Services / E-commerce
E-commerce Built to Turn Browsers Into Buyers.
An online store needs to do more than display products. It needs to attract the right customers, make products easy to discover, build confidence and create a smooth path from first visit to completed purchase.
PLAY Advertising designs and develops e-commerce websites with the entire customer journey in mind—from brand and product presentation to search, advertising, user experience and conversion. Based in Burlington and working with businesses in Hamilton and throughout Southern Ontario.
Your Online Store Is More Than A Website.
An e-commerce website sites at the centre of a much larger marketing system. Customers may discover a product through Google. See it on social media. Click an ad. Compare options. Read reviews. Visit several product pages. Leave. Return later, and finally purchase.
PLAY looks at that complete journey. Because getting customers to your online store is only part of the challenge. The store still has to make the sale.
What we do
E-commerce Website Design & Development
01 / Foundation
E-commerce Strategy
Before designing the store, we look at your products, customers, competition, buying journey and business objectives. That helps determine site architecture, product organization, content requirements, functionality and marketing opportunities.
02 / Experience
E-commerce Design
A successful online store needs to make shopping feel simple. PLAY designs e-commerce experiences that combine strong branding with clear navigation, product discovery and intuitive paths to purchase. Every design decision should help customers understand the product and confidently take the next step.
03 / Build
E-commerce Development
We develop responsive online stores designed to perform across desktop, tablet and mobile.
Depending on project requirements, development can include:
04 / WooCommerce
WooCommerce Development
For businesses using WordPress, WooCommerce can provide a flexible platform for managing products and online transactions. PLAY can design and develop WooCommerce stores that combine e-commerce functionality with the content-management flexibility of WordPress.
05 / Product Content
Product Content
Customers can't pick up a product online. Content has to do more of the selling. PLAY can develop the photography, video, graphic design and copy needed to present products professionally and answer the questions customers have before buying.
Build the Store. Then Build the Business.
Featured E-commerce Project
Urban Vine
E-commerce + Digital Marketing + Advertising
The Challenge
Competitive industry. Perishable product. Expedited offering.
The Approach
Complete visual upgrade focused on the products and the scientific/medical benefits of the product.
The Result
Improved engagement. Easier website to manage and update. The business grew into a new brick & mortar location. An annual television on-location hit required us to triple the website's server capacity to account for increased website volume.
How it comes together
Build Traffic. Improve Conversion.
An e-commerce business needs both.
01
Attract
Use search, SEO, advertising, social media and content to bring qualified customers to the store.
02
Engage
Use strong creative, product information and intuitive navigation to help shoppers find what they need.
03
Convert
Remove unnecessary friction and make purchasing straightforward.
04
Measure
Track sales, conversion and campaign performance.
05
Improve
Use customer behaviour and performance data to identify opportunities for growth.
E-commerce Marketing
Launching an online store doesn't automatically create customers. PLAY can connect e-commerce development with the marketing required to generate traffic and sales.
That can include:
The advantage is that the website and marketing aren't being developed independently. The store is built with marketing in mind—and the marketing is built around the store.
Conversion Matters.
More traffic isn't always the answer. Sometimes the opportunity is getting more from the traffic you already have. Product presentation, navigation, mobile usability, calls to action, trust signals, checkout friction and site performance can all affect whether someone completes a purchase.
PLAY considers conversion throughout the e-commerce experience.
The objective is simple: Make it easier for the right customer to buy.
E-commerce for Growing & Established Businesses
Growing businesses
For growing businesses, e-commerce can create an opportunity to reach customers beyond a physical location and build a scalable sales channel. PLAY can provide the website, content, advertising and digital expertise needed to support that growth.
Established organizations
Established retailers and organizations may already have an online store but need stronger creative, improved customer experience, campaign support or digital marketing expertise.
PLAY can lead the initiative or work alongside your existing marketing and e-commerce team.
Why PLAY for E-commerce?
01
Marketing + E-commerce
We're not simply building an online store. We're thinking about how customers will find it and what happens when they arrive.
02
Creative + Content
PLAY can produce the photography, video, design and copy needed to make products more compelling.
03
Advertising + Search
The same agency developing the store can also help generate traffic through digital advertising and organic search.
04
Focus on Conversion
Traffic matters. Sales matter more.
05
One Integrated Team
Strategy, creative, content, digital marketing and development can work together rather than operating as separate suppliers.
E-commerce Website Development for Hamilton & Southern Ontario
PLAY Advertising is based in Burlington and works with businesses in Hamilton and throughout Southern Ontario. We provide e-commerce strategy, website design, development, product content and digital marketing for businesses throughout Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Halton and beyond.
And because an online store isn't limited by geography, we can help businesses market and sell to customers throughout Ontario, across Canada or farther afield.
E-commerce Questions
What makes a good e-commerce website?
A good e-commerce website makes it easy for customers to find products, understand what they're buying and complete a purchase. Clear navigation, strong product content, mobile usability, trust, site performance and a straightforward checkout experience all contribute to the customer journey.
Does PLAY build WooCommerce websites?
Yes. PLAY can design and develop WooCommerce websites for businesses that want e-commerce functionality within WordPress. The appropriate technology depends on the requirements of the project.
Can PLAY redesign an existing online store?
Yes. We can assess an existing e-commerce website to identify opportunities involving design, navigation, product presentation, content, search visibility, conversion and digital marketing. A complete rebuild isn't always necessary.
Can PLAY create product photography and video?
Yes. PLAY can produce product photography, lifestyle photography, video and supporting creative content for e-commerce websites, social media and advertising campaigns.
How do you drive traffic to an e-commerce website?
Depending on the business, traffic can come from SEO, Google Ads, social advertising, organic social media, content, email and other marketing channels. The appropriate mix depends on the products, customers, competition and business objectives.
Can PLAY help improve e-commerce sales?
PLAY can evaluate factors that influence online sales, including traffic sources, advertising, product presentation, user experience and conversion paths. The appropriate recommendations depend on where customers are being lost in the buying journey.
Does PLAY provide e-commerce website development in Hamilton?
Yes. PLAY Advertising is based in Burlington and works with businesses in Hamilton and throughout Southern Ontario, providing e-commerce strategy, design, development, content and digital marketing.
Build an Online Store Built to Sell.
Whether you're launching e-commerce for the first time or your existing store isn't performing the way it should, start with the customer journey. PLAY can help build the store, create the content and market it.