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NDI, a leader in faux floral arrangements, has revolutionized the industry with over 50 years of expertise. Renowned for their lifelike designs, NDI’s creations are sought after by top-tier residential and commercial designers, as well as prominent furniture and department stores.
Featured in elite publications like Elle Decor and VERANDA, their commitment to quality and unparalleled service has set a new standard in decorative florals, blending artistry with meticulous attention to detail in every piece crafted and shipped.
Here’s where things got really interesting – parallel development. Now, imagine running a busy e-commerce store where every click matters, where downtime isn’t an option, and yet, you know the entire site needs a major overhaul. That’s where we came in with a solution that was as practical as it was innovative.
Instead of waiting until the whole site was redesigned, we developed a new template alongside the existing one.
By developing page by page, we could test everything thoroughly, fix issues as they arose, and ensure a seamless transition when the time comes for the full launch. This method not only avoided downtime but allowed us to tackle technical debt head-on – eliminating old, clunky features while adding sleek, modern functionality.
The decision to build the new template in parallel while keeping the same WordPress instance and shared database minimized the risk of server complications. This method kept the infrastructure simple yet effective.
Every great project begins with a simple conversation, and our journey with NDI was no different. It all started late last year with a comprehensive Code Audit of their online store.
We were immediately struck by the potential the site had but also aware of the challenges it faced. By July, we were ready to tackle the heavy lifting – rewriting the entire template, one page at a time.
It’s been a thrilling ride ever since, with new improvements rolling out.
Our mission was simple but ambitious: build a faster, more flexible website that not only worked well for today but could grow and evolve with NDI’s future needs. We weren’t just tweaking an old system; we were giving it new life. A faster website would lead to better engagement, lower bounce rates, and, in the end, more sales.
The initial engagement was to conduct an audit. The main issues identified were:
– An outdated PHP version and non-updated WordPress environment.
– Poor PSI performance due to a pre-purchased theme, which limited optimization potential.
– As the client initiated marketing campaigns, they needed their website modified for better performance and speed.
When NDI kicked off new marketing campaigns, the need for a faster, better website became crystal clear. Our recommendation was to rebuild the site using a new template rather than attempting to patch the current one – a step that would not only boost speed but also simplify future modifications.
It started with choosing the right tools for the job and it allowed us to build the new template without any server infrastructure changes.
The new template was based on our tried-and-true Juniper theme, a reliable foundation that gave us the flexibility to customize without compromise.
Normally, in projects like this, we might suggest using a reverse proxy to direct traffic between different WordPress instances. But that wasn’t an option here because of the server configuration, and introducing complex infrastructure would have added unnecessary layers of complication.
Instead, we worked with the same WordPress instance and the same database, keeping things clean and straightforward. The result? A faster, more efficient site, all without the risk of major migrations or complex server adjustments.
Every project comes with its unique challenges, and NDI’s was no exception. One of the biggest hurdles we faced was the theme structure we inherited, which was not implemented according to best practices. This required us to step in and carefully manage various elements, including script paths, to ensure that every page worked seamlessly. While it was a complex technical challenge, our team was more than equipped to handle it, ensuring the site was set up for smooth future development.
The previous template made even minor modifications costly and difficult. By rewriting the template, we ensured that future updates and changes could be handled more efficiently, making the site more scalable and easier to maintain.
The full transformation isn’t live yet, and we’re confident that once it is, the results will speak for themselves. Faster load times, lower bounce rates, and reduced costs on ad campaigns – these are just a few of the benefits we expect to see once the new site is fully launched.We’ve already seen improvements in PageSpeed Insights based on the work we’ve done so far, and once the full site is live, we’re excited to see just how much further we can push it.
This project reinforced one of our core beliefs: parallel development can be a game-changer. By building the new site while the old one was still running, we were able to minimise risk, optimise performance, and deliver a smoother experience for NDI’s customers. It’s a strategy we’ll continue to use in future projects where timing and performance are key.
WooCommerce Development
WooCommerce Development
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Let us know when you’re free, and we’ll schedule a short intro meeting online. You tell us about your project, we will ask questions, you will ask questions and max. 30 minutes later, we will know if we’re the right fit.
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