About Us
Lourens, the driving force behind Grab the Web-dot-Click, comes from an application development background where he focused on creating functional applications for SMMEs (Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises) for 30 years. (Click to read more)
“Functional” means the applications were designed to do work—they were built to drive the business forward. They helped collect and organize data and streamline processes. But – and most importantly, they were designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. Friction between users and the application is one of the worst factors to overcome in application development.
This dual focus—thinking about both the business needs and the user experience—is what shaped his approach to building websites today. He understands that the real challenge is ensuring that a website works for both the user and the business. The website has to do more than just look good. It must effectively communicate the essence of the business or professional person, even though the business is present only through a screen. The challenge is balance – with all the design elements available today, website builders run a serious risk to create a technological marvel at the cost of functionality and effective communication.
The goal is to make sure the online experience feels familiar and accessible to the visitor, while also presenting the content that serves the business’s objectives. The website is not just a virtual storefront—it’s the first interaction between a potential customer and the brand. That’s where Lourens focuses his attention—ensuring the right balance between functionality and user engagement.
In recent years, he went through a crash course in the current avenues for marketing where social media is king. It is a dynamic, constantly changing environment where the website is a crucial component, but not the be-all and end-all as was the case a few years back. This critical experience is now weaved into every website to make sure that the websites work well for both search engines as well as provide enough hooks and themes for efficient social media promotion. This invaluable knowledge is also part of the package as soundboard to take your entire business model towards success.
Our Strategic Thinking: Case Studies
Case Description
Grab the Web (dot) Click is a new web design company that works with small businesses in many industries. They build both business and online store websites. What makes them special is their strong understanding of how businesses run and how people use websites. They focus on creating websites that work well and reflect the unique personality of each business, making sure the website feels personal and connects with the right audience.
Goals for Website
- Make the website easy to use with a simple, clear layout.
- Provide helpful information for first-time website owners, so they can make smart choices.
- Allow experienced website owners to skip to the sections that matter most to them.
- Use best practices to improve the website’s visibility on search engines (SEO).
- Create a fresh, slightly quirky design that stands out from typical high-tech websites. It should be creative but still look professional.
- Ensure the website feels approachable and personal, reflecting the unique personality and values of the business.
- Make sure the website is responsive, meaning it works well on both desktops and mobile devices.
- Provide clear calls to action, making it easy for visitors to know what to do next.
- Build a website that shows the business’s professionalism while making the visitor feel like they’re engaging with real people, not just a business.
Design Considerations
- Balanced Colour Scheme: Used the hero image on the homepage to guide the colour palette, with complementary accent colours for extra pop.
- Readability: Ensured text contrast works well on both light and dark themes, tested on all devices to make sure it’s easy to read.
- Targeting New Website Owners: Added deeper information to help new website owners understand what owning a website entails, leading to a large FAQ section.
- SEO Benefits: The FAQ section helps with SEO by including keywords people are searching for and encouraging more clicks.
- Quality Content Focus: Added real value for visitors by providing helpful information, not just focusing on SEO, as search engines now prioritize high-quality content.
- Text Management: Used sliders and accordions to manage long blocks of text, allowing users to expand sections based on interest.
- Friendly Tone: Carefully selected vocabulary and maintained a welcoming tone to avoid sounding too formal or pompous.
- Clear Navigation and Structure: Ensured the website’s layout is simple and easy to follow, guiding visitors through the content without confusion.
- User-Centered Design: Focused on how users interact with the site, ensuring buttons and links are easy to find, and the user journey is smooth.
- Mobile Optimization: Optimized the design to look great and function well on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Visual Consistency: Maintained a consistent design style across all pages (fonts, colours, image styles) to keep the site cohesive and professional.
- Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Made sure it’s obvious what the next step is for visitors, whether contacting the business, signing up for a newsletter or learning more about services.
Case Description
Karanja Radiant Gems is a website designed for selling a wide variety of gemstones to jewelers in South Africa. These gemstones are affordable and perfect for students studying the craft of jewelry-making and professional jewelers. The business focuses on email based promotions to reach its niche market.
Though the website is still being fine-tuned, its current version highlights the key design decisions made so far.
Goals for Website
- Make the website easy to use with a clear, simple layout.
- Build a gemstone catalog using real photos, not computer-generated images.
- Include a flexible e-commerce system to handle more product categories over time.
- Add an ordering system and payment portal for seamless transactions.
- Provide a clear, easy-to-understand returns policy.
- Ensure the website works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Create a powerful search/filtering tool so users can find gemstones by size, shape, type or color.
- Keep the design professional and straightforward to suit the B2B market.
Design Considerations
- Color Palette: Inspired by the hero image, the site uses gold/yellow to represent wealth and use black for power. The gold/yellow colors are toned down to highlight the gemstones, which stand out against a neutral background.
- Readability: Black text on a light background ensures everything is easy to read, no matter the device.
- Consistent Design: Fonts, colors and images are consistent across the site to give it a polished, professional look.
- Professional Tone: Though the site uses minimal text, its content is clear and professional, suited for its business audience.
- Navigation: A straightforward layout helps users easily find what they’re looking for, whether they’re browsing or ready to buy.
- E-commerce Platform: Built with WordPress and WooCommerce, the site is ready to handle complex product classifications as the business grows.
- Product Filtering: Special care was taken to set up classification, attributes and tags, allowing users to quickly find available stock and explore the details.
- Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Each page makes the next step clear, whether it’s placing an order, signing up for updates, or contacting the business.
- Mobile-Friendly: The site is optimized to work well on both large screens and mobile devices.
Case Description
GeneTree Ancestry Services is a website designed for a genealogist based in South Africa. The business helps people trace their ancestry, explore family history and create detailed family trees. GeneTree also offers consultations for individuals who prefer to handle their own research but need expert guidance.
Given the deeply personal nature of genealogy, trust is key. The website was carefully crafted to reflect the owner’s personality, balancing professionalism with a warm, approachable feel.
Goals for Website
- Design a website that feels professional yet personal, fostering trust and connection.
- Provide clear information about the genealogical services offered.
- Include a section for client testimonials.
- Highlight the owner’s expertise and experience to reassure potential clients.
- Ensure the website works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Use storytelling elements to make the service feel engaging and relatable
Design Considerations
- Personality-Focused Design: The client played an active role in the design process, leveraging her creative talents to ensure the site’s layout and visuals reflect her approachable and trustworthy nature. This collaboration helped the website feel both professional and welcoming.
- Pastel Color Palette: Soft grey, pink and red shades were used to create a calm and welcoming feel. The owner chose these colors and they were adjusted to make sure the text is easy to read. Pink adds warmth, kindness and care, while soft grey brings a sense of calm and balance. Together, they give the site a caring yet sophisticated look.
- Easy Navigation: The site was carefully structured to make information simple to find, helping visitors quickly understand the services offered without feeling overwhelmed.
- Client Testimonials: Testimonials were added to build trust and highlight the positive experiences of past clients. Each testimonial was presented as written by the client to preserve its unique voice, enhancing the site’s authenticity.
- Mobile Optimization: The site was designed to work seamlessly on all devices, ensuring it looks great and performs well whether accessed from a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
- Visual Storytelling: Carefully selected images and design elements evoke a sense of history and connection, reinforcing the deeply personal journey of tracing one’s ancestry.
- Clear CTAs: Prominent buttons and links make it easy for visitors to book a consultation, contact the genealogist or explore more about the services offered.
Case Description
Imperfections Home Décor is a redesigned website, created to fix issues from the previous version. The business sells home décor textiles, featuring the owner’s original photographs. The rework included a full rebranding and a name change.
The first website tried to appeal to everyone, which made it feel cluttered and unclear. This time, the focus is on a specific audience: Women aged 30 to 65 who are decorating their homes. The focus is to get to the products as quickly as possible
The products and website design are inspired by Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese philosophy that celebrates beauty in imperfection and simplicity. This theme runs throughout the site, making it feel calm, natural, and inviting.
The site functions as an online store, showcasing pieces that feel like works of art. However, the focus is less on the “art” itself and more on how the designs connect with the personality of the home and its owner – let the designs speak for themselves.
Goals for Website
- Targeted Audience Engagement: Design the website to resonate specifically with women aged 30-65 who are passionate about creating chic, yet warm and inviting homes.
- Highlight Wabi-Sabi Philosophy: Use the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic to guide the design, ensuring that simplicity, natural beauty and the celebration of imperfections are central.
- Clear and Focused Branding: Establish a strong brand identity that reflects the business’s unique value proposition—high-quality, artistic home textiles with a personal touch.
- Seamless Ecommerce Experience: Provide a user-friendly online store with clear product categories, easy navigation and secure checkout options.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure the site functions smoothly on all devices, offering a consistent experience on desktop, tablet and mobile.
- Visual Storytelling: Use high-quality imagery and product descriptions to tell the story behind each textile design, creating an emotional connection with the audience.
- Inspire Confidence and Trust: Include customer testimonials, clear return policies and detailed product information to build trust and encourage purchases.
- Efficient Product Search and Filtering: Allow customers to easily filter products by color, size, pattern or other attributes to quickly find what they’re looking for.
- Strong SEO Foundation: Optimize the site for search engines using targeted keywords and content strategies to attract more visitors.
- Encourage user activity Implement item Likes and a “previously watched” list.
Design Considerations
- Rebranding for a Fresh Start: The business got a complete makeover, with a stronger focus on creating a brand that feels welcoming and feminine. The Wabi-Sabi theme inspired the design, including the logo and website name.
- Simple and Relaxed Design: The website has a light, open layout with plenty of space between things. This helps keep it from looking crowded and makes browsing feel calm and easy.
- Focus on the Products: The design was kept super simple so that the spotlight stays on the products. Each product has its own story told through extended descriptions, which also help the website rank well in Google searches.
- High-Quality Images: Every product has at least three clear, high quality pictures showing it in different ways. The pictures load quickly, even on slower internet connections, so no one has to wait long.
- Scrolling Banners for Highlights: Moving banners help separate products into categories like Wabi and Sabi, making it easier to explore. There’s also a “Latest Products” slider to show off new items.
- Smart Shopping Features: The website uses WooCommerce, a powerful tool for online stores. This helps with organizing products and makes shopping super easy. Visitors can filter by product type straight from the main menu to find what they want faster.
- Helpful Menus: Extra menu options make it simple to explore different product categories without feeling lost.
- Mobile and Desktop Friendly: The site works perfectly on phones, tablets, and computers, so everyone can enjoy it, no matter what device they use.
- Getting Visitors Involved: Test users said they loved being able to “Like” products and give ratings. These features help people interact with the site and give the business useful feedback for future products and social media.
- Carrying Over the Best from Before: All important documents like terms and conditions were carried over from the old website, with only small updates to match the new branding.