A thoughtful user experience for a new e-commerce brand

The pandemic was a distribution wake-up call for the team at A-Chem. As a white-label distributor of solvents and paint to high-street retailers, the business took a hit when the shops closed. The solution? Launch their own product line, selling directly to the consumers.

And so, ‘Timbashield’ was born. 

The new, consumer-focused brand offers wood treatment and paint, a slightly different product than its white-label lines. After working with another agency partner on the brand identity, the team came to us for a high-converting e-commerce website.

A consultative approach

This project was an exciting opportunity for us to demonstrate our entire e-commerce skillset, as consultants, designers, and developers. With limited experience in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) world, the Timbashield team was keen to learn how they could take on the new market successfully. 

We were ready to help them penetrate the market, attract customers, demonstrate their expertise, and sell products.

After digging around, we noticed that competitors’ websites are clunky, hard to navigate, and difficult to browse, so we really paid attention to small details that would deliver a great user journey. 

This came to life during the wireframe process, we mapped out all the details that would help a consumer find what they were looking for. From the menu system which ensured was easy to navigate based on project goals, right through to the detailed product pages. 

A new type of buyer

Timbashield’s usual B2B buyers are knowledgeable about the products and know what they are looking for. 

In the new market, more often than not, consumers don’t know what to look for and require guidance, expertise, and detailed information to help them choose the right timber treatment solution. New homeowners and DIY enthusiasts were the targets.

With this in mind, we built bespoke tools that supported the buyer journey. Firstly a product selector, enabling consumers to answer five questions about their requirements and find which product suited their needs. The end of the journey offered up a filtered results page giving the user a personalised shopping experience. 

Secondly, a coverage calculator helps them identify how much they need to do the job! By adding in the project dimensions, customers can buy the right amount straight away instead of having to order more and more.