The Challenge

When I first encountered Refined Rustic Furniture's website, it was immediately clear that this Calgary-based woodworking company deserved better. Their site was inaccessible due to an expired SSL certificate, marking it as "unsafe" for visitors and resulting in countless missed connections with potential clients. Beyond this critical technical issue, the site failed to showcase the true craftsmanship and beauty of their custom wood furniture, live edge slabs, and extensive lumber selection.

The Solution

Working closely with the Refined Rustic team, I developed a comprehensive redesign strategy that would not only resolve their technical issues but transform their digital presence into a true reflection of their artisanal quality and exceptional service.

Technical Foundations

• Domain Reconnection: Properly connected and secured their domain name

• SSL Certificate: Installed and configured a new SSL certificate to remove the "unsafe" warning that was turning away potential customers

• Vector Logo Recreation: Remade their logo in vector format for scalable use across all digital platforms

• Google Business Integration: Added and optimized their Google Business profile to improve local SEO

Custom Design Elements

To truly showcase Refined Rustic Furniture's craftsmanship and products, I created several custom components:

• Wood Selector Accordions: Developed interactive accordions that educate customers about different wood types, their characteristics, and visual examples

• Service Showcases: Created three custom components highlighting their services including custom furniture creation, lumber selection, and woodworking classes

• Product Carousels: Designed elegant carousels displaying their handcrafted furniture pieces with properly optimized images

• Sale Banner: Created an eye-catching banner for their upcoming Moving March Sale, featuring a 20% discount on all items

Marketing Integration

• Marketplace Connections: Added direct buttons linking to their Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace listings, working around the limitation of not being able to embed external listings

• CRM Functionality: Implemented lead capture forms to build their customer database for seasonal sales notifications

• Blog Infrastructure: Set up a blog section to showcase their woodworking expertise and project stories

Visual Improvements

• Professional Photography: Took high-quality photos of their workshop to add authenticity and craftsmanship context to the site

• Photography Training: Conducted a hands-on training session teaching the owners how to use portrait mode on their phones to capture the beauty of their pieces with proper depth of field

• Image Optimization: Enhanced and optimized all product images for web use without sacrificing quality

Content Development

• Product Descriptions: Crafted detailed descriptions of their wood selection, finishing techniques, and custom furniture options

• Service Explanations: Developed clear, compelling content explaining their custom furniture process

• About Us Story: Created an engaging narrative highlighting their three-generation family business and commitment to quality

The Results

The new Refined Rustic Furniture website now serves as a proper digital showroom for their exceptional woodworking. The site is secure, visually appealing, and effectively showcases their products and services. The owners now have the tools and knowledge to maintain and update their site, including capturing beautiful photos of new inventory.

Most importantly, the site now functions as an effective marketing tool that will help them clear inventory before their upcoming move, connect with new customers, and highlight the craftsmanship that makes their furniture special.

By combining technical fixes, custom design elements, and practical training, we've transformed their web presence from a liability into one of their strongest assets.

Looking for a website redesign that truly showcases your business? Contact us today to discuss how we can transform your digital presence.