SOLUTION CONSULTING · DIGITAL COMMERCE · 8 MONTHS

From fixing a website to rebuilding the digital operation.

Specialty Retailer initially came in with WordPress issues. The engagement evolved into a broader transformation: Shopify commerce, POS, inventory synchronization, analytics, email marketing, social channels and a structured handover.

StartedNovember 2025
Shopify liveFebruary 2026
Social activeMarch 2026
HandoverJune 29, 2026
01 — The situation

The visible problem wasn't the whole problem.

The engagement started with website fixes, but the existing setup had problems across performance, operations, measurement and growth. The important consulting decision was to understand the longer-term business need instead of treating every symptom as an isolated development task.

The original environment was a WordPress/WooCommerce store on shared hosting. Checkout and responsiveness needed attention, while the lack of a staging environment and disconnected operational systems made future changes harder to manage.

The client also needed a better way to connect online commerce with event sales, understand where customers came from, run repeatable marketing campaigns and support product customization.

Consulting question

Should we keep patching the existing platform, or is the underlying architecture becoming the constraint?

02 — The journey

Three phases, each building on the last.

PHASE 1
Nov 2025 – Jan 2026

Stabilize the existing operation

  • Homepage redesign and UX improvements
  • Responsive cart and checkout work
  • Server migration to faster hosting
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup
  • Email integrations
  • Black Friday email + social campaign
  • Abandoned cart recovery
  • Size charts, FAQ and policies
PHASE 2
Jan – Feb 2026

Replatform to Shopify

  • Full store migration
  • New design and product structure
  • Live-preview jersey customization
  • Customer and order data migration
  • Payments, shipping and domain setup
  • GA4, Search Console and GTM
  • Email subscription flow
  • QA and go-live campaign
PHASE 3
Feb – Jun 2026

Connect and grow

  • Shopify POS for BCA and WBCA events
  • Template holder launch campaign
  • Clearance sale + Canada shipping
  • Instagram and LinkedIn launched
  • Shop marketplace optimized
  • 15+ social posts
  • 5+ email campaigns
  • Master marketing document
03 — The platform decision

From workaround to operating system.

The platform decision was not simply about replacing WordPress. It was about creating a more coherent commerce operation where online orders, event sales, inventory and measurement could live in a connected ecosystem.

BeforeFragmented operation

  • WordPress on shared hosting
  • Checkout and responsiveness issues
  • No staging environment
  • No analytics or channel attribution
  • Manual product customization process
  • Occasional email sends without useful segmentation
  • Square POS disconnected from online commerce and inventory

AfterConnected Shopify operation

  • Shopify storefront configured for scale
  • Live product customization experience
  • GA4, Search Console and GTM installed
  • Email automation and campaign reporting
  • Shopify POS for BCA and WBCA events
  • Online store, POS, inventory and orders synchronized
  • Marketing and content systems handed over for continued growth
04 — Outcomes

A more connected operation, with better visibility.

The engagement created the measurement infrastructure as well as the commerce operation, giving the client a clearer view of online, event, social and email activity without publishing client-sensitive commercial figures.

Connected commerceOnline store and event sales brought into one Shopify ecosystem
Better visibilityGA4, Shopify and GTM created a structured measurement foundation
Repeatable marketingEmail and social activity moved into a more consistent operating rhythm
Stronger operationsPOS, inventory, orders and storefront workflows became easier to manage
05 — My role

Where I contributed.

Role

Shopify expert & project manager — working across discovery, platform decisions, delivery coordination and client communication.

  • Helped understand the client's immediate issues and longer-term requirements.
  • Contributed to the platform evaluation and Shopify direction.
  • Coordinated Shopify development, design, WordPress work, QA, data/analytics and marketing contributors.
  • Managed requirements, priorities, dependencies, testing, approvals and go-live activities.
  • Supported Shopify configuration, storefront work and commerce workflows.
  • Worked across POS, inventory, analytics, email and marketing requirements rather than treating the storefront in isolation.
  • Participated in the final handover of the digital operation and supporting assets.
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