Why go custom built for e-commerce?

So, a couple of weeks ago we launched our brand new platform. Shirts, without the shopping, If you’ve not seen it yet, go check it out. I’m pretty proud of it: it’s sleek, easy to use, and just so very The Shirt Society. How did we get here? Well, we took the decision to go custom-built for our website. 

Initially, we experimented with the usual e-Commerce solutions: Shopify and various plug-ins such as Bold. Ultimately though, we just kept hitting roadblocks. We’re a business with technology at its heart, so we knew we had to get it right in terms of the platform - it had to be the epitome of ease and convenience for the user. Plus, we didn’t want to change our business proposition to suit a plug-in. So we took a deep breath, and took the plunge. 

All about the user

Going custom-built allowed us total flexibility over the user experience - we’re totally confident when we say that it’s the most convenient way to get shirt done ever...we designed it that way! We did several trial runs of the site flow, adapting the style of the buttons and pop-outs to make sure it is totally foolproof. The beauty of the custom-built was that it allowed us to tweak things to exactly how we wanted them, rather than trying to fit the mould of a predetermined platform. Giving the customer the best experience possible is the most important thing to us at The Shirt Society, and a custom-built platform allowed us to be sure that is the case.

Curation is king

As some of you may know, The Shirt Society is all about scaling down the overwhelming amount of choice offered by some brands, and giving customers a curated selection of the shirts and fits they really want. Because of this, showing off the concepts behind our shirts and explaining the fit detailing was a key requirement of whatever platform we went for. Ultimately, and as much as I do love them, we were frustrated with the lack of detail we were able to add into a Shopify site. Our custom-built platform allows us to add products and pop-out information boxes as we need. Sorted. 

Looking ahead

And now, the really exciting stuff. We’re just getting started here at The Shirt Society. I’ve got some big ideas - including expanding product ranges (watch this space…), offering customer-specific items, and creating even more of an open dialogue with our customers. But, crucially, we couldn’t do all of this stuff on an off-the-shelf e-Commerce platform or plugin. Going custom-built allows us to do basically whatever we want, and adapt as The Shirt Society evolves. 

Plus, stuff might be...ahem…’APPening soon. That’s all I’m saying… 

It’s a decision I definitely don’t regret. We’ve got that sorted for life now, and we’re ready for whatever the future throws at us. Plus, we can adapt and change elements according to customer feedback. 

The World Wide Web truly feels like it is our oyster. I’m excited.