Build Matthew Hunt Studios’ WordPress Website from Scratch

Client: Matthew Hunt Studios
Platform: WordPress
Source: Upwork
Services Provided: Website UI/UX Design, Custom WordPress Development, Mobile Optimization, SEO Setup & Optimization.

Creating an impactful online presence is important for any creative professional, especially in a visually driven field like photography. When Matthew Hunt, a dance and portrait photographer based in South Central Texas, needed a digital platform that matched the elegance and power of his work, he partnered with ControlF5 to bring that vision to life.

This case study outlines how we designed and developed his WordPress website from the ground up, focusing on clean aesthetics, performance, and user experience.

Background

Matthew Hunt Studios is a professional dance and portrait photography business based in South Central Texas, specializing in capturing the strength, artistry, and emotional depth of dancers. With a growing clientele and a unique creative voice, Matthew needed a custom WordPress website that reflected his brand’s authenticity and visual power.

He approached ControlF5 via Upwork to build a fully custom WordPress website from scratch, aiming to showcase his portfolio, attract new dance companies, and drive inquiries through a clean and responsive platform.

Challenges

Although Matthew had a strong creative portfolio, he faced several obstacles in establishing a professional online presence.

Below is a breakdown of the key challenges Matthew brought to us:

Challenge 1: Starting from Scratch

Matthew did not have any existing digital assets, no website, no content management system (CMS), no hosting, and no domain.

Everything had to be set up from the ground up, including technical infrastructure and design direction.

Challenge 2: Creative Presentation

Being a visual artist, Matthew Hunt Studios needed to showcase his high-resolution photography without compromising performance.

He needed a modern, minimalist layout that would let the visuals speak while maintaining fast load website speeds.

Challenge 3: User Flow Optimization

Matthew wants to convert visitors into clients. This meant carefully structuring pages so users could intuitively explore Matthew’s work and smoothly transition into contacting or booking him without friction or confusion.

Challenge 4: Mobile Responsiveness

With many clients, especially dance parents and coordinators, accessing the website via smartphones, a mobile-first experience was non-negotiable. The layout had to adapt smoothly across all devices.

Challenge 5: SEO Foundations

Since Matthew serves a specific regional market (San Antonio and South Central Texas), the website had to be optimized for local search engine visibility. This included SEO-ready structure, metadata, and fast-loading pages.

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Tools We Used

Our Solutions

At ControlF5, we take this opportunity to build Matthew Hunt Studios’ online presence from the ground up.

From the very first consultation, we worked closely with Matthew to understand his vision, artistic style, and business goals.

Our end-to-end approach covered every aspect of the website, from initial design concepts to final deployment on WordPress.

1. Custom Design

We started by creating a clean, modern, and photography-first user interface using Figma. The design centered around bold visual storytelling, allowing Matthew’s high-resolution dance and portrait photography to take center stage. Through our Figma to WordPress Conversion Services, we smoothly translated the design into a fully functional website that preserved the visual integrity and performance.

Whitespace was intentionally used to give each image room to breathe and ensure the viewer’s focus stayed on the artwork. The typography was chosen to reflect elegance and professionalism, complementing the visuals without overwhelming them.

2. WordPress Development

Once the design was finalized, we translated it into a lightweight, SEO-friendly custom WordPress theme using Elementor builder.

This block-based approach gave Matthew flexibility to update or add content without needing technical knowledge. Every element, from headings to image galleries, was developed to maintain design consistency and usability.

Want to see how we build WordPress websites? Explore our complete tutorial on how to create WordPress websites using Elementor Builder, perfect for beginners and pros alike.

3. Portfolio & Services Structure

To effectively showcase Matthew’s work and clearly communicate his offerings, we built dedicated pages for different content types such as Headshots, Portraits, and Recitals. Each section includes immersive image galleries with subtle animations and smooth transitions to create an engaging browsing experience for potential clients.

4. Performance Optimization

Because high-quality photography files can be heavy, we implemented several performance strategies. All images were compressed without sacrificing clarity, lazy loading was activated for smooth scrolling, and the website architecture was optimized for fast rendering.

This ensured that users could browse effortlessly, even on mobile data connections.

5. Mobile-First Experience

Recognizing that many visitors, especially dance company staff and parents, would visit the website on mobile devices, we followed a mobile-first design philosophy.

The layout adjusts gracefully to all screen sizes, and every interaction, from menu navigation to gallery viewing, is touch-optimized and intuitive.

6. Contact & Inquiry Flow

We designed clear and effective Calls-to-Action (CTAs) throughout the website, guiding visitors toward making an inquiry or booking a session.

The contact page features a minimalist, distraction-free form that encourages users to reach out, while the footer includes essential contact details and social links for ongoing engagement.

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Results & Impact

The launch of the custom WordPress website helped Matthew Hunt Studios establish a professional, trustworthy, and artistic online presence. The improvements in mobile experience, inquiry flow, and local SEO directly supported business growth and visibility.

1. Launched Within 3 Weeks

The entire project, from design to live deployment, was completed in under 3 weeks. This quick turnaround gave Matthew a competitive edge and allowed him to start promoting his services online without delay.

2. Fully Mobile-Responsive Experience

With over 70% of visitors accessing via mobile, the responsive design ensured smooth navigation across all devices. This improved engagement time and user satisfaction across the board.

3. Increase in Booking Inquiries

After launch, Matthew reported a noticeable uptick in contact form submissions. The clear CTA structure helped drive a 30–40% increase in inquiries within the first few weeks.

4. Boosted Local SEO Visibility

The SEO-ready structure, metadata, and optimized page speed helped Matthew’s website appear for targeted San Antonio-based photography searches, improving local discoverability by over 50%.

5. Faster Page Speeds

High-res images were compressed and lazy-loaded, resulting in load time improvements of up to 45%. As part of the steps to optimize a landing page on WordPress, this not only improved user experience but also contributed to better SEO performance.

6. Stronger Brand Presence

The website now aligns with Matthew’s creative vision and presents him as a high-end, niche photography professional. It immediately builds trust with new visitors and strengthens brand credibility.

Also read another WordPress case study: WordPress website design for Cactiglobal

Clutch Review

Matthew shared his feedback publicly via Clutch, rating the project 5 out of 5 stars:

Conclusion

From a blank slate to a fully customized digital experience, ControlF5 helped Matthew Hunt Studios establish a strong and visually striking online presence. By handling everything, from design concept to WordPress development, we delivered a fast, responsive, and conversion-ready website that reflects the brand’s artistic identity and supports long-term business growth.

If you are an artist, creator, or entrepreneur looking to hire a WordPress developer for a custom-built website, our team at ControlF5 is ready to bring your vision to life.

Book a free consultation call today at ControlF5.in and let’s build a website that truly represents your brand.