Before working with us, Et cetera didn’t really have an online store. No catalogue. No showroom overview. No clear way for customers to explore products or ask questions.
People had to visit the showroom to understand the offer. Which means: if you weren’t physically there, you weren’t a customer. Et cetera asked us to change that.

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We redesigned everything – from structure to positioning – and transformed the site into the first high-end furniture online store in Croatia. A store where users can:

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-     browse showroom products,

-     explore collections and catalogues, and

-     either buy immediately or send a quote request.

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The shift was simple but powerful: inquiries immediately became the strongest conversion metric. High-end buyers don’t always purchase on the spot, but they do start conversations. And good UX turns conversations into leads.

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Question: What was the biggest limitation of your previous website?

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Answer:

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Our previous website was conceived solely as an informational presentation of the brands we represent. It contained basic information about the manufacturers and a few representative photos for each brand, without the possibility of a more detailed overview of the assortment.

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Such an approach did not meet the needs of our customers, who today expect to be able to browse the complete product catalogue online, search by categories, and gain a clear understanding of the offer before visiting the showroom.

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The limited functionality of the old website prevented a high-quality online presentation of our assortment and therefore reduced the potential to attract new customers and facilitate the sales process. That is precisely why the goal of the redesign was to create a modern online product catalogue that enables browsing, filtering, and searching of the offer, significantly improving user experience and brand presentation in the digital space.

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Additionally, we decided to include certain products from the online catalogue in a webshop, in order to provide customers with added value – the possibility of simple online purchasing and faster, more practical access to our offer.

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Question: You had an experience with other agencies in the past. What was missing and what did you learn?

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Answer:

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Yes, unfortunately, we began developing our new website, which also includes a webshop, with an agency with whom we ultimately did not manage to complete the project. As someone who entered that process without sufficient technical knowledge and experience, what we missed most from their side was clear guidance throughout the entire process.

We also lacked concrete suggestions, ideas, and advice related to design, user experience, and the website’s functionality. At one point, we had the impression that both we and they were beginners in all of this, which made the whole process quite demanding.

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However, we learned a lot from that experience – especially since only a small team of two people from our side worked on the project. Through all those challenges, we realized how important it is to have a clear structure, good communication, and a partner who knows how to recognize the client’s needs.

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In the end, we decided to stop, part ways, and start over – this time with Unordinary’s, and that proved to be a much better experience.

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Question: Luxury furniture is traditionally a showroom-driven business. What convinced you that people would engage online?

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Answer:

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We are aware that luxury furniture is traditionally a showroom-driven business and that the selection process often takes time, as it involves choosing materials, finishes, and dimensions. Therefore, our primary goal was not for people to purchase furniture online.

However, since we were already creating a product catalogue, we decided to include prices as well. This naturally led us to the idea of an online store. Our main goal was for customers to immediately see the price and know whether the items fit their budget – the option to add to cart is simply additional value for those who want that possibility.

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Also, although customers may not buy furniture online, we know that décor and smaller items will be purchased online, as we were already receiving inquiries from people who live far from our showrooms. In this way, we provide customers with a practical option and better insight into our offer, regardless of their distance or the time they have available.

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Question: Did you expect that “Send a quote” would become your strongest conversion tool?

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Answer:

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Yes, this was one of our main goals, as we wanted to allow customers to contact us directly for every item they view and ask anything they are interested in. Also, many of the brands we represent have a policy of not displaying prices online, so this approach allows us to respect that practice.

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The “Send a quote” option has proven to be an excellent tool – since launching the website, we have consistently been receiving inquiries from customers, enabling direct communication and high-quality interaction with potential clients.

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Question: When did you realise the new webshop was working?

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Answer:

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Considering that the website has only been live for a few months, everything is still settling in. However, judging by the number of inquiries, we can confidently say that the website is definitely working. The number of inquiries has increased across all channels – directly, through contact forms, and via social media – and sales of home décor items have also begun to grow.

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Question: How did the new website change the way your sales team works?

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Answer:

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We cannot really say that there were major changes in the way our sales team works. What we needed to do was align on how to handle inquiries and organize the shipping of sold products. That required some organizational adjustments, but we quickly reached an agreement, as we had already discussed these processes in detail before launching the website.

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We primarily see the website as a channel through which customers reach us, and our first contact with them happens in the same way as if they had physically visited the showroom.

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Question: What did you learn about how high-end customers behave online?

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Answer:

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We confirmed what we already knew – that luxury segment customers are well-informed, know exactly what they want, and like to thoroughly research all options before making a purchasing decision.

Question: Have architects and interior designers responded to your new website?

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Answer:

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Architects and designers have responded very positively to our website. We received praise for both the design and the functionality. For them, as professionals who work directly with clients, our online product catalogue significantly facilitates their work – they can present it to clients even before project discussions begin, when options are explored in more detail and interior design concepts start to take shape.

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Question: What was different in our approach compared to what you experienced before?

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Answer:

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Collaborating with the Unordinary’s team was a true refreshment when it comes to project management. Very soon after the initial conversation, we received a fully developed concept and website design that we immediately liked. Besides being highly skilled in graphic design, this team also understands interior design and has an exceptional sense of aesthetics, which instantly created a strong connection on our side.

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Additionally, they were fast, constructive, and communication was extremely simple – we handled all steps easily because we responded to each other’s questions quickly. What helped us most was that they had clear answers to our wishes, including those we were not even sure were feasible.

Since we are very sensitive to aesthetics and appreciate simplicity, it was important for us that someone understood us when we “nitpicked” seemingly small details – and it turned out that Unordinary’s understands that perfectly. All of this resulted in an excellent collaboration and a website we are extremely satisfied with.

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