It’s been a while since we’ve looked at an e-commerce website and some of the design elements that make them most successful. We thought April was an excellent time to renew interest in online stores. It’s a season of new beginnings and makes sense many companies may be looking for a refresh of their old look. Designerly chose Bloomscape as our April 2024 Designerly award winner.
We started by looking at a wide variety of e-commerce store types. First, we considered clothing, but we’ve covered that before. We looked at food, home goods and sports equipment sites. Finally, we stumbled across the idea of house plants shipped to anywhere in the country.
It didn’t take long to narrow the options to a handful of sites. Bloomscape stood out from the others because of their pet-friendly plants category. We kept coming back to this site for its clean design and all it has to offer shoppers.
Winner: Bloomscape
Bloomscape has a bright color palette that pulls the user in. We love everything about this company, from their commitment to people’s furry babies to the blog that teaches people how to care for houseplants and choose the right ones for their lifestyle.
Experts project e-commerce sales will reach $3.178 billion in 2024. The market will grow 9.47% annually through 2029. The types of products offered vary widely but Bloomscape has a niche area consumers who love greenery will appreciate.
They’ve also added an interesting option for corporations to give employees. People are recognizing the therapeutic advantages of plants. Office plants can improve air quality and employee morale. Create a cozy atmosphere where people thrive.
Why We Chose Bloomscape as Our Site of the Month
Bloomscape was founded in 2017 in Michigan but Justin Mast grew up learning from his family about greenhouses and supplying young plants to other locations across the country. Taking the business online seemed a natural step. The company already knew how to ship plants and keep them healthy.
The brand’s about page shares photos of family members working in the industry and a young Justin holding a potted plant. The passion they have for supplying others with plants shines through the story of the brand and made us intrigued enough to dig deeper.
Some of the reasons Bloomscape won out over other competitors, even larger corporations, included design details that make the site stellar.
Aesthetic
The site has a minimalistic appeal. The colors are bright white and a soft pastel peach that highlight the photos of green plants. Using neutral colors keeps the entire feel natural and fresh.
Beautiful Photographs
Speaking of photographs of green plants, at the heart of the design is images of Bloomscape’s products. The hero image features a home view with plants filling tabletops and corners. A woman carries a potted plant through her living room. The call to action (CTA) button is the same shade as the news ticker at the top of the page, grabbing attention but keeping the theme cohesive.
Each product description page features several images of each item. For example, the Tough Stuff Collection features an image of the three plants grouped together. However, you can also view the leaves of each plant up close.
Fast Load Times
In a study about page load speeds for business to consumer websites, researchers found blazing fast sites convert better. A site loading in one second had two and a half times the conversion rates of those loading in five seconds.
We like that Bloomscape loads the second you land on the page on both desktop and mobile devices. There’s no waiting to view product images. They pull up at lightning speed.
Navigation
Although the site features a number of categories and tons of information and plant care advice, the navigation is kept short and to the point. You have categories, such as:
- Plants
- Care Tools
- Gifts
- Learn
- Corporate Gifts
Subcategories under “Plants” break down the type of vegetation you might be looking for. For example, you can select pet-friendly or low-maintenance options.
One of the things that put Bloomscape in the lead for our award this month was their focus on keeping pets safe. Houseplants and cats and dogs don’t always mix. Some varieties are downright dangerous to their well-being. We love our fur babies here at Designerly, so we appreciate the separate category so users can navigate easily to the right choice.
When planning your website, consider any specialized products you offer and how they might be in a category or subcategory of their own.
Blog
We love the learn section of the website, which includes a blog filled with topics such as summer care for houseplants, pet-friendly plants for cats and dogs, plants that bring luck and how to spot and treat spider mites. A blog gives your e-commerce site an edge. It also offers material to share on social media and send traffic to.
Options and Upsells
Each plant comes with a specially designed pop. Users get the choice of five different colors. By sharing the images in the color and having a small round swatch sample, users can match any plant to their decor or ensure all the pots have the same look.
The shopping pages also offer options such as plant dusting gloves and other tools to care for the new addition to your home.
Mobile Responsiveness
We almost always check for mobile responsiveness before allowing a website design to make it to the final round for our monthly award. Bloomscape looks as good on mobile as it does on a desktop device. It loads quickly and shopping is a matter of a few taps with your finger.
What We Would Do Different
Bloomscape offers a 30-day guarantee their plants won’t die. We would put the guarantee at the top of the page to show users they have minimal risk when ordering. Some people may have never purchased a plant online before so trust factors like the guarantee can encourage them to close the sale.
The entire design is beautiful and functional. You can learn a lot by studying Bloomscape. Who knows, you may even find a few plants that would make your office space more attractive.
