The Client
Charm City Links is a Baltimore-based permanent jewelry and charm bar storefront, and when I say they know how to do community, I mean it. Located right in downtown Catonsville (with the most beautiful decor I’ve ever seen), they were ready to expand their original Squarespace site into an e-commerce site that mirrored what their in-store experience feels like.
I was lucky enough to know their Social Media Manager, Mads, and when she told me their ideas and that they wanted to bring me in for it, it was an absolute no-brainer.
The Project Overview
Mads originally said she came to me because she “knew me as the SEO connoisseur“, and wanted to make sure that with moving their site and expanding it, they wouldn’t lose the traction they previously built online. We ended up with a custom option that included:
- Brand Messaging
- Website Design (Shopify)
- Website Copywriting
- Full SEO Setup
Did you know this was actually my first Shopify site 👀? We worked with Olivia from Zig Zag Creative for web development, making our vision functional (and beautiful) and ensuring all of the pesky little back-end Shopify setup tasks for e-comm were taken care of. 🤝
Their Messaging
You know the basis of any project of mine starts with messaging. We started with their Deep Dive. Alex, the founder, has always had a keen eye for marketing and a natural knowing of what her community wants. In the ever-growing world of online shopping, Alex knew she had to expand online for growth, but wanted their website to embody what it feels like when you walk into their store – warm smiles, easy conversations, and the creation of something personal and meaningful.
Their Website
Working with CCL on their website was an absolute blast. Before starting anything, we outlined their goals, reviewed their old website for gaps and opportunities, and essentially made our “dream” wishlist of what they wanted included.
From there, I began the wire-framing and design process. This is your reminder that if you want your website to be filled with personality, brand photography is one of the best ways to do that. Thankfully, CCL had so many photos for me, and even better, Mads boyfriend (also named Alex lol) is a videographer who came in and shot some stunning in-store content for us to use.
Example A: Callouts across the homepage showing exactly what their differentiators are!
Example B: High-quality product photos (thanks Mads), and detailed descriptions for their products, blending personality in without sacrificing searchability.
Their SEO & Growth (AKA – Results!)
They’ve seen a 5000% increase in website traffic, and had national online sales within the first month of launching!
What this looked like for their project:
- Functional web design with proper text hierarchy
- SEO titles and meta descriptions – for product-based businesses, this can be amazing. Every single product uploaded is technically its own “page”, so make sure you have keyword-rich descriptions (without sounding like a robot). Example below ⬇️
Why this works: We used specificity (14k gold), differentiator (luxury), and location (Baltimore). The description gives you more information on type (bracelet, necklace, ring) for additional search terms, and of course tying in our main keyword, permanent jewelry, in both!
Last (but certainly not least) – alt text! Alt or “alternative” text is a description of every image on your website, used for ADA compliance, but also another way for Google to gather info on your site! For us, this was extremely helpful, since we were able to use their keywords for permanent jewelry throughout.
The Feedback
What made you reach out about working together?
I have always known Delia to be a SEO connoisseur :’) and we really wanted to make sure that our new look for CCL was not only beautifully designed, but also operating the best it could be from an SEO perspective. Our previous site was ranked high for permanent jewelry and charm bar, so we really wanted to ensure that our new site brought in local MD / Baltimore customers and wouldn’t get lost in the online sphere.
Our previous website felt a little outdated, and not aligned with our vibe in store. It wasn’t bringing the same fun, cool girl, elevated vibe to our digital presence.
What made you choose to work with me specifically over another service provider?
TRUST! Trusting that you would understand the vision and help us bring together the aesthetic and backend SEO workings.
How did you feel about working together during the project?
Everything was seamless and perfect! We really appreciated your attention to detail, check-ins throughout, and clear timeline.
Have you noticed any changes since launching the new site: more online sales, traffic, etc?
We have had online sales (yay!) and we have heard people continue to tell us that they found us through Google (aka our SEO is still ranking and performing well!). This was a big focus for Alex with switching to a new site and platform.
If a friend came to you saying they wanted to work with me, what would you tell them?
She will 100% be able to create the vision you’re hoping to bring to life, and she’ll make your messaging sound amazing! I feel like you really nailed our online voice and made it sound like us.
Love this site? Let’s do yours next!
This project stretched me out of my comfort zone, tested my skillsets, and ultimately, ended up being one of the websites I’m most proud of. It also was the project that made me want to shout from the rooftops just how impactful your website can be when your message, design, and structure (SEO) are all working beautifully together. If you’re in the Baltimore area, be sure to stop by CCL, or shop online if you’re not!
Want this to be you? I would love to chat.
