Making Design Decisions Based on Business Needs
Over the years of working with small business owners, I have found that it is incredibly important to be flexible and look at the big picture when advising clients on web design options. For today’s blogpost, I am sharing a case study where options were reviewed and a decision was made that was ultimately the best decision for the business owner. I have written numerous articles on my preferred platforms as a designer. However, sometimes it makes sense to look at all the options and make a decision based on the business vs. which platform has the most bells and whistles. This was the case for Sparkle Salon & Boutique.
Case Study: Sparkle Salon & Boutique Redesign Project
Owner, Amanda Beard, came to me looking for a re-brand and complete redesign of her website. The original website was designed in Square/Weebly as Square is her primary payment processor for both her salon and boutique. We weighed the options and she chose to stick with what she knows. Read on to learn more about why.
When Amanda and I first connected, we spent quite a bit of time reviewing her platform options for her website. Amanda has been in business for 10 years as a salon owner. She saw a need in her small town in Idaho and decided to expand her business to a brick and mortar boutique with an online store as well through Square. My usual recommendation for e-commerce stores is Shopify, and she had also been told by others that Shopify is the way to go. However, she has many years of product images and data on the back end of Square. While it is entirely possible to migrate a store from Square to Shopify, there is also a learning curve that comes with learning a new system as well as the cost factor. Shopify is it’s own e-commerce machine. The only way for her to stay with her current processor and use Shopify was to integrate a system like Zapier. Zapier will connect the two systems to “play nice” and communicate. However, this option results in an added step to the learning process. And with anything tech related, there is always the chance it might not perform at 100% all the time. Systems go down, and that’s just a fact when conducting any sort of business online.
Amanda also runs a hair and nail salon in addition to her boutique. Plus she is a busy mom and all around boss lady! The reality for this situation is that Amanda was better suited sticking with Square for all of the above. Now it is no secret, that as a designer I lean towards more robust design platforms like Squarespace and Shopify that give me more control over the design elements with the ability to manipulate code. However, I am also a woman in business and a busy mom so I have a realistic outlook on what could better serve the client over me as the designer. I was up for the challenge of exploring some of the new features in Square and pushing the design limitations to create something functional and beautiful. I believe we were able to achieve just that with this project!
Check out the before and after of her branding and website:
We created an intro section so site visitors could “meet” the small business owner they are shopping with as well as have the opportunity to learn more about Amanda.
We started with a discovery call followed by a branding exercise to work through the rebranding process. This sets the tone for the website design. I make it a point to find complimentary fonts that are available on both the design platform and Canva. This makes it very easy for business owners to carry the ball forward maintaining a consistent brand experience across social media and other marketing efforts. The branding fell into place beautifully based on my take on the design direction along with the information Amanda provided on both our call and in the brainstorming exercise she completed. These front end details ensured we were on the same page from the beginning. Sometimes as a designer I will find a client where we really connect, and that is where the magic happens! This was the case working with Amanda. Personally, I am a beauty junky and love to support small boutiques. While Square is not my “dream” design platform, the business type and client were 100% my dream client and scenario. It was so much fun to work through this process with Amanda!
The other objective was to reorganize the menu and item categories to improve the user experience. Prior to redesign, there were MANY options for links to click when shopping. The new design includes a streamlined menu with organized content. This not only improves the shopper’s experience but also makes managing the back end of the site so much easier for Amanda. Win/win! The hair page is a great example of pushing the boundaries within Square to create a more functional site. The back end details are just as important as the design aesthetic when creating an online shop.
An improved layout giving shoppers the ability to shop by brand and category in addition to all the products offered at Sparkle Salon & Boutique! Image links to page for a full view or click here to see it live.
At the end of the day, sticking with Square was truly the best option for Amanda. And dare I say, I quite enjoyed some of the positive changes being created within Square. I would have loved to get my hands on more back end code for more customization but that is the “nerd” in me loving to tweak code. For Amanda, she is set up with a beautiful new brand experience that is truly reflective of her and her motto “BE YOURSELF, YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL LIKE THAT!”
Please check out Amanda’s boutique and show her small business some love this holiday season and beyond. Shop small and have a meaningful impact. Business owners like Amanda are truly amazing people making a difference in their communities. Learn more about Amanda here and shop Sparkle Salon & Boutique!
If you are in need of a site redesign and are hoping to have this completed by end of year, please reach out now as spots are filling up. I will be closing the books on 2024 projects and begin booking for 2025 by mid-November. Let’s chat and see if we are great fit to collaborate!
