PartyInnovations.com
Miva Custom Development

The Client

When you’re looking for high-quality, customized supplies for your corporate party or event, Party Innovations is the answer. Or perhaps you need branded SWAG for event giveaways and gifts. Or maybe it’s something closer to home, like a wedding. Jeff, owner of PartyInnovations.com has built a company that will provide you with the custom products and one-on-one service you need to make your event a success.

Specializing in custom-printed party and event supplies and SWAG, Party Innovations has built a reputation for being experts in their field. Jeff is determined to help make your event the talk of the town, and he knew that an important step in that process was having a usable and attractive website. So he called us. 

The Challenge

One of the main challenges Jeff was facing with his website was the sheer amount of information that needs to be provided to his shoppers. When providing custom-print products, the product specifications and details can very easily become overwhelming. He needed us to find a way to present that information in a compelling way that would help ensure it wouldn’t be missed, but also wouldn’t hinder the shopping experience.

Besides the product and service information that needed to be relayed, there was also the huge amount of information that needed to be collected from the shoppers. In order to produce exactly what his customers needed, Jeff needed to provide a ton of options. It was important that we found a way to balance the highly custom nature of the product line with an easy-to-navigate interface.

The Glendale team would need to implement a way to collect all the necessary information so the shopper would feel confident that their needs would be met. In the course of event planning, items like printed napkins, cups, ribbons, bags, etc. can be tricky. They need to be ordered after details like theme, color scheme and event date are set, but they do still have strict deadlines. This combination means that timelines need to be accounted for, and approval on price quotes and proofs need to be obtained.

In addition to the specifics of the Party Innovations product lines and services, the new site would need to be responsive, attractive, and shoppable. 

The Solution

Our developers and designers were presented with a very specific challenge with PartyInnovations.com. They needed to pack a lot of information into the site without bombarding the shopper. Here’s how they handled that:

On the Product Page

Swatches and Pop-Ups

By nature of the products, we knew the product pages were going to be heavy on attributes. Most of the products provide the option to choose product color, print color, font, text, design, placement, and many products provide a double-sided option, which means twice the options! 

On top of the product attributes themselves, there were also processing options: Whether the shopper wanted a proof, a rush, a repeat order, etc. 

To make this process as quick and clear for the customer as possible, we knew much of it would have to be visual. That lead us to implementing:

• Color swatches
• Design thumbnails
• Font samples
• Placement/layout thumbnails

All of these options were made collapsible, so that the samples only showed when pertinent, and once a selection was made, they would close again. While building a product design, the shopper is left with only their selections showing. 

In addition to the product option swatches, there were some cases where more information was available to help the shopper make their choice. Instead of including this information in the product description, down below all the attributes, these were kept in-line.

By adding “more info” links, the shopper can choose to take advantage of the information, then close it once they fully understand their choices.

Custom Designs

Because many of the PartyInnovations.com clients are corporate, there was a special need for custom designs. Whether it’s a logo, branded fonts, or just a very particular event organizer, the shopper has the ability to upload art files. 

A product tab called Product Templates gives Jeff the option to upload a PDF with template and instructions for his shoppers. The Image Upload feature allows the shopper to then return that design to Jeff and his team, directly from the product page.

The design stays attached to the specific product in the order, and can be accessed by the Party Innovations team to complete the order. 

Product Notices and Warnings

To help ensure the shoppers are getting exactly what they need, we implemented a few ways for Jeff and his team to provide notices and warnings. These were added both on a global and product level, giving the Party Innovations team finite control over the messages their shoppers receive.

The challenge with these notices and warnings was having them shown in a way that would make sense to the flow of the buying journey, but wouldn’t be missed along the way. 

On the Category and Search results pages, customers are clearly notified of processing times, minimum order requirements, and pricing all at one glance, while also still enjoying a clear and concise product layout.

Within the product pages, we were able to use tabs, pop-ups and contrasting colors to convey messages and alerts as needed. 

In the Basket

Processing Fees

Custom printed products typically have a set processing fee per order; it covers the set-up of the machines and the creation of the design. The challenge with processing fees is ensuring that they are applied once per line item, and charged for every unique design option selected. 

Along with the set-up fees, Party Innovations also provides additional rush services. These all needed to be displayed in the basket in a logical way, dependent on the items in the cart. We accomplished this by including those charges in the basket summary. They carry throughout the checkout process with clear descriptions, ensuring the shopper is perfectly aware of what they are being billed for, and why.

Editable Attributes

So many of these products can be very extensive when putting them together. It’s easy to realize, once you get to the basket, that you’ve made a mistake when selecting your design. In order to cut down on incorrect orders, we set up the attribute display to be bold and clear. This gives the shopper a very direct view of the options they’ve selected. 

For any errors in their selections, they can take advantage of the edit feature we implemented directly in the basket. The shopper doesn’t have to delete the product from the cart and restart the process. 

Date and Sign Off

We mentioned before that most of the orders placed with Party Innovations are time sensitive. This leaves even less room for error than with a typical eCommerce business. To guarantee the customer is getting what they need, when they need it, we’ve added two features: Needed By date and Signature. 

The Needed By calendar gives the Party Innovations team a precise date to reference when preparing an order. In a new age of supply chain issues and potential shipping delays, timed orders can be risky. Jeff’s team can appropriately address anything that may arise in the production and delivery of the order, providing some extra reassurance.

The signature line, however, offers extra reassurance for Jeff, gives the shopper a last chance to make changes if needed, and relieves PartyInnovations.com of potential liability.

Globally

Quote Functionality

Jeff makes heavy use of the Miva Quote functionality to assist his shoppers in budgeting for their event. Especially important with corporate clients who often need to get approval, the quotes produced through the site provide a breakdown of the products, fees, and shipping rates. The give the customers a final landed cost.

The Glendale team has made several modifications to the existing quote functionality to make sure it was providing the necessary information. It was further tailored as quotes double as a purchase orders for his suppliers once the order is placed.

Mobile Usability

Especially with event planners, more and more of the Party Innovations clientele are purchasing via mobile device. Moving from an non-responsive site to the new responsive framework was, in and of itself, a huge improvement. However, Glendale wanted to take that further. 

By further optimizing the site for mobile, we improved speed, product display, and checkout pages to better suit mobile shoppers. 

The Result

After much customization, data work, and streamlining, Glendale Designs is able to present a site that not only has excellent curb appeal, but functions beautifully. Shoppers on PartyInnovations.com can be sure that every step has been taken to provide them with a superior shopping experience. 

Clarity and ease-of-use were paramount to Jeff, and this was achieved through smart design, and thoughtful functionality. If you think your site could benefit from a smoother shopping experience, contact us for a consultation.

30-Day Post Launch

Show More Show Less

Our ecommerce business is around 20 years old. We've been on Miva since the very early days. Over the years, we've had a lot of customizations done to the website and over time it became extremely difficult to manage. Glendale overhauled our website and made it a modern and responsive website. It was a complicated job and it required a tremendous amount of attention to details. Glendale did an outstanding job. I was super anxious about this project and the Glendale team came through for me. Sabine did a full survey of our website (at the start) and caught even the smallest details and nuances of the website. As a result of this upgrade, the functionality of the website is far to superior to the old site. Thanks to Sabine and her team. I would highly recommend Glendale to anyone either on Miva or starting on Miva.

Jeff Sadowsky