Challenge
Nashelle is a small jewelry company based in Bend, Oregon. Their beautiful work is 100% hand-crafted and made to order and has a global reach with sales all over the world. The previous website (half of which was in Flash) had served Nashelle well for several years but also came with a few bumps that lead them to look for a web studio to create and build their vision.
After the unfortunate events of having found and started work with one or two other web companies, only to be told that some of their feature requests couldn't be built, Nashelle came to 420 Creative with lots of hope. Fortunately they came to the right web studio.
Nashelle's needs were more complex than a simple or standard e-commerce sites with a few products. Many of their jewelry pieces are customizable with different metals, gems and even letter stamping. Additionally, they have a unique Custom Keepsake piece that allows customers to build their own necklace or bracelet by choosing a chain and combining it with a any mix of gems, metal bars, charms and more. Combine those features with the need to be able to manage every item and web page, including a way to tie in with QuickBooks and UPS' WorldShip application, the project was a hefty challenge, but one our team was more than prepared to take on.
Solution
From the start it was clear that the best framework for the job was ExpressionEngine. ExpressionEngine provides a powerful punch in its flexibility and most importantly, its extensibility. Combined with an array of add-ons, including the awesome CartThrob, we were able to take the site to about 80%. The remaining 20% came through custom development – extending both ExpressionEngine and CartThrob to allow for certain features, including:
- Gift card purchases and online redemption
- Custom product building
- Customer wish list
- Multiple options for products
- Gift wrapping options
Combined with lean HTML5 and CSS markup, we built the site just in time for Black Friday and the crazy holidays that follow. The visual design was created by a branding studio in Bend. 420 Creative also provides the hosting.
Services
- Website Development
- CMS Integration
- E-commerce Site Development
- Information Architecture
- Web Hosting
- Search Engine Optimization
- Photography
Results
- A leaner, more user-friendly site
- Search engine-friendly site
- Streamlined shopping experience
- Easier management of site pages and products
- No more Flash!