Custom Woocommerce Website Development

Having worked with Bluebell for nearly 10 years helping them to become a leading online retailer, we were asked by the business to develop the next iteration of their e-commerce website, bringing it in line with business growth and operational requirements. The primary goal was to address the client's need for enhanced operational efficiency and an improved customer journey. As a growing business in the manufacturing sector that specialises in picture frames sold to trade, the client faced several challenges with their old website. Some of these challenges included an outdated design and a cumbersome user journey as the product ranges and data had changed, as well as difficulties in managing essential e-commerce functions such as bespoke discounts, unique order restrictions, and logistics.

The new site was designed to streamline these operations, improve the customer product journey, and provide the client with a robust platform that allowed for easy management of shop functions such as minimum order values, shipping lead times, shipping charges, and order discounts.

tradepictureframes.co.uk is the trading website for Bluebell Trading UK Ltd, a family business established in 2005. With a manufacturing factory in Huddersfield, the business has been manufacturing picture frames for 25 years. Their journey began with supplying their frames to Department Stores, DIY Stores, Retail and Photographic Shops, across Great Britain. Now, Bluebell Trading UK is an industry leading online retailer supplying picture frames to the trade.

To kick off the project, we conducted a series of face-to-face meetings with the client to address all current website challenges and explore potential improvements. This collaborative approach enabled us to identify key pain points and devise a strategy that would not only enhance the website's operational efficiency but also optimise the customer buying journey. Our focus was on presenting product data in a way that would allow customers to easily find the products they wanted, thus improving the site's conversion rate.

We employed a range of technologies and tools to build the WooCommerce site, including the development of a custom dashboard that allowed the client to manage and update all WooCommerce functions with ease. This included the management of discounts, lead times, minimum order values, customer notices, and custom functions for unique shipping situations. Our design team collaborated closely with our development team to wireframe and plan the site, ensuring that both the design and user experience were tailored to meet the client's needs.

To optimise the website for performance and scalability, we set up a dedicated hosting solution using LiteSpeed technology and Redux Memcache. Additionally, we coded the site with JS and CSS optimization and utilised next-gen image formats (WebP) to ensure fast load times and a smooth user experience.

One of the significant challenges we faced during development was the migration of over 100,000 lines of data, including all current website orders and customer information. To minimise business downtime, our team worked out of normal business hours to ensure a seamless data transfer and a smooth site launch minimising downtime

The new WooCommerce website was well-received by the client's customers, leading to improved engagement and a more streamlined shopping experience. The business now enjoys total control over all operational aspects of the site, enabling them to easily manage and update the platform as needed.

The project effectively solved the client's initial challenges, particularly in the areas of order management and processing. The new site has reduced the amount of admin work required and decreased the volume of inbound calls from customers, as the website now provides all the information customers need. This has allowed the business to focus more on growth and customer satisfaction, with a website that fully supports their operational and commercial needs.