How This Small Business Transformed Their Online Presence

When Riverbank Pottery first approached us, they were struggling with a common small business dilemma. Their handcrafted ceramics were beloved locally, but their online presence didn't capture the quality of their work or generate meaningful sales. Within six months, we helped transform their digital footprint from an afterthought to their primary growth engine. Here's how it happened—and the lessons that could apply to your business.

The Starting Point: Beautiful Products, Invisible Online

Riverbank Pottery had several challenges that might sound familiar:

• A basic template website that looked generic and outdated
• Product photos that failed to showcase the craftsmanship
• No consistent social media strategy or content calendar
• An online shop buried three clicks deep in their navigation
• Zero search visibility for relevant ceramic and pottery terms

Despite creating stunning artisanal pieces, their online presence felt disconnected from the quality of their actual work. Worse, they were invisible to potential customers beyond their local community.

Step One: Finding Their Unique Digital Voice

Rather than jumping straight into design, we started with strategy. Through workshops with the Riverbank team, we uncovered what truly made them special: their commitment to traditional firing techniques, local clay sourcing, and the stories behind each design.

This exploration revealed that they weren't just selling pottery—they were selling a connection to tradition, craftsmanship, and the natural world. This insight became the foundation for everything that followed.

Step Two: Visual Storytelling That Captures Craftsmanship

We completely reimagined their product photography approach. Instead of sterile product shots against white backgrounds, we created:

• Process videos showing pieces being thrown, glazed, and fired
• Contextual photography showing pottery in use in beautiful settings
• Close-up detail shots highlighting texture and glaze characteristics
• Behind-the-scenes content featuring the artisans at work

This visual strategy transformed how potential customers perceived the value of their work. By showing the human hands and hours that went into each piece, the higher price points suddenly made sense to online shoppers.

Step Three: Simplifying the Path to Purchase

The original Riverbank site buried their e-commerce functionality. We rebuilt the site architecture around a simple principle: make it effortless to fall in love with a piece and purchase it.

Key changes included:

• Streamlining the product categorization from 12 confusing categories to 4 intuitive ones
• Creating a homepage that immediately showcased available work
• Implementing a simple three-step checkout process
• Adding local pickup options alongside shipping
• Incorporating thoughtful product descriptions that told each item's story

These changes reduced cart abandonment by 64% and increased the average order value by nearly 40%.

Step Four: Building Community Through Content

Rather than just posting product announcements, we helped Riverbank develop a content strategy that positioned them as educators and advocates for ceramics as an art form:

• A monthly email newsletter featuring collector stories and pottery care tips
• Instagram content showing the science behind different glazing techniques
• Partnership content with local restaurants using their tableware
• Virtual studio tours during the throwing and firing process

This approach attracted not just buyers but enthusiasts who became brand advocates, sharing content and recommending Riverbank to friends.

The Results: Digital Transformation That Maintained Authenticity

Six months after implementation, Riverbank's transformation included:

• A 215% increase in online sales
• Expansion of their customer base from regional to national
• Features in two major design publications
• A 178% increase in email newsletter subscribers
• A waitlist for commissioned pieces

Most importantly, they achieved this growth while staying true to their values and craft. The online experience now authentically represents the care and quality that goes into each piece they create.