The Burton at Bideford: Integrating Shopify POS, E-commerce and Event Bookings
"Always so easily contactable when we had questions, patiently explaining things in simple language we could understand. When our deadlines were unexpectedly brought forward, Elliot wasn't fazed and completed the job professionally and without complaint! Elliot helped us launch a new organisational website through Shopify, including an online shop with event booking capability and Shopify POS. We now have an image-led website that is easily adaptable in-house without the need for paid ongoing support. Elliot provided good training, and there doesn't appear to be anything we cannot achieve ourselves. We would wholeheartedly recommend Business Think to other organisations or individuals looking to update their existing website or create a website from scratch. Elliot is super knowledgeable and has been a pleasure to work with.” - Sarah Edwards (Commercial Operations Manager).
Shopify POS and website migration for a museum, gallery and retail organisation
"Thanks so much for all of your brilliant work on the Shopify/Website projects with us."
- Harriet Cooper (Director of The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum)
The Challenge
This project had two significant goals that had to run alongside each other.
The first priority was to replace the existing Casio till system and POS software at The Burton’s busy retail shop.
This required working closely with both the Commercial Operations Manager and Finance Officer to ensure that the solution not only achieved the goals of the retail outlet, but also satisfied the accounting procedures and policies of a complex organisation such as The Burton, which sells not only its own merchandise, but also event tickets and the work of artists.
Weekly face-to-face meetings ensured that the work was completed as a team and that the Shopify POS solution would not only replace the functionality of the existing system, but also support future retail sales and make the system easier for staff to use.
The project took three months and was completed to a tight deadline, with the shop successfully transferring to Shopify POS in January.
WooCommerce to Shopify
The second priority was to take the existing WordPress and WooCommerce website and migrate it to Shopify.
This would connect the new Shopify POS system in the retail outlet with the online e-commerce store, creating an integrated solution with a single supplier for both the website and POS, and simplifying things for all the staff involved.
The challenge for this phase of the project was one of scale and migration. The Burton at Bideford already had an established website presence and was well known in the area. Visitors came from brand awareness, search engines and other marketing channels, all of which had to be protected and built upon during the migration.
Apps were identified and set up to integrate the new website with Google, email marketing software and other services.
In addition, a significant amount of blog content written over the previous decade had to be migrated to the new Shopify platform. The existing website had been built in WordPress using a visual page builder, meaning that much of the underlying formatting had to be manually removed and the content rebuilt for Shopify. Thousands of links had to be redirected or reinstated, while a large library of media files had to be reassigned to ensure that the content was not only migrated successfully, but also presented more effectively on the new website.
Working closely with the entire team at The Burton, blog content was checked and, where appropriate, removed or updated, and the content database was reorganised in preparation for the new website launch.
Events had previously been handled using a separate piece of software. This too was brought into the new website through a Shopify-compatible online booking system, making event bookings part of the wider e-commerce solution.
As a result, the number of separate systems and suppliers, along with their associated ongoing fees, was reduced, giving the team a simpler and more integrated solution centred around Shopify.
Finally, a new design and theme were added to ensure The Burton at Bideford had a modern, contemporary website that reflected the quality of its brand and the valuable work it does within the community.
Bringing It All Together
This project was challenging in many ways, as there were so many ‘moving parts’ to coordinate: the existing till system, an older website built using WordPress and WooCommerce, and the wide range of different services and stakeholders within an organisation incorporating a museum, gallery, events programme and retail shop.
The team at The Burton were fantastic, and it was a pleasure to work with people so dedicated to the creative arts, local history and the work they do within the community. I feel grateful that Business Think was awarded this contract and trusted to deliver the new POS system and website solution. There was little room for error or downtime, as The Burton is an important local organisation whose success is built on its accessibility, openness and dedication to the public.
Thank you to Harriet and the whole team at The Burton for the opportunity.