ShoeGuru 2.0

ShoeGuru.ca searches the world for high-quality, fashionable, hard-to-find footwear for men (and now women), and with exceptional customer service they have to offer, ShoeGuru definitely stands its own ground when compared to bigger guys. From the very first time we were introduced to the idea of this small start-up, to the sale of the very first shoe, this has been a great relationship which will only progress further with time. ShoeGuru is a fine example of how design can single-handedly drive an online business.

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Challenge

In order to stand out in the (online) footwear market, you must provide a unique and intuitive user experience. Building on an already successful website isn't an easy task. Return users/customers (31.92%) already have very high expectations. Those expectations get even higher when we tell them that we are re-building the site from the ground-up. After almost 2 years of constant monitoring and analysis, we took all of the advice from the users we could get and raised the bar higher... way higher.

Solution

Proposed plan of action consisted of a slight face-lift, re-development and addition of several key usability features as well as lot of work "under the hood". In fact, most of the changes were done to the back-end and the way the site functions. A long overdue media section featuring "Fashion Monthly" magazine, various promotional videos as well as photos collected from a newly introduced brand of the company called "LacedUp" is now updated on regular basis.

Result

One of the main reasons for the 2.0 update was to ensure that the website is future-proofed in terms of scalability. The company already carried 3 brands, and with many more to come it was essential that the back-end could handle a large amount of inventory. Features such as redeemable gift certificates & coupons, shipping calculator, single-page checkout and customer accounts were added for improved shopping experience. Please see "The process" for additional info.

Website development

One of the main differences between ShoeGuru.ca and other e-commerce websites is the way the user interacts with the product. We wanted to create a unique and memorable user experience that together with a great customer service, would keep users coming back. In version 1.0 we have achieved this through the use of simplicity in the initial design stage. Version 2.0 takes the product presentation (and subdivision) a step further with help of fashion photography. The user is now given several choices of styles and can actually see how the shoes look "in real life", as opposed to just looking at the product on "white background". We have contracted Klyment Tan from Klyment.com to shoot on several occasions for many new shoe styles as well as the new "Fashion Monthly" magazine that presents new arrivals in a compelling short story. We feel that this helps the user get a much better understanding of how the shoe looks and more importantly fits before they make a purchase.

LacedUp Up until now, ShoeGuru was strictly an online venture. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the idea of going local existed from the very beginning. The company is starting to make itself heard amongst the local crowd, with the recent introduction of monthly customer appreciation events called "LacedUp". We have assisted in the development of a new supporting brand that would further promote ShoeGuru as an online footwear retailer. Customers can enjoy many free giveaways (shoes, ShoeGuru apparel, gift certificates), get more information on new arrivals, meet the team behind ShoeGuru brand, and in general just have fun. After every event, users are able to check out the photos and videos from past LacedUp parties.

We didn't forget about online customers either. By signing up to the Newsletter, ShoeGuru offers discount codes otherwise not found on the website. This also makes for another great way to keep in the loop of what's coming to the store without constantly checking the "News" section.

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