Project background.
Creating a business from the ground-up is a difficult task, but building a ecommerce business during lockdown is an altogether more challenging undertaking. With the vision of our highly motivated client and the breadth of knowledge of our experienced team, From The Heart has gone from strength to strength.
Sector
Giftware
Project Timeline
April 2021 - Present
Supported In
The concept of From The Heart began in early 2021 when the UK was in lockdown. Already running a successful Post Office that stocked a wide range of giftware and confectionery from well known brands such as Thorntons, the client saw an opportunity to expand his range and reach by creating an online store.
The new business had a name and a vision, but the rest would require an agency with enough know-how to build a brand from scratch. The client wanted to create a user-friendly website to fulfil personalised orders on products.
What We Did.
Research & Strategy
- Identified and subsequently carried out competitor research to ensure the website and branding would be distinctive and provide a memorable experience for the user.
Website
- A holding page was created and built while the website was under development in order to build up awareness of the brand launch.
- User experience was determined as a key USP, setting From The Heart apart in an already crowded market.
- Personalisation functionality was built into the website to allow customers to add custom content to the products – we also installed a personalisation preview feature to improve UX.
- All website content was written by our team to be simple yet appealing. All content was based on SEO best practices.
- Over 5,000 products were listed, and the site was built to ensure the volume of content didn’t lag performance.
- Thorough research and testing determined the best way to categorise the expanse of products, resulting in filters, A-Z pages and a mega menu.
- Shipping profiles were implemented based on methods provided by the client.
- In order to make the products accessible to a larger audience, we proposed adding finance providers such as Klarna and ClearPay, based on our own research into which providers would be best suited.
- We undertook an in-depth handover process which included training to ensure the client and their team could get the best from their new website.
Branding
- Created a range of concepts which appealed to value-conscious online shoppers who were looking for personalised, and affordable gifts.
- Ensured branding reflected the fact that FTH supplied a wide range of products at both budget and mid-range price points.
Marketing
- Following the site being built, the client identified the need for a launch campaign and ongoing digital marketing strategy to ensure the business’s success.
- We created a two-prong marketing campaign with a holistic approach – encompassing both online and offline marketing.
- To build online reach, we shared multiple posts per week across chosen social media platforms, undertook PPC advertising, and ensured cross-brand promotion with finance providers.
- For those already shopping at the client’s brick and mortar post office location, we created posters and flyers including QR codes and on-screen advertising near the queue, displaying the product range available online.
- The website was designed to be adaptable to relevant festive events to capitalise on seasonal marketing.
The challenges.
As expected on a project of this nature, a few challenges were encountered along the way.
The client’s manufacturer provided access to a .CSV file that held data on all the products that would be sold by From The Heart, over 5,000 in total. In order to use this information, it first had to be substantially reformatted to allow for seamless import into WordPress. To do this successfully and streamline the process for future product releases and updates, we created a templated procedure to make future product and image imports a painless process.
A secondary issue arose when the API documentation provided by a third party was found to be insufficient and not fit for purpose. The coding was designed to allow custom personalisation of the product images, however the coding for personalisation was not working when we implemented it. Not accepting defeat, our developers successfully produced bridging code to resolve the issue.
The results.
The launch of From The Heart was met with positive feedback from both old and new customers, with particular praise for the usability and navigation of the site. To date, online and offline marketing strategies continue to increase traffic to the site, and sales are increasing in line with our projections. The ability to quickly theme the site in line with calendar events has also paid dividends, with sales notably increasing during these periods.
We continue to work closely with From The Heart, providing ongoing marketing support, particularly surrounding social media management. The client is grateful to have had support in helping his vision become a reality in such a short period of time and enjoys the creation of a secondary revenue stream with minimal upkeep.
+5000+
products uploaded
+29%
bounce rate in past year
+38k
page views in past year
Inzar, Joey and the rest of the team of at Insight have helped me to launch my new ecommerce business. Having had no previous experience/knowledge of launching my own website this was a daunting task!
- Dilesh Naran, From the Heart Gifts, Feb 2022
