Streamlining the web shop experience for an independent magazine

I freelanced for an independent magazine that had realized the need to invest in its online presence, but was not sure where to begin. I managed the entire project, from initial ideation to delivering production-ready code. I guided them through a digital update to help their website better engage readers and remain relevant in a shifting media landscape.
Role Designer/developer
Project for Freelance
Prototype of the finished product

Reviewing and analyzing the current website

I analyzed the old website to identify opportunities for improvement and ideated enhancements to make it more engaging and accessible. With a limited budget, I relied on best practices and benchmarked international and Swedish magazines to find adaptable features and design elements.

Aligning the look and feel with the printed magazine

One improvement was aligning the online presence with the magazine’s strong print identity. I brought its visual style into the digital format and enriched the site by adding spreads from the magazine and background on the writers, capturing more of the richness of the print version online.

Identifying revenue streams

I identified various potential revenue streams to help increase profitability:

  • I integrated Instagram shopping with the web store to drive traffic from social media directly to the site.

  • I developed an email marketing strategy including targeted emails for subscription renewals and separate campaigns aimed at casual readers who preferred to purchase individual issues.

Subscription upsell

Subscribers are crucial for the magazine’s long-term revenue, while single issues are often the entry point for new readers. To support both needs, I designed the purchase flow so that the subscription option appears alongside the single-issue “add to cart” button. This makes the subscription more visible at the decision point and encourages readers to consider a longer commitment.

Streamlining subscription management

A key goal was to simplify tasks for the editor, who handled everything alone. I streamlined product listings so both institutions and private customers could buy the same product with different variants and pricing. I also added options to choose the starting issue and flag renewals, reducing the need for manual emails and cutting administrative workload.

Technical solutions

One key step was moving the site from Wix to a more robust platform. I compared different options, including Stripe, Shopify, and the niche tool Subsail, before concluding that Shopify best fit the magazine’s needs. Automatic renewals were considered but set aside due to the irregular publishing schedule. In the end, I built the new site in Shopify, coding the theme from scratch with Liquid, HTML, CSS, and some JS.

Results

  • The new product options made it easier to identify which issue to send to new customers, simplifying order fulfillment.
  • The website’s design now aligns with the magazine’s print identity, enhancing brand consistency.
  • The first issue launched on the new site saw an 79% increase in sales compared to the previous issue on the old platform.