MarineStore.co.uk
Site Rebuild for 50% Increase in Revenue

MarineStore.co.uk came to Glendale Designs with a couple of very common ecommerce complaints: the site was too slow, and the sales were too low. Those complaints often go hand-in-hand; customers who have to wait too long for a page to load aren’t going to stick around to make a purchase. After consultation with MarineStore, we determined that a site rebuild on an updated framework would be necessary. Working on an older framework, the store was struggling to keep up with the high quality images and large catalog, while also allowing for fast processing and navigation.

By placing the site on the latest Miva theme available, we were able to provide an immediate boost to site performance. Even without a custom site design or custom functionality, the site was greatly improved through the use of the Shadows base design and Miva’s built-in capabilities.

SEO

MarineStore.co.uk’s transition to an updated framework by Glendale Designs leveraged Miva’s robust capacity for SEO to create a solid foundation for search engine performance. The rebuild ensured that critical elements, such as clean URL structures and proper indexing, are in place to improve the site’s discoverability. Optimized meta titles and descriptions for key pages enhance click-through rates, while hierarchical navigation supports better crawling by search engines.

Although custom SEO features were not part of the rebuild, Glendale Designs maximized the platform’s built-in potential. To further capitalize on Marine Store’s SEO potential, we implemented structured data (schema markup) to enable rich snippets, such as displaying product reviews and prices directly in search results. Our rebuild has successfully laid the groundwork for MarineStore’s SEO success, providing a scalable base for future growth.

Site Speed and Core Web Vitals

Since Core Web Vitals were introduced by Google, they have continued to rise in importance when it comes to site performance and, therefore, visibility. The site’s updated framework has notably improved MarineStore.co.uk’s performance, delivering faster load times and aligning with Google’s Core Web Vitals standards. Our rebuild ensured that the site benefits from the platform’s native efficiencies, such as reduced server response times and streamlined code. These enhancements lead to a better user experience, positively influencing SEO rankings and more importantly, the customer experience.

Key Core Web Vitals metrics, like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and First Input Delay (FID), show measurable improvements. Faster page loads reduce abandonment rates, especially on mobile devices where performance often suffers. Glendale Designs made foundational adjustments to improve these metrics, such as the addition of lazy loading to reduce initial page weight.

Minimizing cumulative layout shift (CLS) was another opportunity for us to improve the site performance. By defining image dimensions and optimizing font loading, the browsing experience becomes smoother and more stable. Glendale Designs’ work ensures MarineStore is ready to meet modern performance demands while maintaining a strong base for further optimization as customer expectations and search engine algorithms evolve.

The Shopper’s Journey

Glendale Designs prioritized a simple, efficient user experience in MarineStore.co.uk’s rebuild, ensuring that shoppers can navigate and purchase with ease. The intuitive structure of the Miva framework provides seamless navigation, from category exploration to checkout. The homepage effectively highlights essential product categories, while the search functionality allows users to find specific items quickly.

Part of the rebuild’s focus was moving away from third party applications to rely more on Miva’s already powerful internal systems. One such change was switching from an expensive and bloated third-party search enhancement to Miva’s improved built-in search. This allowed us to prioritize the client’s budget on parts of the business that would benefit more directly. Since updates to search in Miva 10, the native functionality is much improved and made it possible for MarineStore to get rid of the extra monthly bill without having to sacrifice usability.

The checkout process is efficient, reflecting an attention to the needs of the modern shopper. Implementing flexible payment options and additional features, like saving items to wish lists and guest checkout, helps to cater to a wider range of shopper preferences without burdening the checkout with a complicated interface or an overwhelming amount of information. 

The Results

The rebuild of MarineStore.co.uk by Glendale Designs delivered a modern, responsive framework that significantly enhanced performance and usability. By transitioning to Miva’s built-in search and replacing outdated modules with the platform’s native functionality, the site became faster and more efficient. These updates, though subtle in appearance, had a profound impact on sales, conversion rates, and search engine indexability. This project demonstrates how strategic updates to underlying systems can drive meaningful results without requiring a complete visual overhaul. If you think your site could benefit from a framework update, reach out and we can help.

30-Day Post Launch