Headless Shopify Agency

The challenge

Cole & Son had an existing eCommerce store that was built on Shopify and had experienced some success. However, the site was suffering from some typical Shopify challenges and wasn’t able to scale in the manner that Cole & Son required to meet their growth targets.

These challenges included:

• Slow site speed
• Lack of design flexibility
• Limited functionality
• Limited control of SEO factors
• Restricted international capabilities

Cole & Son challenged us to find a solution that would enable them to internationalise the business and drive growth.

Headless Shopify Development

We implemented a Headless Shopify solution to overcome the challenges that Cole & Son faced on the existing website. The client liked Shopify’s interface but their existing solution was holding them back. Our Headless Shopify solution enables Cole & Son to maintain their existing eCommerce management system while gaining a new frontend website interface that provides greater flexibility and performance.

We decoupled the frontend and backend of Cole & Son’s eCommerce website, retaining the backend eCommerce management in Shopify and replacing the Shopify frontend with a WordPress ‘head’. The WordPress CMS provides the client with a user friendly interface to manage their website content while also while achieving a custom website design, enhanced SEO performance, user engagement, site speed and website security.

Headless proof of concept

To select the best headless solution for Cole & Son, we rigorously tested a number of options during a proof of concept process. We started by defining the client’s success criteria for their Headless Shopify website. We selected 8 potential CMS options and reviewed the documentation to score each one on a predefined rating scale.

We created a proof of concept for each of the 3 highest scoring CMS’s and tested the Shopify integration and key functionality. Based on Cole & Son’s requirements, WordPress was selected as the best CMS for the headless solution.

The design

With established roots in the fashion world, design is an integral part of Cole & Son’s business. We created a unique and editorial feel with the new website design. We created a flexible user interface that enabled Cole & Son’s marketing team to curate content throughout the site and fully showcase their collections and products.

On-page roll calculator

Purchasing wallpaper can be a complex process. Customers must consider the wall width and height, but also pattern repeats and pattern size. To simplify this process, we created a roll calculator that is available on every wallpaper product page. It is pre-set with the relevant product information so users only need to enter their wall dimensions to calculate the number of rolls required.

This feature increases customer satisfaction and removes a barrier to purchase.

International expansion

Cole & Son’s previous website only sold to consumers in the UK. During the web build, they were in the process of changing their distribution model so they could sell directly to consumers worldwide, reducing their reliance on distributors.

Our challenge was to create and implement an international marketing strategy that would increase Cole & Son’s market penetration in target territories and enable customers to find the website and purchase products in their local currency.

We delivered 7 territories on the new website, with the flexibility to expand to additional territories in the future. Each territory was optimised for regional search engines, enabling local audiences to find the Cole & Son website and the content that was relevant to them.

Upon launch, Cole & Son rapidly experienced increases in sales and rankings, going from no footprint outside of the UK to having an established presence in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden and Norway.

The international campaign won the Best Cross Border Campaign at the eCommerce Awards. Read about the full campaign strategy here.