We built a Shopify website for a well-known swedish dog accessories brand, Collar of Sweden, within 2 weeks
Collar of Sweden has been designing colorful, trendy, and unique dog accessories since 2018. Since then, the company has built a loyal customer base and grown into a well-known brand in the industry, with dogs from Tokyo to New York proudly wearing Collar of Sweden’s unique dog accessories. This is evident not least on Collar of Sweden’s social media platforms, which are filled with adorable dogs from around the world dressed in their colorful accessories.
Over the years, Collar of Sweden and the entrepreneurs behind the company, David Åberg and Melina Jagne, and not least the Iggy stars themselves, Chili and Maggie, have executed several successful and exciting product launches and collaborations, including one with the fashion icon Tika – the Italian greyhound with over 1 million followers on Instagram.
For the past three years, Ondigital has had the privilege to collaborate with this exciting company and be part of their growth journey. During this time, their revenue has increased from approximately 1 million to nearly 5 million SEK, representing a growth of over 330%.
To continue enabling growth and development, it was necessary to switch to a more flexible ecommerce platform to implement rapid improvements and customizations. At the same time, Collar of Sweden needed a platform that could handle global requirements such as different countries, languages, and currencies. Therefore, it was obvious for us to recommend Shopify as the e-commerce platform.
We set up the store entirely tailored to Collar of Sweden’s needs and preferences and launched the new website in just 2 weeks!
The Challenge:
We had only two weeks from approved quote to launch, so one of the challenges was managing the time constraint. Additionally, we needed to customize the website for multiple countries, currencies, languages, and a wide range of color options and product variants. We also needed to tailor features to engrave name tags and offer options for custom materials on the buckles for the dog collars. Of course, it was also important to ensure a smooth transition from the previous platform to Shopify.
The Work:
With a ticking clock, we followed our accelerated project plan to quickly and efficiently implement the design and all necessary components and features on Collar of Sweden’s new website. Below, we describe some of the key aspects:
Custom fields and functionality to allow customers to make selections on items depending on the product group:
For example, for dog collars, customers could choose buckles in gold, silver, or other materials. For dog name tags, it was important for customers to be able to specify their desired engravings. To implement this feature, we made several adjustments to the theme’s main JavaScript file, while leveraging Shopify’s custom_data functionality and the ability to set custom metadata for each product.
We also created custom fields for size guides to ensure we presented relevant size guides to customers based on product type.
Color variants:
To avoid having to manage an abundance of variants for the same product, we made the decision to handle color attributes using a combination of custom_metaobjects. We created a dedicated color object with HEX code and color name, which we then linked as a separate field to the products.
Through this method, we created the ability to assign color attributes to the products without having to create new variants. This action has several benefits for us. Firstly, it serves as a smooth filtering option for customers, improving their shopping experience and increasing the likelihood of conversions. Additionally, it provides additional data in product feeds that we distribute through various marketing channels.
Migration of product data:
To effectively enrich and transfer our product data from the previous platform to Shopify, we conducted a structured process. First, we exported data from the old platform, then we used Google Sheets to customize the fields according to Shopify’s standards. We also enriched important data on the products to create the best conditions for a smooth transition to the Shopify platform.
To ensure that all necessary data was transferred correctly, we developed a script to automatically retrieve all inventory data that could not be exported through the regular export process on the launch day. This data was then imported into Shopify Inventory, ensuring that our product information was complete and up-to-date at launch. This methodology ensured a seamless transition to Shopify and has enabled efficient management of Collar of Sweden’s product inventory.
Checkout:
Since Collar of Sweden sells its products worldwide, it was necessary for the website to smoothly handle different currencies and shipping options at checkout. We chose to integrate Nshift Checkout using the Oktagon app. By using Nshift Checkout, we could dynamically present delivery options to customers based on their country and order value at checkout. For example, we could offer free shipping for orders over 1000 SEK, customized to the equivalent amount in the local currency. Our close collaboration with David at Collar of Sweden and Daniel at Oktagon has been invaluable in ensuring that we could implement the best solution on time.
Accounting:
To streamline accounting and ensure correct registration of VAT rates in each country, we chose to integrate Synka+ with Fortnox for Collar of Sweden.
Server-side tracking:
We have implemented server-side tracking with both 1st party cookies from client to server, as well as webhook functionality for registering completed purchases in a GDPR-friendly manner. This action is intended to eliminate the need to rely on all customers reaching the thank-you page after a purchase and to ensure that we collect all important data. Additionally, we have integrated the new Consent Mode v.2 to comply with new EU requirements coming into force from March 6th.
Launch within the timeframe:
Within the timeframe, we had completed the design of the website, developed all custom features, secured all necessary integrations, and trained Collar of Sweden’s team in Shopify. Our close collaboration with Collar of Sweden enabled a smooth transition from one task to the next, resulting in the record-fast launch of their new Shopify website.
Switching e-commerce platforms and building a new webshop can feel like a big and time-consuming decision, but with Timmy and Sofia at OnDigital, it was a simpler choice. Partly because of their ability to communicate and understand our needs, as well as their availability; we had access to them practically 24/7 throughout the project. They also had a very clear plan for all the different parts of the project, which made it feel much more manageable. We also received great insight and training in the setup, which allowed us to work in parallel with OnDigital and ensure that all our products had all the necessary information and images, etc. We are extremely satisfied with this project and look forward to continued collaboration with OnDigital to take Collar of Sweden to new heights. High Paw!
David Åberg
Founder of Collar of Sweden
The Future:
The launch day was a success with sales matching the levels of Black Friday!
With the new website in place, Collar of Sweden now has the opportunity to smoothly optimize and drive its e-commerce globally. At the same time, they can continuously tailor and develop the website for each market, which will continue to drive their growth journey to new heights.
We have also designed a strategy and structure to translate and adapt Collar of Sweden’s website for all countries. A central part of our future strategy will be to use AI scripts for bulk translation of the site. This will enable faster organic growth in countries with lower competition, for example.
We are grateful for the trust we received in managing the Shopify project and look forward to continuing our dynamic collaboration with the Collar of Sweden team to further strengthen and expand their e-commerce.
Stay tuned!
