Crazy Shirts, a maker of Hawaiian clothing, is using technology from MarketLive, an e-Commerce platform provider, to optimize the retailer’s web site for viewing on smartphones and tablets.
In addition to showcasing products for men, women and children, the new web site includes videos, user reviews, a visual history of Crazy Shirts and a behind-the-scenes peek at the company’s specialty dyes.
“Visits to our brick-and-mortar stores are a memorable experience for our customers, but we felt as if our web site wasn’t delivering quite the same terrific experience,” said Patrick Stewart, VP of Marketing for Crazy Shirts, which has more than 35 brick-and-mortar stores in Hawaii, Colorado, California, Nevada and Florida, as well as an e-Commerce site. “We like to think of a visit to one of our stores as a mini vacation, and we wanted to make sure that our web visitors had that experience as well.”
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Prior to the redesign, which launched in early March 2013, visitors could view the site on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, but there were some limitations on accessing the site using those platforms. “It was possible to view the [previous version of the site] on a tablet or smartphone and make a purchase, but it wasn’t easy to navigate, the buttons were small and it could be slow,” Stewart explained. “The new site is optimized specifically for shopping from tablets and smartphones. Our relaunched web site looks, feels and operates in a really nice way on any device, be it a 50-inch screen or an iPhone.”
Responsive Technology Manages Image Size
Responsive technology helps to carefully manage image sizes to make it a fun and engaging experience regardless of the viewing platform, explained Mark Pierce, CEO and President of MarketLive.
“Our framework presents the web site based on the screen that is being used for viewing,” according to Pierce. “What a user wants to do when they open up the site on a tablet is different from what they want to do when they open it up on a larger screen, and the technology takes that into account.”
Teams from both companies collaborated to revive nostalgic images from the apparel maker’s 1960s Hawaiian roots and extend the brand’s beach-and-surf vibe online. Product inventory was re-photographed on live models in outdoor settings.
While the site is filled with lush tropical images highlighting the clothing and the Hawaiian Islands, Pierce said the goal was to provide a fun and authentic site that still had e-Commerce in mind.
“We had a chance to dig deep into Crazy Shirts’ celebrated history and bring that to life in pixels,” Pierce explained. “We let the brand story guide the site redesign in ways that are both authentic to the brand and optimized for visitor conversion and sales throughput.”
The redesign also provides a more prominent place for user reviews. “We had user reviews, but you had to hunt a bit to find them,” Stewart added. “The one thing I always look at when I’m viewing a web site it the reviews, so I felt we should highlight them a bit more.”
While it is too early to provide detailed statistics, Stewart said the feedback has been positive. “We felt that if we improved the web site experience, all of the good statistic will follow. This version of our web site certainly delivers something that is closer to the in-store experience.”
The next project is to add a video tour of each store. “Each of our stores is unique, and that is something we want to showcase,” according to Stewart. “Our employees are great ambassadors, so we want to give them a chance to reach people beyond the store.”
