The Challenge
Roast & Co. had been selling specialty coffee online for three years using a generic Shopify template. Their products were exceptional, but their website wasn't doing them justice.
The problems:
- Conversion rate stuck at 0.8% (industry average is 2-3%)
- Mobile experience was clunky—60% of traffic bounced immediately
- Site didn't communicate their brand story or what made their coffee special
- Checkout process had unnecessary friction
- No clear path for subscription sign-ups despite wanting to grow recurring revenue
Owner Marcus knew the site was holding the business back but didn't know where to start.
The Solution
We rebuilt the entire site from the ground up with strategy driving every design decision.
What we did:
- Brand-first design: Created a visual identity that matched the quality of their product—clean, modern, and premium without being pretentious
- Simplified navigation: Reduced menu items from 12 to 6, making it easier for customers to find what they need
- Product storytelling: Added origin stories, tasting notes, and brewing guides to each product page
- Mobile optimization: Rebuilt the mobile experience to be fast and intuitive—large touch targets, simplified checkout
- Subscription focus: Made subscription options prominent with clear value propositions and easy management
- Trust signals: Added customer reviews, quality certifications, and transparent sourcing information throughout
The site launched with comprehensive training so Marcus could manage it confidently.
The Results
Within 90 days:
- Conversion rate jumped from 0.8% to 2.5% (210% increase)
- Mobile bounce rate dropped from 68% to 34%
- Average order value increased by 18%
- Subscription sign-ups grew by 340%
- Monthly revenue up 156%
"Our old site was basically a digital brochure. The new one? It's a sales machine. We're finally capturing the quality of our product online, and customers are responding. Best investment we've made in the business."
— Marcus, Owner of Roast & Co. Coffee
Key Takeaways
- Strategy before aesthetics: A beautiful site that doesn't convert is just expensive art
- Mobile matters: Most small businesses underestimate how many sales they're losing to poor mobile experience
- Tell your story: Commodity products need differentiation—your story is your competitive advantage
- Simplify ruthlessly: Every extra click costs you customers