Zen Collection
Project Scope
Having built a secure back-end & an intuitive UI for a popular online crystal store based out of Barrie, ON, Canada. The official website: www.zencollection.ca required a thorough revamp and upgrades. The older version of the website was built with non-responsive and template based theme with older version of WooCommerce and other supportive plugins. Additionally, it was required to ensure the offline POS purchases are catered smoothly as the client team conducts various trade shows in the local markets.
Scale
- 780+ Products /n<br />
- 26 Categories<br />
- 250+ Active Customers<br />
- Frequent Online and Offline Trade Shows & Flash Sale Events
Inception
2022
Duration
Launched in 2 Months, Completed Development + Support & Maintenance for 1.5 Years.
Current Status
Project is live with 100% Client Satisfaction, Continuous Support and Maintenance.
Team
For Website:
1 Project Manager
1 Web Designer
1 WooCommerce Developer
1 SEO & Digital Marketing Specialist
Project Introduction
When the client approached us for this project, the official website required a thorough revamp and upgrades. The older version of the website was built with non-responsive and template based theme with older version of WooCommerce and other supportive plugins.
Project Execution
The development of the Zen Collection eCommerce website was executed following the Agile methodology of project management. The project was divided into three sprints, each focusing on specific features and functionalities of the online store.<br />
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Throughout the project, we maintained clear communication and collaboration among team members through daily standup meetings. These meetings ensured that everyone was aligned on project progress, tasks, and any potential roadblocks. Additionally, weekly project retrospects were conducted with the clients to gather feedback, address concerns, and make necessary adjustments to the project plan.<br />
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We utilized Trello Project Management with Kanban view to organize tasks, track progress, and prioritize work items effectively. This allowed us to streamline day-to-day operations and ensure efficient task management across the team.<br />
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After completing the development phase, rigorous testing was conducted on a pre-production server to identify and address any bugs or issues. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) was performed using test sales to validate the functionality and usability of the website.<br />
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Upon successful completion of testing and bug fixes, the final version of the online store was deployed using Cloudways VPS and Cloudflare caching. This deployment strategy ensured optimal performance, scalability, and security of the website.<br />
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Overall, the implementation of Agile methodology, combined with effective communication, collaborative tools, and meticulous testing, resulted in the successful development and deployment of the Zen Collection eCommerce website.
Technologies Deployed
Functional Challenges:<br />
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- Defining a effective UI<br />
- Easing out the navigation for better UX<br />
- Adding a human touch to the website branding and promoting the brand owner's expertise<br />
- Defining the engagement hook for the online visitors for better engagement & conversion<br />
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Technical Challenges:<br />
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- Restructuring product categories<br />
- Integration with better payment gateway<br />
- Replacing existing template based design with Divi Theme and page builder<br />
- Configuring WooCommerce with categories and pricing filters<br />
- Adding floating shopping cart for easy order navigation while shopping online<br />
- Accepting payments offline using website gateway for trade-shows and offline events<br />
Technical Solution and Specifications:<br />
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- Divi Theme and Page Builder<br />
- Card based product navigation for easy mobile navigation (See the category catalog page)<br />
- WooCommerce<br />
- WooCommerce Payments with PayPal and Stripe Integrations<br />
- MailChimp Integration<br />
- Ivory Search for site-wide search based on keywords<br />
- Google Site Kit and Integration with Google Search Console and Google Analytics (GA4)<br />
- Bing Webmaster Tools integration and Bing Clarity integration<br />
- On-Page SEO with right keywords, Meta Titles, Meta Descriptions and Internal/External Links<br />
- All-In-One SEO Plugin with Robot.txt and Sitemap.xml setup<br />
- Floating Cart for Ajax shopping cart on the screen that eases out the shopping cart navigation<br />
- Server side caching and image compression<br />
- Website deployment on Virtual Private Server<br />
- Shipping Class setup that calculates separate shipping rates based on Zip Codes and offers 3 layers of shipping options: Store Pickup, National Shipping with Zip Code based charges and International Shipping with charges based on buyer's country.<br />
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Functional Solutions:<br />
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- Improved UI with minimalist design highlighting brand owner expertise along with various product categories effectively<br />
- Super responsive card based product catalogs improved the UX<br />
- For better engagement, we enabled a navigation point where users can directly access all the products on discounts : "Product On Sale" section<br />
- For better conversion we designed a membership plan called "Inner Circle" that offers a store membership with exclusive perks and members' discounts with monthly subscription of Crystals and Precious Stone home delivered.
Overall Services Offered
Services We Offered:<br />
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1. Website Development and Redesign: We undertook a complete overhaul of Zen Collection's eCommerce platform, focusing on enhanced user-friendliness and mobile responsiveness. The result was a seamless browsing experience and intuitive navigation.<br />
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2. Digital Marketing Expertise: Our digital marketing strategies aligned with Zen Collection's niche audience, driving targeted traffic to their website and expanding their customer base.<br />
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3. Online Branding and Email Marketing: We crafted a cohesive online brand identity, ensuring every touch-point echoed Zen Collection's ethos. Our email marketing campaigns effectively engaged their audience, promoting products and special offers.<br />
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4. Innovative Marketing Strategies: Our team devised new marketing avenues, including the "Inner Circle Plan" - a monthly subscription of metaphysical products. This not only boosted sales but also created a loyal customer base.<br />
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5. Compelling Content Creation: We curated compelling blog posts and engaging social media content, designed to captivate and resonate with both existing and potential customers.