how this site was built by SBWEBB

1) Stack & Setup (quick wins first)

  1. Hosting: Any fast WooCommerce-friendly host (LiteSpeed or NGINX, PHP 8.2+, server-side caching).
  2. Install WordPress → Astra theme (free is fine; Astra Pro adds handy Woo extras).
  3. Add WooCommerce (Setup Wizard for currency, taxes, shipping).
  4. Core plugins (lean set):
    • Commerce: WooCommerce, WPC Product Bundles (bundle SKUs), Variation Swatches for Woo (size/color chips).
    • Speed/Media: WP Rocket (or LiteSpeed Cache if on LiteSpeed), ShortPixel (image compression), OMGF (host Google Fonts).
    • Marketing/SEO: Rank Math (or Yoast), Site Kit by Google (Analytics/GA4 + Search Console), PixelYourSite (Meta/TikTok pixels).
    • Reviews/UGC: Judge.me (photo reviews, Q&A).
    • Email: MailerLite or Klaviyo for popups + flows (Klaviyo if you’ll do heavier ads).
    • Trust/Safety: Wordfence (security), UpdraftPlus (backups), CookieYes (cookie banner), WP Legal Pages (templates).
    • UX: WPForms (contact + size-fit quiz later).
  5. Payments: WooCommerce Stripe Gateway + PayPal; enable Apple Pay/Google Pay via Stripe.
  6. Taxes & shipping: Turn on Automated Taxes (WooCommerce Services or TaxJar). Shipping zones: US flat $5.95; free over $75.

2) Astra Theme Configuration (Bulldog-smart, Frenchie-fresh)

  • Starter template: Pick an Astra “Shop” or “Pet” starter, then swap styling.
  • Global colors (Matilda palette):
    • Primary: #0D0F1A (ink)
    • Secondary: #E1CFAF (honey)
    • Accent: #FF6F61 (pop/sale)
    • Neutrals: #F7F7F5 (bg), #9AA0A6 (muted text)
  • Typography: Headings—Poppins 700; Body—Inter 400/500. (Host locally via OMGF.)
  • Header: Logo (Matilda silhouette), top bar “Free first exchange on sizing • Support: hello@…”, sticky header.
  • Shop layout: 2-3 column grid, square thumbnails, hover “Quick View,” show review stars.
  • PDP layout (Customizer → WooCommerce → Single Product): Gallery left, details right, trust badges, sticky add-to-cart on mobile.
  • Cart/Checkout: Two-step checkout; hide distractions; express pay buttons at top; “Free shipping over $75” progress bar.

3) Site Map & Pages (copy included)

Primary nav: Shop • Harness • Cooling • Car Seat • Hoodies • About • Fit Guide • Reviews

  1. Home
    • Hero:
      Headline: Bulldog-smart. Frenchie-fresh.
      Sub: Harnesses, cooling vests, and cozy fits tailored for wide chests and short snouts.
      CTA: Shop Matilda’s Picks
    • 3 Icons: Wide-Chest Fit • No-Pull Control • #MatildaApproved
    • Featured products: Harness • Cooling Vest • Booster Seat • Hoodie
    • UGC strip: “Tag your pics #MatildaApproved”
  2. Shop (all products)
  3. Product pages (see #5 for templates)
  4. Fit Guide (breed-specific sizing + short quiz)
  5. About (Amanda + Matilda story)
  6. Reviews (Judge.me widget)
  7. Policies: Shipping, Returns/Exchanges, Terms, Privacy
  8. Contact (WPForms)

4) Products to Launch (5 SKUs)

  • Matilda Fit™ No-Pull Harness (3 colors; XS–L)
  • Swamp-Cool™ Evaporative Cooling Vest (2 colors)
  • City Cruiser Booster Seat (one size + fabric options)
  • Matilda Hoodie (2 prints; POD or small batch)
  • Nose & Fold Daily Balm (fragrance-free)

Bundles (WPC Product Bundles):

  • Walk Set: Harness + Leash + Poop-bag holder (save 15%)
  • Summer Safe: Cooling Vest + Collapsible Bowl + Balm (save 12%)
  • Ride Right: Booster Seat + Seatbelt tether (save 10%)

5) WooCommerce Data Model (do this once)

Attributes (Products → Attributes):

  • Size (Harness): XS, S, M, L (add girth ranges in term descriptions)
  • Color: Honey, Ink, Cloud, Seasonal
  • Dog Weight Class (for Fit Guide): 14–18 lb, 19–24 lb, 25–30 lb, 31–36 lb

Variation Settings (Harness):

  • Use Variation Swatches to make size/color clickable chips.
  • Add Size Chart tab (simple table + line art).

PDP block order (Astra Customizer):

  1. Title
  2. Price
  3. Reviews stars (anchor to reviews)
  4. Short bullets (benefits)
  5. Options (size/color) + Add to Cart
  6. Trust row: “Free first exchange • Ships in 24–48h • Secure checkout”
  7. Tabs: Description • Fit & Care • Reviews • Shipping & Returns
  8. UGC row: “Show us your fit: #MatildaApproved”

Example PDP copy — Harness

  • Title: Matilda Fit™ No-Pull Harness (Front-Clip, Wide-Chest)
  • Bullets:
    • Front-clip control, no throat pressure
    • Y-chest comfort for Frenchies & Bulldogs
    • Breathable mesh, padded straps, escape-resistant fit
    • Dual D-rings (front & back), reflective trim
    • Free first exchange if the size isn’t perfect
  • Description (story):
    “Designed for Matilda’s broad chest and tiny snout, our Matilda Fit™ Harness gives you front-clip control without the choke. Lightweight, cushioned, and tuned for bully breeds.”
  • Fit & Care:
    “Measure girth at the widest ribcage. If between sizes, size up. Hand wash; air dry.”
  • Shipping & Returns:
    “Ships in 24–48h. 30-day returns (unused). Free first exchange.”

(I can paste copy for the Cooling Vest, Booster Seat, Hoodie, and Balm too—just say the word.)

6) Design Assets & Brand Bits

  • Logo: Simple Matilda head silhouette + wordmark “Matilda & Co.”
  • Buttons: Full-width on mobile; label style “Shop Harnesses →”
  • Badges: “Bulldog-smart Fit,” “Frenchie-fresh Style,” “#MatildaApproved”
  • Photography: White-background product shots + lifestyle (outdoor shade, car seat, couch hoodie). Aim for 4–6 images/SKU + 1 short video.

7) Email & Popups (2-week automation)

  • Popup: “Get 10% off Matilda’s first pick” (send code MATILDA10).
  • Flows:
    1. Welcome (2-email): Brand story + sizing guide → top product/bundle.
    2. Abandon Cart (2-email): 2h reminder → 24h gentle nudge.
    3. Post-Purchase (2-email): How-to fit/care → UGC/review ask with photo reviews enabled.
  • Campaign cadence: 1× weekly (feature bundle, seasonal color, UGC roundup).

8) SEO & Content (day 1 basics)

  • Rank Math: Titles like “Best Harness for French Bulldogs – Matilda Fit™ | Amanda’s Store”
  • Essentials: unique meta descriptions, compress images, WebP; add Product Schema (Rank Math on).
  • Blog ideas: “Frenchie Heat Safety 101,” “Front-Clip vs Back-Clip Harness for Bulldogs,” “Car Safety for Short-Snout Breeds”
  • Internal linking: From blog to product pages with “Shop the Matilda Fit™ Harness”.

9) Performance, Security, Compliance (checklist)

  • Speed: Enable caching (WP Rocket), lazy load, critical CSS, preconnect for fonts, serve WebP; <2MB home page goal.
  • Security: Wordfence firewall, 2FA on admin, change login URL, least-privilege users.
  • Legal: Terms, Privacy, Returns; ADA basics—semantic headings, alt text, good contrast; cookie banner active.
  • Backups: UpdraftPlus daily to cloud (S3/Drive).

10) Launch Day Playbook (Astra-specific)

  1. Import Astra Starter site → swap colors/typography → set global container width ~1200px.
  2. Build 5 SKUs (+ 3 bundles) → connect reviews app.
  3. Create Fit Guide page with size table and “Find My Fit” steps; link from header + PDPs.
  4. Install pixels (Meta/TikTok) + GA4 via Site Kit; set AddToCart/Purchase events (PixelYourSite).
  5. Enable Express Pay (Stripe) + Shop/Apple/Google Pay.
  6. Add UGC/review carousel to home.
  7. Final QA: mobile PDP, cart/checkout, email capture, page speed, schema.

Copy blocks you can paste now

Homepage hero

  • H1: Bulldog-smart. Frenchie-fresh.
  • Sub: Harnesses, cooling vests, and cozy fits designed for wide chests and short snouts.
  • CTA: Shop Matilda’s Picks

Mini value section

  • “Wide-Chest Fit” — Built for Frenchies & Bulldogs
  • “No-Pull Control” — Front-clip comfort without the choke
  • “#MatildaApproved” — Tested by our honey-pied CEO

About snippet
“Amanda Webb started Matilda & Co. to solve one thing: gear that actually fits Frenchies and Bulldogs. Inspired by her honey-pied Frenchie, Matilda, every piece balances comfort, control, and style.”

Email popup
“Join Matilda’s pack—get 10% off your first order.”

What I can do next (fast):

  • Provide ready-to-paste PDP copy for each of the 5 products.
  • Draft your Fit Guide page (size chart + measuring diagrams).
  • Give you an Astra Customizer preset (color/typography CSS variables) and a plugin checklist you can follow click-by-click.
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