How we helped a Rotterdam-based startup scale their mission through Shopify & SEO.
Publishing house Wilde Haren is a publisher with a mission: creating inclusive children’s books in which every child can see themselves. What started as a passionate project quickly grew into a serious player in the book market. But to maintain that growth and become less dependent on external retailers, a strong digital platform of their own became essential.
They were looking for a partner who could not only build an online store, but also understood how to convert a niche audience into customers. Zalm Partners stepped in to translate their mission into online revenue.
The Challenge: From Startup to Scalable Brand
Wilde Haren’s ambition went beyond a beautiful storefront. They needed a solid sales foundation. The challenges were concrete:
- Direct Sales: Popular titles like “Plons!” were often purchased through third parties. The goal was to attract those searchers to the publisher’s own webshop via SEO. This gives the publisher better margins and direct customer contact.
- International: The site had to be multilingual from day one (NL/EN) to serve the international market and support “foreign rights.”
- Ease of Use: Visitors needed to be able to filter the growing catalogue easily by age, theme, and season.
The Solution: Custom Shopify Development
We chose Shopify as the engine. The platform offers the stability and e-commerce power required, while still allowing flexibility for a unique design.
- Custom Design & Filtering: We didn’t use a standard template. Instead, we created a unique look and feel that matches the colorful identity of the books. The filter structure was built custom, allowing customers to quickly find the right book and move toward purchase.
- Pre-order Strategy: For a publisher, cash flow is crucial. We developed specific functionality to make pre-orders for new titles run smoothly. This gives Wilde Haren immediate insight into the popularity of upcoming releases.
- Multilingual Setup: The shop is technically fully configured for bilingual content, without sacrificing SEO performance or loading speed.
The Result: Ongoing Growth through SEO
A webshop is never truly “finished.” After launch, Zalm Partners stayed involved as a strategic growth partner.
- SEO as a Revenue Engine: We actively monitor rankings and optimize content. Through technical improvements, Wilde Haren is now found organically for relevant, high-purchase-intent terms. This generates a consistent flow of new customers, independent of social media.
- Scaling Up: What started as a build project has grown into a long-term collaboration. We provide monthly support with technical SEO and optimization, ensuring the shop (and revenue) grows alongside the publisher’s success.
Want to grow with your webshop? Whether you sell a niche product or a broad assortment, the technology should work for you. Zalm Partners builds scalable Shopify environments that are ready for revenue growth.
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