The Need:
Bicycle Junction is a commuter, cargo, and electric bike focused shop that also operates a small cafe in downtown Wellington, New Zealand. When I started working with them they had recently moved to a larger, more centrally located storefront, and had a basic Shopify website that was generating minor ecommerce business. They were successful, but had plenty of room to grow in their new space, and a driving need to improve sales consistency both online and in store to make the most of this new opportunity and offset new expenses. My first project with the team was to help reshape their website into a strategic landing point for digital media campaigns that would start to really drive both foot traffic and online sales.
The Remedy:
It was clear from the outset that, while their website was generating some sales, there certainly was room for a heap of growth. I got to work developing a suite of wireframes for new landing pages that would serve as ideal points of entry for digital media campaigns and help prospects find their way to key sales pages. Once the wireframes were complete I worked with Bicycle Junction’s design agency, providing both strategic advice and heaps of content, to help bring these new pages to life.
An early wire frame.
I collected testimonials from a customers of all key areas.
I also wrote the FAQ style content for each landing page.
Once the new website was roughed together I turned my attention to the existing portions of the site that needed some attention while the design team put the finishing bows on. This included a wholesale overhaul of the product descriptions and blog. I started by creating a new system for bicycle product descriptions targeted for Bicycle Junction’s primary clientele of urban riders and young mothers. The resulting “What It’s Built For” and “Why We Love It” structure of the product descriptions kept things personable and easy to understand even for new riders while still highlighting the value each bike brings.
Additionally, I got to work on an extensive series of review blog posts for different bikes and categories that would go on to serve as highly targeted landing pages, SEO boosters, and helpful guides for new visitors to the site. This blog restructuring goes went even deeper, setting up the site to become a true knowledge portal for riders of all stripes in New Zealand.
A few of the review blog posts.
One of the many products with a new look and new description.
“WHAT IT’S BUILT FOR:
The Tern GSD was built to redefine what a cargo bike can be and do. On paper, this bike looks like a bit of an oddball compact cargo bike, but on the streets, the GSD is an uncompromising full-on cargo hauling machine that just happens to fit into the lives of more people than your typical cargo rig. That’s because the GSD employs compact 20” wheels and clever frame designs to make a bike that’s no longer than any of our standard bikes but still can carry just as much weight as our much larger cargo offerings. It employs a cleverly collapsing seat post and handlebar to fit riders of all sizes and still be able to fit into compact apartments. Tern then puts a bow on things with Bosch’s powerful Performance Line motor to power you up the steepest hills and includes two battery cradles to double your range.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
Where to start? There’s a lot to love about these little bikes. At its core, the GSD is a true longtail cargo bike with plenty of capacity on its built-in rear rack (complete with a great suite of dedicated attachments for awesome versatility), but it does away with the weight, size, and general unwieldiness that so often accompany cargo bikes. We love how sturdy and smooth the bike feels right from the first pedal stroke, and how naturally the Bosch motor lets you carry heaps of cargo weight. But an absolute highlight has to be the clever design that allows the GSD to fold up small and stand upright meaning you can slip the bike behind closet doors, into your office’s corner, and even into an average sized car. Meaning more people than ever before can get aboard cargo bikes, and that’s something we really get excited about.”
The Results:
Once we launched the benefits of this new sharp and strategic website were immediately felt. Coupled with my digital media work traffic on the website increased by 23% even while bounce rate dropped by 10%. But what was really critical was the time spent on new key pages such as category landing pages, review blog posts, and product pages which nearly doubled previous average time on page. Most importantly though, this new traffic markedly increased foot falls in the store and helped generate consistent sales in the key categories of electric and cargo bikes.
