Schwabe Pharma UK, a subsidiary of the globally renowned Dr. Willmar Schwabe Group, is a leader in the field of phytomedicines. With a strong presence in the health and wellness sector, their website serves as a critical component of their direct-to-consumer sales strategy. When the company decided to update their e-commerce website for a more seamless user experience, they turned to me for a complete redesign and migration from WooCommerce to Shopify.

The challenge

The existing WooCommerce-based website had served Schwabe Pharma UK for years, but as their business evolved, they required a more robust, scalable, and user-friendly e-commerce solution. The key challenges of the project included:

• Designing a new, modern e-commerce website optimised for all devices.
• Migrating over 16,000 customer accounts and an extensive database of past orders without data loss.
• Ensuring a smooth transition from WooCommerce to Shopify without disrupting ongoing sales.
• Optimising the site for search engines to maintain and improve its online visibility.
• Implementing a streamlined customer journey to enhance conversions and user experience.

e-Commerce web design and development

To meet Schwabe Pharma UK's needs, I recommended Shopify as the ideal e-commerce platform due to its scalability, ease of management, and extensive customisation options. My approach to the project included:

Custom Shopify website design

• I designed a fresh, modern website that aligns with Schwabe Pharma UK's brand identity.
• The new site was developed with a fully responsive design, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
• I streamlined the navigation and user journey, making it easier for customers to browse products, learn about herbal medicines, and complete purchases.
• High-quality images, clear calls-to-action, and trust signals were incorporated to enhance user engagement and conversion rates.

Seamless WooCommerce to Shopify migration

• A major aspect of the project was migrating all customer and sales data from WooCommerce to Shopify.
• Over 16,000 customer accounts and a vast number of past orders were successfully transferred without data loss.
• I ensured that all customer information, including order history and account details, remained intact, allowing a smooth transition with minimal disruption to users.
• To prevent SEO ranking loss, I implemented proper URL redirects and retained key SEO elements from the old website.

Optimising for search and performance

• As part of the Shopify migration, I implemented best practices for search engine optimisation (SEO).
• I optimised site speed, improved mobile usability, and ensured clean, SEO-friendly URLs.
• Product descriptions, meta tags, and on-page content were revised to align with high-value search terms and other herbal medicine specific keywords.
• Structured data and schema markup were implemented to enhance search engine visibility.

Smooth transition and launch

• A phased approach ensured minimal downtime when switching from the old WooCommerce site to the new Shopify store.
• Comprehensive testing was conducted, including performance testing, user experience validation, and mobile responsiveness checks.
• I coached Schwabe Pharma UK's internal team on Shopify’s management interface, enabling them to handle basic operations efficiently.

Ongoing support and marketing

Beyond launching the e-commerce website, I continue to work with Schwabe Pharma UK on marketing and technical support initiatives to drive long-term success. My ongoing services include:

• E-mail marketing. I manage targeted email campaigns to nurture customer relationships and drive repeat sales.
• Social media management. Engaging content and strategic campaigns help boost brand awareness and customer loyalty.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). I continuously optimise product pages, blog content, and technical SEO to improve search rankings.
• Technical support and maintenance. Ensuring smooth site functionality, security updates, and bug fixes.

Results and impact

The new Shopify-based website has delivered significant improvements.

• Enhanced user experience. The responsive design and improved navigation have resulted in higher customer satisfaction.
• Increased conversion rates. A more intuitive shopping experience has led to increased sales and lower cart abandonment rates.
• Seamless customer data retention. The migration ensured that existing customers could continue shopping without re-registering.
• Improved SEO performance. The website maintains strong search rankings, driving organic traffic and increasing visibility.
• Scalability for growth. With Shopify’s flexible platform, Schwabe Pharma UK can easily expand their product range and implement new features as needed.