Bedtime reading for e-commerce professionals: The digital adventures of Ole Mathiesen

Ole Mathiesen knows what they are doing—both in their production of watches as well as in their lifelong collaborations with some of the world's most skilled (and most exclusive) watchmakers.

… But with such a relentless focus on the craft of watchmaking, the website may have slipped a bit too far down the priority list.

When Anne-Louise Bugge joined the company about two years ago, the website certainly did not reflect the quality and exclusivity that Ole Mathiesen stands for.

And this is where our adventure begins.

Well, we think we can call it an adventure. Ole Mathiesen has about the same captivating allure as a well-orchestrated fairytale.

The only thing missing, perhaps, is a few princes and princesses.

… Or, actually, they are not missing at all. After all, Ole Mathiesen is a supplier to the Royal Court.

But enough with the talk about “once upon a time”.

Are you ready for a digital adventure about analog watches?

Once upon a time… there was a website that was not quite the fairest in the land

The same thing had happened at Ole Mathiesen that happens at many, many companies.

They had focused on other (also very important) tasks.

In the meantime, time had moved on, leaving them with a website that was primarily made up of outdated elements and patchwork solutions.

"Before I started, there was no one responsible for e-commerce. So what I was greeted with was a somewhat messy and outdated WordPress site. It looked really old—and it was far from user-friendly for us to work with and in."

– Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and Social Media Manager at Ole Mathiesen.

So, when Anne-Louise took over of the e-commerce side of things, it thankfully did not take much convincing for the rest of the company to agree that it was time for a fresh start.

It sounds like the beginning of any beautiful adventure.

… But it would not be a proper adventure without a few trolls and challenges along the way, would it?

Obstacles and a trifecta of challenges

An adventure—at least the old-fashioned kind—follows a predetermined structure. And one could say we had just that.

Because Ole Mathiesen, much like in their approach to watchmaking, had a clear idea of functionality and visual expression.

With a strong emphasis on the latter.

"Our CEO, Christian Mathiesen, is an architecture graduate. He had a strict and clear vision for how the website should look. So, before we even began, he had already established a framework for how the design should look—and that brought both advantages and challenges. Of course, we remained open to feedback from Grafikr regarding usability, but I think it has given them a little bit of an obstacle in the process."

– Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and Social Media Manager at Ole Mathiesen

It is rare that our partners are completely indifferent to the design of their website.

But it is not every day either partners take the lead on the entire graphical expression themselves.

"There was trust from the very start of the collaboration, and it was smooth sailing from day one. We spent one meeting clarifying whether they could solve the challenges we were facing—and they could. It was also reassuring to know they would not take on the task if they could not deliver on it."

– Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and Social Media Manager at Ole Mathiesen

We completely agree that it was smooth sailing—but that does not mean the project was without its challenges. Or, in this case, three of them.

1) We are drowning in clutter

The first time we got our hands on Ole Mathiesen’s website, our reaction was probably similar to Marie Kondo’s when she steps into a cluttered home.

Patchwork solutions were everywhere, and dust had gathered in all corners.

So, during the migration from WordPress to Shopify, we ditched the kid gloves and gave the site a complete cleanup, allowing Ole Mathiesen to start fresh.

2) Usability vs. visual expression

We needed to preserve as much of the desired visual identity as possible—without compromising on usability.

Fortunately, the team at Ole Mathiesen was not as square as their watch cases. Together, we quickly and seamlessly found solutions that left all parties applauding.

3) What should we measure here?

Olemathiesen.dk is affiliated with their physical store. This means that the latter is not a webshop where you can make a purchase.

So, when we needed to set measurable goals, we had to think outside the watch case.

"I advocated for enabling some form of conversion. It is important for me in my work to have measurable outcomes. So, what we measure on the website is the number of bookings for watches in our showroom."

– Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and Social Media Manager at Ole Mathiesen

It may not be the most traditional approach—but it works.

And now, let us dive into how.

When we look at the before and after pictures, both we and Anne-Louise agree on what is particularly worth highlighting:

1) Increased Usability

"Previously, we had to contact our former agency every single time even the smallest change needed to be made—and that could take quite a while. Today, I can handle most of it myself.”

– Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and Social Media Manager at Ole Mathiesen

2) More inquiries

“Today, far more people come by to look at watches in our store than we have previously experienced. Not everyone comes because they have booked an appointment on the website, but many come in and show a specific watch they have seen on the website - so something has definitely shifted.”

- Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and SoMe Manager at Ole Mathiesen

3) A visual design that embodies and reflects the brand

“A website is your business card, and it's so important that it works. There's a lot going on in our industry right now, so it's really crucial that both store and website work together and stand out.”

- Anne-Louise Bugge, E-commerce and SoMe Manager at Ole Mathiesen

But honestly, we think the before and after pictures speak for themselves.

Most fairy tales end with “and they lived happily ever after”.

This one just does not.

Because the adventure between us and Ole Mathiesen is (thankfully!) not over yet.