The Cotton & Crown Co. launched the damn thing!
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When clients ask me what platform I think their product-based business should be on, I don't often say Squarespace. The fact is, Squarespace isn't as robust as other options like Shopify.
However, there are some cases where it makes more sense to put the shop on Squarespace, based on the focus and individual needs of the client –and that's exactly what I did for Katherine, owner of The Cotton & Crown Co.
We had several boxes to tick to make this work well though and that required some custom "extras" that just aren't available in Squarespace out-of-the-box, like:
product filters, sorting & search
custom page numbering to shorten the products page
installation of an automatic Related Products section at the bottom of each product
connecting additional services & extensions like AfterPay, Quickbooks, Smart SEO, and Shippo
customizing the Quick View and lightbox form popups to match the rest of her website
All that to say, Squarespace's e-commerce features definitely do have limits, but sometimes it's fun to find new ways to push beyond those and see how I can make it work best for the client.
That said, in order for it to work this WELL, and become something this BEAUTIFUL, ...
It takes some really great teamwork! Which I was lucky to have!
About the project
Katherine came to me with a clear vision for how she wanted to help people in her own way and develop a platform along the way that would help her provide some much-needed resources for people who have been (or are) in her old shoes.
During our discovery call, she graciously shared her story with me and of course, my heart immediately went out to her! I cannot fathom the hardships she had to overcome.
I knew immediately, that even though I’ll be honest and say that e-commerce websites are not my favorite thing to work on, that I really wanted to help her get this up and running –for so many different reasons, the least of which was that she deserved a chance at this happiness and this dream.
Katherine’s shop sources products from some of her favorite vendors, all of which are either women-owned businesses that she wants to prop up in her own way or are brands that give back to meaningful causes and/or charities with each purchase –while selling unique and beautiful products.
She’s chosen each product carefully for the quality and beauty, and each vendor she sells for, for their company value and dedicated causes. It’s really a neat approach and I’ve been so happy to be part of it!
Katherine says,
“Katelyn was more than I could've ever asked for! Everyone that goes to thecottonandcrownco.com says that it is so "me" and as they peruse the pages they can feel the warmth and passion I have behind my purpose.
To be able to launch with the professional quality website Katelyn delivered, is something everyone should be so lucky to have. It will give my business an immediate sense of credibility and you know what they say - You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Not only did she bring her AMAZING skills, talent and professional brilliance to the project - she brought her warm heart, compassion and sincere kindness. I can honestly say I felt like I was walking this journey with a dear friend. This project was not only the launch of my super exciting new business, it was a very vulnerable moment for me since I am sharing some pretty intimate details about a traumatic time in my life. Katelyn guided me through it with the patience of Job. She is literally a f'ing rockstar! 🤩
Katelyn not only accomplished every single design goal (and I'm pretty damn picky) she surpassed them a million times over. She was honest with me if something wouldn't work and open to ideas that I would suggest. She truly made working together feel effortless and made me feel comfortable during the entire process. I was honest and told her from the start that I was certain of the "vision" in my head and that I might be opinionated at times and she was just as honest. I loved that! I appreciated that she wouldn't just "give in" to my ideas if it meant putting the finished product in jeopardy, in the slightest.
I'm so honored to launch with a webpage that was so thoughtfully executed. From beginning to end Katelyn asks you the hard questions, checks in with you to make sure you are happy and walks you through any nervous nellies you may have. You'd be doing your soul & your business a favor by applying to work with Katelyn! I'm hooked - she's never getting rid of me!“
You can support her at:
Website Features
In this shop, there are a ton of customized features that are worth noting!
installed custom fonts
installed a custom filtering & search feature on the Shop and Resources pages for easy sorting
customized pagination on the Shop to prevent the page from displaying too much at once
connected the shop to AfterPay for split payments
customized Related Products at the bottom of each product listing
customized Related Posts at the bottom of each resource page
customized on-brand lightbox forms & Quick View in the shop
page layouts for additional pages you might not see, like:
Error 404 (broken link page)
a Thank You page form redirect to after submission
a layout for her Privacy Policy, and both sets of Terms & Conditions
a Linktree-style social media landing page
customized shop-related email notifications sent to customers
some split page layouts, nostalgic graphics for her family photos, link hover animations, and more!
But now it’s time to stop talking about it and do a show & tell!
Gallery
CLICK TO OPEN EACH IMAGE & SEE THE WHOLE PAGE!
