Peak Fence - Project

peak fence with outline of mountains behind

Intro

Peak Fence was an established fencing company that wanted to dip its toe into the world of e-commerce, which is still relatively uncommon in that niche. They aimed to expand direct-to-consumer, but their primary objective was to create a site for contractors ,who are their main customer base. They wanted a no fluff, no frills approach with a very straightforward layout.

Challenges to Consider

  • While the brand was by no means new, their venture into e-commerce was. Because of that, the cost of Shopify Plus didn't make sense for them meaning we were limited in what we could do in regards to B2B.
  • Contractors needed to purchase specific fence posts for each fence panel size, and it was critical that these posts matched precisely—incorrect pairings would create significant logistical challenges. With their delivery radius stretching up to 200 miles, making returns or exchanges was not a viable solution.
  • Depending on the size and type of fence panel, certain posts would need to be retrofitted. This means that fulfillment needed an easy way to tell what the post was being used for (ex: a line post for one panel size would be retrofitted as a corner post for another)
  • There is a significant gap in the industry for this particular niche in e-commerce, so we could not really on a lot of existing solutions and/or apps.

Theme

Because the goal of the store was to simply begin the journey of selling online, the merchant chose the ever popular Dawn Theme and we made customizations where necessary.

Solutions and Implementations

1. Metafields + Metabojects:

Working closely with the merchant, we developed a system that makes it easy for contractors to order the correct posts for the panels they’re purchasing. When a contractor selects a specific fence panel—whether it’s a 36-inch aluminum panel or a 72-inch one—the system automatically presents them with the corresponding posts in the correct height, style, and color.
    graphic showing fence panels with companion posts
    For example, if a contractor selects a 36-inch panel in black, they’ll see a list of 72-inch posts (blank, corner, end, line, gate) that match. If they switch to a 72-inch panel, the post sizes update to reflect that. This functionality is critical to ensure that all components fit together properly.

     

    We also needed to make sure that, should a contractor start their user journey at fence posts, that they can quickly tell which fence panels correspond with that post. We used a similar strategy as we did with the panels to surface a list of accompanying panels that match each post. 
      graphic for fence post showing matching panels
      For example, if a is viewing a 96" corner post, the page will show compatible panels for that post. This list updates depending on the fence post being viewed.

       

      2. Single SKU Products for Posts

      When creating these products, we avoided variants. This allowed us to choose how each post was being utilized and could then assign it accordingly. This also allowed the fulfillment team to identify if/how the post needed to be retrofitted.

       

      Other Favorite Feature

      While we certainly won't cover all the aspects of the project, we did want to draw attention to a unique feature - adding a "Pool Code Approved" Badge to the variant selectors and the product photo when that variant is selected. 

      fence panels showing pool code approved badge on certain variants
      Only certain fence panels are 'pool code approved' but it's necessary for contractors to find these easily, especially if the contractor does commercial construction.

       

      Walkthrough Video of Project

      To see a more in-depth look at the product pages, check out the Project Highlight Video:


      Closing

      We gained a new understanding and appreciation for this industry during this project! The team over at Peak Fence was amazing and we loved the challenge of learning something new. To see the whole site, check it out at peakfence.com.

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