Overview
Crescent Trails is a new trail running event company based in Austin, Texas, that organizes trail races and events for trail runners of all levels. With a growing number of participants, the company needed a website that could effectively showcase their events, provide event information and registration, and offer an easy way for participants to connect with the company.
Problem Statement
Developing the Crescent Trails website posed the challenge of creating a user-friendly platform and branding that successfully promotes their events and facilitates convenient registration for participants. Furthermore, the website required a rugged and outdoorsy aesthetic that authentically represents the company’s brand and values.
Goal of Design
The goal for crescenttrails.com is to create an attractive and user-friendly website that highlights the services, products, and unique offerings of Crescent Trails, while drawing attention to this new trail running platform in the Southwest.
Role
Client: Crescent Trails
Agency: Bluewebshop
Role: Web Developer and Designer
Timeline: 1 month
Platform: Shopify
Methods
Tools
Competitive Analysis
Tejas Trails
Strengths
In conducting our research, we analyzed TejasTrails.com, a strong player in the trail running industry. The brand effectively communicates a rugged and adventurous spirit through consistent branding elements. TejasTrails.com excels in engaging participants through active social media presence, interactive forums, and responsive customer support.
Weaknesses
TejasTrails.com can improve the footer by avoiding the display of duplicated social media elements and adjusting the background color and text contrast in the subscription form.
Destination Trail
Strengths
DestinationTrailRun.com excels in offering a user-friendly website with intuitive navigation. The visually appealing design and cohesive branding enhance the overall experience. The mobile responsiveness ensures accessibility across devices. The streamlined registration process simplifies sign-ups. Detailed event information is easily accessible.
Weaknesses
One area of improvement for DestinationTrailRun.com is the top navigation on breakpoints, where it can become messy and overlapping. Ensuring a seamless and organized navigation experience across different screen sizes will enhance the overall usability of the website.
Gathering Requirements
Website Requirements:
Pages:
- Home: A visually appealing and engaging landing page that provides an overview of the website and its offerings.
- Events: A dedicated page showcasing upcoming trail running events, including event details, dates, locations, and registration options.
- Event Tickets: A page where participants can purchase tickets or register for specific events securely and conveniently.
- Volunteer: A section providing information and opportunities for individuals interested in volunteering for events or supporting the organization.
- Store (Retail): An online store where merchandise related to trail running and the brand can be sold to customers.
- Print on Demand: Integration with a print-on-demand service, such as Printful, to offer custom-designed merchandise and facilitate order fulfillment.
- Sponsors: A page highlighting sponsors and partners, showcasing their logos and providing information about their involvement.
- Newsletter and Blog: Integration with Mailchimp for collecting email addresses and sending out newsletters. A blog section to publish engaging content related to trail running and event updates.
- Contact: A contact page with a form or contact details to facilitate communication with visitors and potential participants.
- About: An informative page providing background information about the organization, its mission, and values.
- Social Media: Integration with social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Meetup, Instagram, and Facebook to promote events and engage with the community.
- Calendar: A calendar feature to display upcoming events, unless a full calendar is unnecessary due to a limited number of races. Integration with Shopify’s embedded event calendars can be considered for a fee.
Additional Requirements:
- Integration with Fiverr for accessing professional designers for specific design needs.
- AI resources for writing content, ensuring high-quality and engaging copy across the website.
- Seamless integration with various social media platforms to expand the online presence and reach of the website.
- An email template for sending out updates about upcoming events to a contact list.
- Consideration of Shopify’s embedded event calendars for event management and display, if necessary.
These requirements aim to create a comprehensive and user-friendly website that effectively promotes trail running events, facilitates ticket purchases, engages the community, and provides an enjoyable online shopping experience.
Web Platform Selection
To address the challenges faced by Crescent Trails, our development team at Bluewebshop, chose to build the website using the Shopify platform, creating a custom-designed website that met the company’s needs. Our team used Shopify’s powerful tools and features to create a website that was not only user-friendly, but also had a rugged, outdoorsy look and feel that reflected the company’s brand and values.
In addition to designing and building the website, our team also recommended and advised Crescent Trails on how to integrate their branding into the website and merchandise such as tee-shirts, hats, and stickers for sale online. This helped to create a consistent brand image and increase brand awareness among potential participants.
To effectively showcase the events, our team used high-quality images, videos, and detailed descriptions, providing potential participants with the information they needed to make informed decisions. The website was also designed with a mobile-first approach, ensuring that it was accessible and functional on all devices.
Our team integrated a payment gateway to enable secure and seamless registration and payment processing. The website was also designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind, helping Crescent Trails improve their online visibility and attract new participants to their events. By leveraging the Shopify platform, our team was able to build a professional, customized website that met all of Crescent Trails’ needs.
Solution
The development of the Crescent Trails website using the Shopify platform was a success. The website was designed with a focus on user experience and functionality, resulting in a website that is easy to use and visually appealing. The website has enabled Crescent Trails to expand their business and reach a wider audience, while also improving their operational efficiency. Overall, the website has helped Crescent Trails to improve their online presence and attract new participants, contributing to the success of their trail running events.
