How SmugMug used Webflow to relaunch their website

SmugMugis an end-to-end photography platform for storing, sharing, and selling photos. Their first website was self-hosted, with a front-end that was built in-house, and a backend powered by Contentful. Even though the product and engineering teams created the site with tools they were familiar with, once designs were implemented — taking two weeks or longer — the team found it difficult and time-intensive to make even the smallest of edits.

One time we had to change the copy on a button, and that alone took 3–4 days. We couldn’t experiment or test things out with the design in an agile way with those timeframes.

Michal Pechardo, Senior Designer, SmugMug

There wasn’t a single person on the SmugMug team who could dedicate themselves full-time to the website. Team members in engineering and product development were only able to work on it in their spare time, so the website wasn’t getting the attention and lift it required.

当Michal和他的团队意识到网站需要重新设计时，他也借此机会在网站构建方面获得了更多的自由和灵活性。

Michal already had some familiarity with Webflow, having used it for personal projects and freelance work. He knew it was easy to use, its knack for shortening build and ship timelines, and how much more experimentation it allows for. Based on his experience, he felt like Webflow was a good option for his company, but to make the switch, he needed buy-in.

Pitching Webflow

After an unsuccessful two-month trial of Unbounce, instead of coming up with a lengthy pitch to convince his team to switch to Webflow, Michal let actions speak louder. He built out three pages to show the VP of Marketing and other stakeholders how easy it was to build layouts, put together interactions and animations, and publish changes with a click in Webflow.

Along with the case he made for using Webflow, they also worked with Webflow’s Enterprise team to prepare a presentation and answer any questions the marketing and engineering teams had. This meeting was the final step in showing the company that Webflow was the right move.

We did our research and due diligence, and Webflow hit every checkmark. It was a powerful and flexible platform that enabled us to do what we wanted to do.

Michal Pechardo, Senior Designer, SmugMug

Webflow满足了他们所需要的所有条件，包括A/B测试、备份恢复、自动保存，以及快速发布任何更改或页面的能力。

Making the switch

SmugMug团队在转向Webflow的过程中采取了耐心的态度，确保他们对自己需要创建的东西有一个细粒度的理解。通过这样做，他们进入了构建过程，并能够满足雄心勃勃的一个月的最后期限。

与任何快速转变的设计项目一样，SmugMug网站上线后也出现了一些bug。解决这些bug不是一项费力的任务，而是用Webflow快速而简单地修复。他们之前花了几周时间准备的东西，现在午饭前就能搞定。

Using the Webflow CMS for dynamic content

SmugMug takes pride in the creators using their platform, and wants to bring attention to their work in dynamic ways. In theSmugMug Filmssection of their website, interviews with selected contributors and modals with more information about their work is on full creative display.

SmugMug uses theWebflow CMSto manage this dynamic content. Since adding new videos to the page only requires plugging and playing, the content team can add these on their own — no developer needed. The team also brings colors from the featured images into the CMS, making design customization and cohesiveness a breeze.

SmugMug’s Plans page以一种积极参与的方式展示他们所有的计划和必要的信息。伴随着一些自定义Javascript, SmugMug的团队设计并构建了他们的计划页面，使之成为一种用户导向的体验。

More options, more control, more wins

Making the move to Webflow has been a tremendous asset. Gone are the days of tracking down engineering resources when we want to quickly spin up a landing page for spur-of-the-moment advertising opportunities, or simply for fast copy edits. Our marketers are happy, our engineers are happy, and most important to me, our creatives are happy.

Andrew Tower, Creative Director, SmugMug

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting so many facets of our work and personal lives, the lack of travel and social outings has had a huge impact on the photography industry. Despite these challenges, SmugMug was able to expand its online presence with the help of Webflow.

SmugMug’s new website brought in a noticeable uptick in signups and page views. Shortly after the switch, they saw an expansion of their organic SEO reach paired with a 44% decrease in bounce rate. Plus, a whopping 52% increase in conversions.

Most importantly, Webflow allows SmugMug’s teams to do what they do best. The marketing team no longer relies on engineering to edit content, designers can easily tweak and re-tweak branding as they grow, and anyone who needs to can edit and push out updates to the site in just one click. “Gone are the days of tracking down engineering resources,” said Andrew Tower, Creative Director at SmugMug. “Our marketers are happy, our engineers are happy, and most important to me, our creatives are happy.”