Herd have been essential to the delivery of the Steamforged Games webstore on Shopify Plus. Acting as an extension to our teams, Herd has gone above and beyond our expectation to understand the brief and implement a bespoke online store that serves our global audience.
We continue to be thrilled with the creative and innovative ways in which Herd supports us on the journey of continued growth with both our B2C and B2B stores, offering solutions to present globally renown IP's to a new tabletop audience.
I would not hesitate to recommend Herd to any business looking to improve their online presence that results in increased ROI.
I look forward to continuing the partnership we have with Herd in the future.
Forging a new board game empire with Shopify Plus migration & bespoke OS 2.0 Theme
Steamforged Games
The challenge
Our aim was to help Steamforged Games create an immersive experience for their tabletop gaming audience.
A migration to Shopify Plus and bespoke OS 2.0 Theme would allow their global customer base to be engrossed in the world of their favourite tabletop games, whilst providing a great user experience to drive sales and revenue.
Visit websiteThe results
A selection of key statistics from this project:
- +46% Global site sessions
- +268% Increase in global revenue
- +160% Pages visited per session
- +126% Site conversion rate
Our approach
The objective of the new website build was to migrate the existing site from Contentful to Shopify Plus, whilst creating an immersive and engaging experience for users visiting the website, rather than just a place to purchase the games.
We needed to create a hub for players to return to and find all the resources they needed to make the most out of their tabletop experiences, including downloadable rule books, game FAQs, and additional game peripherals.
Objectives
Develop a custom shopify Plus theme
Increase engagement and direct business through the new website
Build online brand awareness through paid marketing activity on Google including search and shopping.
Localised content through easy to switch global storefronts
How we did it
Interactive Product Pages: A key part of the initial design proposal was to create more enriching product pages to bring their games to life. Through the custom elements available on the Shopify platform, product pages featured an in-depth look at each game including striking visuals taken from concept art and detailed closeups of the character models to tell the backstory of the game. Interactive carousels allow customers to click or tap on various elements on the page for more detailed information.
Global Storefronts: One of the many benefits of Shopify Plus for global eCommerce brands is the ability to manage and maintain their different regional stores under one storefront at no additional cost. Integrated into the build was the functionality to allow customers to seamlessly switch between the UK, USA, and EU storefronts through Expansion stores, which offer local shipping options and currency to provide a localised content experience. This allowed us to immediately launch Paid Search activity in both the US and UK and direct customers to landing pages relevant to their geographical location.
Paid Search: Upon launch of the new immersive website, we introduced paid search to drive additional traffic and increase direct B2C sales in the lead up to Black Friday weekend. Bespoke search ads were created for each board game IP to capture the unique settings and play styles which resonate with the target audience.
Google Shopping: Shopping campaigns were also set up and structured by IP, and split out by core game experiences, expansion packs and additional game accessories. This ensured the correct level of products were being shown against the most relevant search queries.
