From running to revenue – 2XU takes the inside track with global Shopify Plus rethemes

ABOUT

Founded in Australia in 2005, 2XU is the global leader in sports compression and high-performance sports apparel; designed and tested in consultation with industry experts, and backed by independent scientific research. The brand’s focus is on showing everyone that change is possible and that a fitter, healthier life is doable; with the physical, mental and social benefits far outweighing the effort.

THE PROJECT

The 2XU team started working with Convert Digital on ongoing website management and optimisation in mid-2021, but soon identified the need for total Shopify Plus rethemes for their Australian, New Zealand, US and Canadian sites; with a focus on redesigning their product detail and collection pages to increase conversion rate.

“Our old Shopify theme was a quick turnaround project that did not provide an effective platform for the brand to trade on. The goal of the project with Convert Digital was to create a website that would increase conversion rate and average order value through effectively communicating the technical benefits of our compression clothing to our customers."

Chris Ventura (Global Ecommerce Manager, 2XU)

ACCELERATING THE USER EXPERIENCE

The main priorities of the retheme project for 2XU were centered around improving user experience, with a particular focus on providing customers with the necessary information to make informed decisions when selecting products. This was achieved by adding more information to product pages and collection pages that guided the user towards the right product for their specific activity.

“The project included improving the overall design and aesthetics of the website, optimising the website for better performance and faster load times, and ensuring it was fully responsive and mobile-friendly. By prioritising these key elements, Convert Digital was able to create a website that not only looked great but also provided an exceptional user experience for customers across multiple devices and platforms,” says Ventura.

Another important priority for the retheme project was to approach the design of the website from a new user perspective. This involved adding information about the product lines and their benefits to help educate customers and guide them towards the best product for their needs. By taking this approach, Convert Digital was able to ensure that the website was accessible and engaging for both new and returning customers, regardless of their level of familiarity with the 2XU brand. This included highlighting the key technical benefits of the products and showcase how they can be best used in a certain activity.

TURNING CHALLENGES INTO WINS

“One of the biggest pain points with the old website was the product page design, specifically the lack of native fields within Shopify to add context and information about the products. This limited our ability to effectively communicate the technical benefits of their products to customers and hindered their ability to drive conversions on the website.” – Chris Ventura (Global Ecommerce Manager, 2XU)

To overcome this limitation, Convert Digital further integrated Accentuate Custom Fields (ACF) into the design of the product pages, allowing for more robust storytelling on product pages and provided additional fields and options for displaying product information and technical specifications.

This also allowed the team to add more context and information to product pages, making it easier for customers to understand the benefits of each product and make informed purchasing decisions. This integration was a key factor in the success of the retheme project.

BUILDING THE ULTIMATE TECH STACK

2XU also worked with Convert Digital to ensure they were utilising an ideal tech stack to accelerate the customer experience including Searchspring (search and merchandising), Okendo (reviews), Loop (returns), Klaviyo (unified customer platform) and more.

With the help of Searchspring, 2XU was able to optimise their search functionality to make it easier for customers to find products they were looking for, while also automating their collection merchandising, freeing up time for the team to focus on other projects and initiatives.

“We consider Searchspring an integral part of our tech stack. The integration with Searchspring provided several key benefits, including increased conversion rates and automated collection merchandising across all our global sites,” Ventura has stated.

On the other hand, by leveraging Okendo's user review platform, 2XU we were able to display customer reviews and ratings prominently on their sites, giving potential customers additional information and social proof to help them make informed purchasing decisions; increasing transparency and authenticity to build trust with customers.

Loop Returns has helped streamline their customer support offering by allowing customers to initiate a return or exchange directly through 2XU’s self-service portal. This has removed friction within the customer experience and improved the 2XU team’s efficiency; allowing them more time to time to focus on delivering the best customer service possible across other areas.

The preezie product finder tool is also leveraged for 2XU's best-selling and most complex product line – tights made from their proprietary PWX compression fabric. Through preezie’s guided shopping journey, 2XU website visitors share their sporting activity, preferred length for tights, ideal level of compression, and other preferences to retrieve relevant results.

2XU have also harnessed the seamless integration between Shopify and Klaviyo, enabling them to capture comprehensive data about user interactions on the website and within emails. With this data, they have been able to ramp up automations and increase the timeliness of email sends, while also avoiding the risk of frustrating customers with too many emails.

RESULTS

On working with Convert Digital Ventura says: “From design to development, strategy, and project management, all aspects of the project were a pleasure to work with and exceeded our expectations at every step of the way. Convert Digital’s expertise and attention to detail were evident throughout the project, and we would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a web design and development agency. We're happy to be continuing our relationship and pursuing further opportunities with Convert Digital!”

The results speak for themselves. In the first 45 days since the launch of the new site 2XU saw...

+29%

YOY increase in conversion rate

+51%

YOY increase in add to cart