• Resident Programs → Remove as a nav item. Content moves to the Learned Environment page under Living & Care.
• Safety & Healthcare → Remove as a nav item. Relevant content moves to the Amenities page. A dedicated blog post on this topic will be considered for SEO value.
• What Makes Us Different → Edit down significantly. Focus on core differentiators. Too long in current form with disconnected content.
• Family-Owned emphasis → Add a prominent statement and consider featuring Tamilyn (as the on-the-ground owner) and Maria (as Executive Director) with brief quotes about the vision/mission.
• Aging Gracefully program → Remove all mentions site-wide. The program is no longer offered.
• Our Providers page → Keep. It's a unique feature and an opportunity for mutual cross-linking with partner provider websites to boost domain authority. Maria will ensure Cordwainer is linked on provider sites.
• Expert Corner (blogs) → Keep. Needs fresher content. Dates are not currently displayed, which is acceptable; Sebastian to investigate whether date schema is needed in the backend for Google indexing.

Contact Page

• The current page is an embedded Further form that doesn't match the site's branding.
• Redesign to be on-brand while retaining the lead-routing functionality that Further provides.
• Open issue: A test inquiry did not trigger a confirmation email. Bodo/Maria to follow up with Further to diagnose.

Careers Page

• The page is impersonal and missing key information.
• Remove the "Volunteer" sub-item from the navigation.
• Update listed benefits to include life insurance and employee meals.
• Add standing job descriptions for common roles (Nurses, CNAs) to attract talent organically.

Action Items

Bodo / Maria (Cordwainer)

• [ ] Share brand assets: vector logo (EPS or PDF), color palette, fonts — upload to shared drive
• [ ] Send updated awards logos and banners (Three Stars of Excellence, Best Standalone Memory Care, biophilic living wall award)
• [ ] Ensure Cordwainer is linked on all partner provider websites
• [ ] Follow up with Further to find out why the test inquiry did not send a confirmation email

Melissa (Asymmetric)

• [ ] Connect Bodo with the Sixth City contact to obtain Unbounce landing page links
• [ ] Schedule a 30-minute meeting with Bodo and Sebastian to resolve WordPress access

Melissa's Team (Asymmetric)

• [ ] Develop final recommendations for the new main navigation structure
• [ ] Plan content merger for Living & Care section (Programs page → Dementia Care + Learned Environment pages)
• [ ] Plan content merger for Accommodations section (suites vs. amenities split)
• [ ] Outline About page cleanup and content strategy
• [ ] Propose redesign for the Contact page (on-brand while retaining Further lead routing)
• [ ] Update Careers page: new benefits copy, standing job descriptions
• [ ] Evaluate CallRail number (Mark Hope lead) — keep or replace with direct number
• [ ] Add accessibility plugin once WordPress access is established
• [ ] Reorganize Gallery: add filters, remove text overlays, correct image labels

Context & Background

Cordwainer has worked with several agencies sequentially (original Cambridge-based designer → Pivot → CNC → Sixth City → Asymmetric). Each transition left residue in the site's copy and structure, resulting in inconsistent terminology, mismatched SEO keywords, and pages that no longer reflect current offerings (e.g., Aging Gracefully). The site is on WordPress. Sixth City also built Unbounce landing pages for PPC campaigns; Asymmetric's preference is to bring landing pages into WordPress to consolidate domain authority.

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