Hosanna Revival has built a distinctive brand around beautifully designed, custom-crafted Bible covers and journals. Hosanna's success stems from their rich, narrative-driven product pages that deeply resonate with their community. Since its inception in 2015 and launching its online store with Shopify in 2017, Hosanna has experienced consistent year-over-year growth.
Sales over time
The theme architecture, dating back to 2020, used an outdated version of the Impulse theme by Archetype, a trusted theme developer. As Shopify rapidly evolved and the business experienced significant growth, Hosanna found themselves without a technical team capable of keeping pace with the theme updates and Shopify product releases. The team recognized that they were not taking advantage of some of Shopify’s more recent features, such as metafields and filters. However, two critical issues stood out:
- Editing: The limited flexibility in creating new pages forced them to rely on development-proficient team members for even minor content updates, such as launching a new landing page.
- Apps: Several applications essential for business functionality, including loyalty programs and discount systems, were malfunctioning due to a lack of integration with the outdated architecture.
When their outdated theme architecture began limiting their ability to create and manage these content-rich experiences efficiently, they turned to Shopify Professional Services for a solution that would preserve their unique approach while modernizing their technical foundation.
The Challenge
Operating on an outdated version of their theme, Hosanna Revival encountered several significant limitations:
-
Inability to install modern apps due to outdated architecture
-
Complete dependency on development-proficient team members for page creation
-
Restricted content editing capabilities, making it difficult to create new pages independently
-
Management complexity with over 120 custom page templates
- Risk of increasing technical debt
"Our content-heavy approach required extensive customization, but our old theme made it increasingly difficult to maintain and update our site efficiently," explains Audra Chalmers, Operational Systems Lead at Hosanna Revival.
The Solution
As Shopify's internal team of experts, we were positioned to deliver a solution that harnessed the platform's latest capabilities and best practices for Hosanna. Our comprehensive approach included several key enhancements.
We migrated Hosanna to the Online Store 2.0 architecture while ensuring that the user interface remained familiar to their team. This transition provided greater flexibility and scalability in managing their online presence, enabling them to create new pages and sections independently without the need for developer capabilities.
To address the challenge of the 25-section limit for content-rich pages, we developed a custom section that incorporated multiple blocks. This custom section allowed Hosanna to create dynamic and engaging pages while maintaining optimal performance in large pages. Additionally, we consolidated several pages into a "default page" template, utilizing theme sections and blocks while using metafields and metaobjects as needed.
Furthermore, we integrated version control through GitHub, which streamlined collaboration and improved the development workflow for ongoing updates and enhancements.
Although enhanced search and filtering capabilities were not part of our original conversations, we recognized the value they could bring to Hosanna's operations. We quickly set up the Search and Discovery app, which allowed for improved search functionality and filtering options. The team was delighted with these enhancements, as they had previously lacked effective filtering capabilities.
Together, these solutions not only modernized Hosanna's technical foundation but also empowered them to create and manage content-rich experiences more efficiently.
"Working directly with Shopify's team gave us immediate access to their knowledge and quick solutions. The communication and prioritization were excellent, and we had complete confidence in the promised outcomes," notes Audra Chalmers, Operational Systems Lead at Hosanna Revival.
The Results
The upgrade significantly transformed Hosanna Revival's operational capabilities, yielding several impactful outcomes:
Streamlined Content Creation and Management: The migration to Online Store 2.0 architecture, coupled with the implementation of reusable sections through metaobjects and metafields, empowered Hosanna's team to create and manage content effortlessly. The new system allowed them to quickly assemble pages without needing extensive technical knowledge, enabling a more agile approach to content updates.
Faster Deployment of New Features and Pages: The custom development, especially the creation of a multi-block section, has accelerated the deployment of new features and pages. Feedback from the merchant indicates that the new website has achieved a noteworthy 30% reduction in the time needed for these deployments, enhancing our overall development efficiency.
Reduced Dependency on Development-Proficient Team Members: By consolidating various pages into a "default page" template and enhancing the editing capabilities, Hosanna's team significantly reduced their reliance on team members with development proficiency for routine updates and unique content needs. Previously, they leaned on these development-savvy team members to find only partially satisfying workarounds for complex solutions, which not only cost time and energy but limited the scope of effective solutions available to them. This newfound independence empowered them to iterate, test, and deploy updates quickly, ultimately saving money and allowing for more frequent, timely, and innovative content updates.
Improved Team Autonomy in Site Management: The integration of version control through GitHub fostered a collaborative environment where team members could manage site changes confidently. This autonomy not only increased efficiency but also encouraged a culture of ownership and accountability within the team.
Enhanced Foundation for Future Improvements: The upgraded architecture and enhanced functionalities established a solid foundation for future improvements. With the flexibility of the Online Store 2.0 features, Hosanna is now well-positioned to integrate additional functionalities and explore new opportunities for growth, ensuring that their online presence remains competitive and aligned with evolving customer expectations.
"The theme update allowed us to utilize modern Shopify functionality like JSON sections and app embeds, which has sped up our site and streamlined content creation," shares Audra.
Bonus value - a faster site
Real User metrics for hosannarevival.com right after the new theme was published indicate noticeable improvements in First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). FCP measures the time it takes for the first piece of content to be rendered on the screen, while LCP tracks the time it takes for the largest visible content element to load. Both metrics are key indicators of user experience and page performance.
The new theme was live by Mar 5th.
Summary
By partnering with Shopify Growth Services, Hosanna Revival gained access to platform expertise that enabled a seamless transition to modern architecture while preserving their unique business model. This collaboration illustrates how technical modernization can greatly enhance operational efficiency, up to 30% in this case, even beyond traditional e-commerce metrics. While Hosanna were previously very successful on the platform we have managed to lay a foundation to help them continue growing in the coming years and beyond.
If your business requires specialized technical solutions while maintaining your unique customer experience, consider working with Shopify Growth Services. Our team's direct access to Shopify's latest features and best practices can help transform your operations and set the foundation for future growth.