How we helped launch a new business in less than a week

Petrus is a young horse expert and entrepreneur from the picturesque island of Sumba, Indonesia. Sumba is not a mainstream tourist destination, unless you’re into horses in which case the island is very famous because of its unique hotels like NIHI and Sunabari who have wild horses running on the beach in front of them every day.

THE PROBLEM

Petrus wanted to have a website to make it easy for fashion brand owners to plan a photoshoot in Sumba. So he created “Sumba Models”, a model agency that has a wide database of local Sumba residents both young and old. It’s a great way for the islanders to make extra money while doing something different than their usual routine. The stunning nature and welcoming people make it a perfect location for brands wanting to shoot their clothes collections against such a backdrop.

He was now working with brands by sending them an Excel spreadsheet with photos of local Sumba models and names, but customers were finding it hard to use and understand, so he came to Girls Who Web with a simple brief: “can I have an online model catalog?”

THE PROCESS

After the initial strategy call we asked Petrus to share the Excel file with the details of the models. We also asked him questions about the logo, branding, and process. Since this is a new business, the main thing was focusing on speed and having a working website live as soon as possible to start collecting feedback from users.

Once that was done, we got to work! The first draft was ready for review after the morning session, and we spent the afternoon finalising the copy and the design together with Petrus and the Sumba Models team.

THE SOLUTION

To be fast without compromising on design, we chose to develop this website on WordPress using our trusted Elementor Pro builder. This also means there are no hosting or licenses costs for Petrus, which matters as a new business.

We utilized a responsive design to ensure the website worked seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices, essential for brand managers on the go. Additionally, we incorporated high-quality visuals to showcase the stunning Sumba landscapes, enhancing the appeal of the models and the unique location. The website’s backend was built to be easily updatable, enabling Petrus to continuously add new models and keep the catalog fresh and up-to-date.

Our focus on speed didn’t compromise the quality; every element was designed to reflect the beauty and professionalism of Sumba Models. The final product was a dynamic, engaging platform that not only met Petrus’s needs but also delighted his clients, providing an elegant solution and highlighted the charm of Sumba.

To create the models catalog we used WooCommerce in an “unconventional” way. Instead of being able to “shop” for products on the site, prospective customers are able to select which models they are interested in and submit an enquiry which goes through the team.

Aaand, voilà! That’s how we created and launched a website on the same day. To sum it up, this is what we did:

Connected the new domain to the hosting
Installed WordPress and the necessary plugins
Customised the theme
Customised the features to match the customer need
Edited the mobile design
A round of revisions via Zoom to make the final adjustments

And this is instead what the client had to provide or prepare:

Domain name (we actually helped him buy this too!)
Logo, colors, design direction
Copy & business description
Feedback on design

Thanks to our tried and tested process, and working with a great client with clear ideas and requirements, we were able to launch this website so quickly!

If you, like Petrus, are looking for an efficient way to launch a new website and you don’t want to take six months of endless revisions about commas, dots, and kerning – do reach out to us. We’d love to help! We can do the same thing on both WordPress, Shopify and Squarespace.

PS: It’s not that we don’t care about design. We do. We know that websites have to look good to work well. However! Especially when it’s your first website, we believe it’s ok to not “overthink” each single button for the purpose of launching sooner rather than later.