With their previous web developer ceasing trading, the Purl & Jane WordPress website was no longer supported and would need a full upgrade with the site operatig on WordPress version 2. With a real passion for yarn and hand knit design, owner of Purl & Jane, Jane Ellison liked to keep her website up-to-date with regular content, products and blog posts. An update of this magnitude had potential to break the site and it was critical that historical data and content wouldn’t be lost.
A new WordPress website would be the only solution. An important factor of this was always going to be the migration of content, alongside products, historical orders and customer list. Customers of Purl & Jane also regularly purchase patterns with a preference that these were downloadable purchases rather than hard copies. Well-known and respected in the knitting world, a redesign could not lose the unique branding that is associated with Purl & Jane.
With a multi-faceted website migration required, it would always be simpler building the new website in WordPress, with WooCommerce providing the ecommerce solution. The migration would therefore result in a seamless transition of important content.
Purl & Jane has a close link to many key brands in the yarn industry, and we wanted to make this clear on the new website. This led in to better categorisation of the products - with so many different yarns, Jane’s speciality for patterns and ex-display garments, we had to be careful how these were laid out and categorised so that shoppers of the site would have a positive experience. Shoppers are now also able to shop by Brand, offering a quicker experience for those who knew what they were looking for. With colour swatches to offer a more visual shopping experience, and an intuitive journey when downloading patterns to name a few; this was a website that required thorough planning in regards to products and design.
Workshops, a retail store and a personality also exists behind the online store and needed to be represented on the website. It is a website that moves; it is updated regularly with blog posts and new events.
The website was built with Jane Ellison at the heart. Whilst e-commerce is at the for front of the website, it was crucial that the story of Jane was also part of this. Through her engaging, blog posts it is clear where the beating heart of Purl & Jane lies.
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