Two Websites In One
The daycare and enrichment programs had 2 different bank accounts. Their respective e-commerce transactions had to be kept apart. The solution was to build 2 websites in parallel with:
- Separate products and shopping carts.
- Separate URL's. The second one uses a subdomain.
- Tightly integrated navigation pointing back to pages on the primary site.
- Identical product layouts.
- Similar shopping cart experiences.
- Identical Design
Most visitors will not realize that they are separate sites.
Lessons Learned
Discover what's unique
If you dig down, there is something special about a successful small business that has a loyal clientele. Discovery is the start of a conversation about their business needs, the context they operate in, and how a website and other services will provide benefit them. Both sides have to contribute something. The owners have a deep knowledge of their business and clientele.
Build a shared vocabulary
In my experience, few small business owners can initially articulate what makes their business unique in a terms that are useful to their website designer. As a designer I can map out what competitors in their category are doing in terms of design and SEO. In some cases I might also have insights based on personal experience with their category. Discussing that information together is the foundation for a strong website launch.
Differentiate users
In this case there's a clear distinction between the children who will participate in the activities, the parents who will sign them up and pay for it, and the owner who will manage things behind the scenes. Each one of them have unique user needs.