Case Study

Zamzows brand + web design

Overview

Zamzows is a brick and mortar store with 13 locations in the Treasure Valley region of Idaho. Named after its original founder in 1933, the store remains family owned and operated today. It boasts a line of quality proprietary lawn, garden and pet feed products that are formulated specifically for the Treasure Valley area. During the pandemic, Zamzows expanded their brick and mortar operations by adding eCommerce functionality to their Wordpress website. They built the website in-house, and came to Mason Interactive for support in the overall look and feel and customer experience of the site.

Goals + Objectives

  • Convert online shoppers

    Create a seamless shopping experience for online shoppers with a simplified navigation and checkout process + clear CTA’s.

  • Increase foot traffic in-store

    Provide an opportunity to search for in-stock items, pinpoint convenient store locations, and find meaningful store + product information.

  • Establish brand identity

    Further develop the look & feel of the brand while also personifying key audiences and developing strategies for resonating with them.

Process

Brand Audit

This phase is for identifying problems/constraints and developing a roadmap for solving them. The client filled out an in-depth questionnaire that dug deep into how they perceive their brand. They made their KVP’s clear in the questionnaire, but none were clear on their existing website. The audit included a messaging strategy exercise to help the client understand how I would approach copywriting and marketing messages throughout the website. Lastly, the overall look and feel did not represent a cohesive brand identity and finding specific products and collections involved many steps due to a complex navigation menu.

View full audit deck

Audit Approach | Research Deep Dive

  • Client questionnaire guiding questions include:

    • Why do people connect with your brand?

    • What messages have you found resonate the most?

    • 5 adjectives to describe your tone of voice?

    • 5 adjectives to describe your look & feel

  • Google Analytics access to determine core audience personas

  • Heat map installation on current store to analyze user behavior + activity

Strategic Recommendations

  • Messaging Strategy

    • What barriers and motivators can we address in our messaging?

    • What tactics can we use to get those messages across visually?

  • Website Structure

    • Hierarchy of information

    • Mobile optimization

    • Meeting people “where they are”

  • Visuals

    • Cohesive look and feel

    • Simplified font family

    • Consistent formatting with product imagery

Brand Identity

I could not build a strong website without first laying the groundwork for the Zamzows brand identity. A full digital style guide would not only enable me to create a quality user experience, but would also equip the Zamzows team to make changes and add updates to their website in the future while remaining cohesive and on-brand.

View full style guide

Website Concept

This client did not have an in-house developer, nor did they have the budget for a third party developer. Rather than build a wireframe from scratch, I researched Shopify Plus themes that adhered to our unique needs. I pitched the theme to the client by building a wireframe within the theme builder, while under trial. This particular theme was missing several functionalities include a multiple-store locator and an accordion FAQ option, so I also researched several third party apps and walked the client through pricing and set up for each. After selling the client on the theme, wireframe, and third party extensions, it was time to design.

Zamzowshomepage-mockup-01.png
Zamzows-LawnAisle-Mockup-01.png
Zamzows Mobile-01.png
ZamzowsBefore-01.png

Front-end development

The original Zamzows website was hosted on Wordpress via WooCommerce. Before we could build out the homepage and corresponding collection/product pages, I had to migrate all website data from WooCommerce to Shopify. With the help of our SEO team, we organized product tags to ensure that collections rendered properly and filter options functioned correctly. Each collection page was custom built, as were all informational pages and third party app pages.

Outcome

 

Zamzows now has a fully-functioning eCommerce store hosted on Shopify. Online shoppers can now make orders online and have the option to pay for shipping or pick-up at a store location of their choice. With an enhanced search option and multi-store locator tool, customers that prefer to shop in-store can now utilize the website to check on inventory and window shop before making the drive to their nearest Zamzows. Lastly, Zamzows now has the foundation of a solid brand identity to continue building their customer experience on. They are equipped with the guidelines they need to ensure the brand’s identity remains cohesive in the future.

Ownership was transferred to the internal Zamzows team in early March 2022 and the site was launched later that month.

Approach