Grand Tongo had the traffic, but not the sales. When I took over, the store was sitting at a 0.5% conversion rate. They had a great visual identity, but the user journey was full of friction points, technical bugs, and a lack of clear value propositions. Over several months, I made improvements that scaled the site’s performance, helping the brand grow from a pure D2C model to a retail presence in Target.
Project Type
Over the course of several months, I re-engineered the user journey, fixed critical technical debt, and optimized the product discovery phase. The project was so successful that it facilitated the brand’s expansion into Target stores, transforming the website from a simple storefront to a high-converting hub for an omnichannel brand.
Process
I conducted a deep-dive audit using heatmaps and Google data.
SEO Gap: Titles only described the “scent” but not the “function.”
Technical Audit: The site had a “C” grade for speed and multiple UI bugs.
User Behavior: Heatmaps revealed that users were focusing on areas where no information existed, while the comparison tables and “Unique Selling Points” (USPs) were buried too low.
NPS Feedback: Customers loved the product but were frustrated by the sizing and price per unit.
Before
After
Solution
SEO & Clarity: Abstract titles lacked the “Insect Repellent” keyword, hiding the brand from search. Adding high-intent keywords based on Google Trends drove a 166% increase in organic traffic in month one.
Hierarchy & Heatmaps: Users were missing buried USPs. Moving the Comparison Table and ingredients to “Hot Zones” at the top of the page immediately resolved price-vs-value objections found in NPS surveys.
UX & Technical Fixes: Debugged Shopify liquid code to fix “cut off” mobile descriptions and replaced dense text with clean icons and infographics for better readability.
Conversion Optimization: Tackled a 50% checkout drop-off by implementing a Free Shipping Progress Bar and “Percentage Sold” scarcity triggers to drive urgency.
AOV Strategy: Replaced single-can offerings with Bundle Logic (Single/Dual/Trio), solving volume complaints and driving an 80% AOV increase in 30 days.
Omnichannel Pivot: Redesigned the site as a strategic hub for Target and Amazon shoppers, prioritizing total brand growth over exclusive on-site sales.