Case study for Canadian custom-made leather boots.

Background & Challenge

Our client has been crafting made-to-order premium leather boots in Canada since 1946. Handcrafted in British Columbia, they stand out in the market by offering a lifetime warranty on all their leather boots, ensuring long-lasting quality and customer trust. At one point they sold CSA steel boots, service boots, Chelsea fashion boots and made to order boots.

They reported a surprising 51% drop in sales during 2021, despite the boom in eCommerce that year due to COVID-19, when people stayed home and had more disposable income. Our team conducted a thorough audit of their website and identified several issues that needed attention, along with opportunities for improvement.

  • Their Goal

    The goal was straightforward. Increase revenue.

    There were many items to fix, almost too many to list. The goal was to take a low-hanging fruit approach and methodically fix one thing after another, achieving incremental improvement.

  • Our Solution

    Competitor Research

    An in-depth analysis was conducted using five key criteria: product quality, product range, brand reputation, pricing, and distribution. The objective was to identify the leading brand in leather boot design and production and to understand which competitors are excelling in the market. This research also informed what elements can be incorporated into our own website to improve customer experience and positioning.

    Collection Page Updates

    We enhanced the user experience on the collection page by adding thumbnail images of boots for each color variant. This provides a more visual and intuitive browsing experience for customers.

    Made to Order Product Improvements

    The made to order section has been updated to improve clarity and user experience. The client experienced too much friction in the purchase flow, which essentially made it so only the highly motivated would fill out the form.

    The purchasing button was removed for these products, while pricing, product descriptions, and sizing information were retained.

    A new section was added to explain the made to order process and how to choose the correct size.

    Text was added to inform customers that we are currently upgrading the made-to-order experience.

    Product titles will be updated to remove the "Made to Order" label once the template revision is complete.

    Product reviews and upsell features were removed to streamline the experience.

    The Bold app was also removed due to its negative impact on conversions.

    Payment Options

    Klarna has been integrated as a payment method. Offering financing options helps increase conversions by making high-ticket purchases more accessible through installment payments.

    CSA Workboot Enhancements

    All CSA-certified boots meet the Green Triangle safety standard.

    The 6410 and 6404 models also include Electrical Safety Rating (ESR) or OHM certification.

    The Welder boot features metatarsal protection, Kevlar stitching, and a heat-rated sole for added durability and safety.

    CSA boots have been marked with a 35 percent discount badge, and messaging now highlights the potential for tax deductions related to safety equipment purchases.

    Email Marketing Campaign: Flash Deal

    A 30-day email campaign was launched to promote made to order boots.

    Customers were informed that production capacity has increased and that the price of these boots has been reduced by $250.

    Content Strategy and SEO (Traffic by Keywords)

    Two blog articles were published to support keyword-based traffic growth and customer education.

    The first article explains what CSA approval means and why made to order boots are not CSA approved.

    The second article highlights the unique benefits of made to order boots.

    Together, these pieces provide mutual support and reinforce the brand's value proposition.

    Sales Strategy: 1000 Boot Pre-Order

    A sales script was developed for agents to contact customers who submitted the pre-order form for our 1000-boot campaign.

    This direct outreach initiative is designed to maximize conversion and create a personal connection with interested customers.

    Community Outreach and Deal Forum Advocacy

    We reached out to a prominent deal hunter on RedDealForum to help promote our products. He agreed to share upcoming promotions on our behalf, giving him added credibility as a deal insider while driving high-intent traffic to the site through third-party advocacy.

Results That Moved the Needle

18,900
new visitors in 6 months.
137%
increase in sales
84%
increase in conversion rate

In just six months of focused website optimization, the brand saw transformative gains in traffic, sales & engagement.

Sales increased by 137%, supported by product presentation improvements, UX refinements, and direct customer outreach.

Conversion rate rose by 84%, moving closer to the industry average and reflecting stronger buyer intent and a smoother purchase experience.

Traffic grew significantly due to a new SEO channel activated through strategic community engagement.

Email marketing delivered immediate results overnight:

A campaign launched to promote made to order boots generated a 6.34% click-through rate, the third-highest since 2021.

Captured 54 newsletter signups and 19 SMS signups within hours.

29 users entered the newly built abandoned cart flow and converted to sales.

On the technical front:

Removing the Bold app improved product page performance from 65% to 80%.

From June 2023 until January clicks increased by 18,000 and impressions increased by 364,000.

Although the conversion rate initially decreased by 54%, total sales increased by 137%. The overall traffic or customer base increased significantly, impacting the data and giving the appearance of a low conversion rate. This highlights the importance of context when looking at the data and why having a clear goal is crucial.

Results

18,900 Clicks
364,000 Impressions
5.2% average click through rate.

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