WebCitz started working with this client in 2020
- Client: Furtile Ground (website offline)
- Platform: Shopify
- Industry: Retail / E-Commerce
- Services: Digital Marketing, Ecommerce, Maintenance / Support
The Challenge
The “pet parent” demographic is highly targeted. The goal of creating Furtile Ground was to see if a dedicated brand identity would increase customer loyalty and average order value. The technical hurdles included:
- Independent Ecosystem: Setting up a separate Shopify subscription with its own domain, theme, and payment gateways.
- Brand Identity: Creating a “look and feel” that spoke specifically to animal lovers, separate from the primary ChrisStuff aesthetic.
- Data Consolidation: When the decision was made to close the store, we had to move all product data, customer history, and SEO value back into the original domain without creating broken links or losing search rankings.
The WebCitz Solution
We managed the entire lifecycle of the brand, from its “birth” on Shopify to its eventual merger:
- Custom Shopify Launch (2020): We built out a modern, clean Shopify storefront tailored to the pet niche. We focused on high-visibility product collections (Dogs, Cats, etc.) and a frictionless mobile checkout experience.
- Niche-Specific SEO: While the store was active, we optimized it for pet-specific keywords that might have been “diluted” on the main ChrisStuff site. This allowed us to capture a very specific type of search intent.
- Marketing Experimentation: By running Furtile Ground on its own subscription, we were able to track specialized analytics. This data provided the client with the insights needed to realize that merging the brands would be more cost-effective for long-term management.
- Seamless Catalog Merger: When it was time to close the standalone store, we didn’t just delete it. We exported the product catalog and imported it back into ChrisStuff.com, ensuring that “Furtile Ground” remained a distinct category or collection within the larger site.
- 301 Redirect Management: We implemented strategic redirects so that any old links to Furtile Ground products would point to their new home on ChrisStuff, preserving the SEO juice we built since 2020.
The Result
Furtile Ground served as a valuable “Proof of Concept.” By launching it as a separate Shopify store, the client was able to explore a niche market with a professional, dedicated presence. The eventual merger was a strategic move to simplify operations, and our technical handling of that transition ensured that no momentum was lost. It’s a great example of how we help clients test new business ideas with minimal technical risk.
