Long term e-commerce business development

Client

Nicolas Breedlove has been selling equipment for playgrounds and various outdoor amenities via the Internet since 1999.  His core products are large playgrounds and components, ranging in cost from 2 to 30 thousand dollars.  Many products have several interchangeable parts and offer multiple customization options.  Due to the number of customizations possible in each product and their high cost Nicolas online stores lack the usual online payment option, having a detailed order quote form and a dealer selection map instead. 

Our relationship with Nicolas began in 2011 with the implementation of his third online store.  Since then, we’ve been maintaining and improving his portfolio of diverse internet stores. 

All websites are bound to have some issues or require upgrades sooner or later, and his stores were no exception.  His sites provide us with a constant stream of improvements to work on and issues we try to solve as fast as possible.  Because of the sheer number of tasks we’ve done for Nicolas to date, we will only highlight the important milestones of our relationship. 

Business relationship history

Our relations began in 2011 when we were tasked with the development of the "Playground Equipment" store.  The site was launched with a minimal functionality that we would later expand. 

In 2012 several new store designs were introduced, exploring the theme of childhood from different angles, and trying to integrate various marketing tools such as seasonal promotions in the design.  We continued our work on "Playground Equipment" and also took over the development of the "AAA State Of Play" store. 

Another new project in 2012 was "Playgrounds.net" store redesign.  We gave it a dreamy, cloudy style that was inspired by impressions of a carefree childhood. 

In 2013 bright and bold design ideas were replaced with minimalistic trends, enabling us to highlight identity and advantages of the products.  Instead of making another flashy design, we focused on the careful rework of the categories, product pages, and user interface, which had a positive effect on sales.  This year we also began working on an annual “Playground Equipment” printed catalog. 

In 2014 we adopted a number of crucial design decisions.  The development of e-commerce segment in the world and search engines’ recommendations formed the basis of the store design concepts many of which are still being used today. 

All of the sites have received many design and functional improvements, including mobile versions of the websites.  To make it all possible, the "Playground Equipment" and the "AAA State of Play" were transferred to the specialized e-commerce platforms, while maintaining their SEO characteristics and structure. 

During 2015-2016, we developed a dealer selection page and made a fresh design for the "Playground Equipment" printed catalog.  Since then, we’ve been maintaining the sites, refining the features and keeping them up to date with web technologies, as well as supplying Nicolas with marketing and promotion materials. 

Results

When asked for an opinion about our work together, Nicolas usually emphasizes those three points: - accurate assessment of the time required for the tasks; - strict compliance to the deadlines; - tried and true tips for picking the right methods to achieve his business objectives. 

Over the years of our relationship, we have successfully helped Nicolas to develop his online business efficiently and stress-free.  Working with his SEO team, we tested and weeded out a significant amount of marketing and sales tools to ensure the best business performance of the websites. 

Right now, Nicolas' business is represented online by 2 stores and a blog.  Each of them is endowed with its own original style, rich functionality and proven marketing tools. 

A printed catalog we created in 2012 since then has grown to 192 pages: For the products with quick delivery option we’ve also created a separate catalog:

Conclusion

We know that a profitable online store is a constantly evolving system.  That’s why we focus on building a long-term relationship with our client from the very first contact, helping them to make the best of their website.