How BFore Cut URLs by 90% and Transformed Their Store with WooCommerce

Introduction

BFore was struggling under the weight of a VirtueMart 2 installation that simply didn’t deliver the features, performance, or developer support they needed. With over 3,800 live URLs, SEO was clogged by canonical errors and duplicate content. Simple backend tasks like editing customer shipping addresses were missing, and checkout flows felt outdated and resource-heavy. The Red Giant Design team decided it was time for a platform that could scale, adapt, and delight both staff and shoppers.

Why WooCommerce?

After working with WooCommerce on earlier projects, Mark Atkinson’s team knew it could deliver. A thriving extension ecosystem, solid SEO foundations, and a user-friendly admin interface made it a clear choice. WooCommerce came with built-in schema microdata, a robust plugin directory for local payment solutions like Payfast, and compatibility with performance plugins like W3 Total Cache. Best of all, it promised a single-page checkout out of the box.

Streamlining URL Structure and SEO

One of the biggest wins was streamlining the site structure. By moving to a custom post type system under WordPress and leveraging the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin, the number of live URLs dropped from 3,819 to just 394—a 90% reduction. Duplicate content and canonical issues vanished. Google Analytics goals and event tracking were configured in minutes, rather than weeks. W3 Total Cache took care of page load times, and a CDN was on the roadmap for even faster delivery.

Overcoming Major Challenges

No migration is without surprises. Mid-project, WooCommerce 2.0 launched, introducing new hooks and template changes. Upgrading kept the system future-proof but also required a week of theme tweaks. Yootheme’s Warp framework, upon which the custom theme was built, broke in several areas. Red Giant Design manually patched the broken functions until Warp caught up—an important lesson in keeping third-party frameworks updated.

Expanding Functionality with Extensions

With a modest budget, the team tapped into the WooCommerce marketplace for features that VirtueMart could never justify building from scratch. Plugins like Follow-up Emails, Reviews for Discount, Dynamic Pricing, and Local Pickup Plus added new revenue streams and improved conversions. A custom CreditCart payment gateway was developed for instalment payments, and Twilio’s SMS integration kept customers informed in real time.

Results and Impact

The new WooCommerce store delivered a smooth one-page checkout, robust backend tools for editing orders in the admin, and email notifications tied to order status changes. Customers enjoyed filtered product searches via Ajax Layered Navigation, waitlists for out-of-stock items, and the ability to sign up for Mailchimp newsletters directly at checkout. Internally, staff could update shipping addresses, track order notes, and see all past orders in one place. It was a clear win for everyone, and the site are upgraded with a modern, responsive design.

Key Learnings

This project highlighted the importance of selecting a platform with a rich plugin ecosystem, the need to anticipate mid-project updates, and the value of built-in SEO and analytics features. By relying on tested extensions, the team added complex features without custom builds, staying on budget and timeline.