This case study demonstrates how MurWoodHome, a brand specializing in unique decorative products, successfully transitioned from a problematic website to an effective platform for international sales on Shopify. The project was carried out as part of the “Creating and Promoting Shopify store” service provided by the marketing agency “Goal.”
About the project
The clients have a successful store on Etsy and decided to expand their sales geography with an independent store that would be available on the international market. To do this, they chose the Shopify platform, giving preference to the number of available themes and applications for store customization.
The brand differs from an online store in that it aims to not only “package” products attractively for potential customers, but also convey the value of the owners and create a connection with the audience.
The first experience of creating a store was not very successful: although the site was created, the team inherited a number of problems.
Technical audit of the Shopify store
To analyze the current situation with the store, specialists from the marketing agency “Tsil” conducted a technical audit. Based on this, the main problems were identified:
- Almost all of the site’s code was placed in one solid block, which made the site extremely slow and difficult to edit;
- A large number of unnecessary applications were installed on the site, with a monthly fee of $70 for no benefit;
- The visual component of the site, in particular the color scheme, was outdated and did not correspond to the modern style.
After the audit, the question arose: should we update the existing store or develop a new one? After compiling a list of necessary technical work, the specialists concluded that the cheaper option would be to create a new separate website from scratch, with a new theme and structure.
CRO audit for a Shopify store
In addition to the technical store, a separate CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) audit was conducted. It was aimed at analyzing user behavior and identifying areas for conversion growth. The main advantage of conducting such an audit before launching a new store is that the changes that need to be added to the site will be included in the development package, which is easier during implementation.
The CRO audit provided a clear vision of the market: it identified the main audience (users from France, Italy, the US, and Germany bought the most), so language versions will be created separately for them. It also identified the most popular product collections, which were already taken into account during the development of the main page.
What was included in the CRO audit:
- User journey analysis: using the ShopifyQL tool, we analyzed which pages visitors view most often and whether they make purchases from these pages;
- Technical speed analysis: we checked how fast the site loads, especially on mobile devices, as this directly affects the user’s desire to stay on the site;
- Mobile UI/UX expertise: we evaluated how convenient it is to use the site from a phone, in particular the product page, where options are selected and personalization takes place;
- We looked at how much time users spend on the site on average and how deeply they scroll through the pages.
- We compared data on adding products to the cart and placing orders for the last month with the previous period to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes already made.
Product hypotheses
To systematize the next steps, the team used the product hypothesis method. Each improvement idea was evaluated for complexity, usefulness, and potential reach, which allowed us to prioritize the most effective changes. One of the first tasks implemented was a complete overhaul of the collections page: it now includes filters for easy searching, a block with recommended products to increase the average check, keywords to improve navigation, and many other ideas, the implementation of which is divided by priority.
Start of work on the project
The redevelopment process was comprehensive: the website was fully localized for key markets, adding translations and different currencies.
Example of website translation into Italian
New convenient features have been added, such as Quick View, comprehensive filters, and a significantly improved search function that now offers collections and provides suggestions:
Example of website translation into Italian
New convenient features have been added, such as Quick View, comprehensive filters, and a significantly improved search function that now offers collections and provides suggestions:
In total, creating, filling, and optimizing the store based on priority product hypotheses took a technical specialist 50 hours of work.
Results
Comparing the indicators for the periods before and after the update, the team recorded significant growth:
- The overall conversion rate (CR Breakdown) increased from 0.13 to 0.32;
- The number of sessions increased from 2,252 to 4,118;
- Add to Cart increased from 26 to 81;
Interaction with the desktop version almost equaled that of the mobile version: the number of PC users increased from 482 to 1,100-1,300.
Growth indicators for the new store over a month
In addition to the direct impact on sales, optimization saved $70 per month on unnecessary add-ons. Work on the project continues within the framework of a product hypothesis system, which ensures the continuous and informed development of the site.
Conclusion and future plans
The MurWoodHome case study demonstrates how a thorough audit and strategic approach to development can radically change the effectiveness of an online store. By solving key issues with speed, design, and user experience, we were able to achieve significant growth in conversion and engagement.
Moving forward, we will continue to implement product hypotheses to improve the site step by step based on data. Potentially, we can start working on SEO optimization, as analysis shows that it will be a more effective strategy for this project than SMM on Meta or TikTok.
If you are interested in improving your Shopify store or promoting it further, click the “Discuss project” button. A manager will contact you to discuss the details of the project and conduct a free audit of your store.
You may be interested in our other cases
How to increase sales and turnover twice in six months
