John Smedley’s story goes back centuries – established in 1784. They are the oldest manufacturing factory in the world. The brand prides itself on creating beautiful, high-quality garments that will stand the test of time both in the case of materials and also styles.
Over 230 years ago, John Smedley started producing muslin fabric and spinning cotton in Lea Mills, Derbyshire – where the company still resides today.
By the beginning of the 20th century, they established themselves as one of Britain’s most famous clothing brands. The 1950s and ‘60s brought even more exposure to the brand – famous people such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and the Beatles started wearing their garments. The turn of the century brought their first store in Mayfair, London. Since then, the family-run business has continued to innovate products to serve their customers’ various needs.
They are proud to have stayed true to their origins and have ‘Made in England’ on the tag of every garment they make.
In this article, we will review the brand’s online presence – we will take a look at the website’s structure, colours used, and different features that make the customer experience smooth.
Classic Details and Royal Colours
The visual impression visitors get from the website resembles the feel of their garments — classic sophistication with simple elegance. The brand conveys their Britishness in every aspect of their brand image — the royal blue colour is associated with reliability and trustworthiness. Using rich colours gives a calming feel to the site, and the pictures of nature heighten this energy.
Sections with a contrast of blue and gold create a festive look — the perfect balance between positive content and staying true to their brand image.
Practical Structure And Heritage-Inspired Sections
Home Page
The Home Page greets visitors with a full-page offer of 20% off with a discount code — this way, it is impossible to miss out on it.
All the pieces of helpful information are placed in practical columns — such as Made in England, The World’s Finest Knitwear, Free Returns & Exchanges on all UK orders, Sign Up To Our Newsletter for 10% Off Your First Order and Trustpilot Reviews.
The Popular products section shows the brand’s signature products — classic designs that will never go out of style is versatile and easy-to-combine colours.
‘Celebrating Over 235 Years Of British Craftsmanship’ — stating facts like this reinforces the authenticity of products and guarantees exceptional quality and professionalism.
Commitment to sustainability — every brand should have sustainability efforts listed on their website, as preserving the environment is getting more and more pressing. John Smedley is aware of industrialization’s problems, and they actively try to combat them. Read more on their sustainability commitments.
John Smedley highlights the brand’s values and strengths on the Home Page, creating a holistic and authentic brand image. When visiting their website, we instantly get a picture of their beliefs, and this familiarity is essential when retaining customers.
In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the features of the Category Page and the Product page in-depth.
Features That Help Customers Make An Informed Decision
Category Page
We can choose from various category pages, such as Shop by style, Bestsellers, New in, Shop by Fiber, Collections and Sale.
Each category has its unique SEO-friendly description, making it easy to find specific products straight from Google search results. Customers can sort products with filters and based on Position, Product Name, Price and New in.
For instance, let’s see what Men’s Shop By Style Category has for us.
The visual menu to subcategories not only adds an aesthetic element, but it is also very functional — it’s easy to choose from them at first glance.
Including product colour swatches right on the category page is a great way to show available colours for a particular item — this way, customers don’t have to visit the product page if they are searching for a specific colour.
Using an add to Wishlist button is a handy feature, especially in the case of customers who like to think through their purchases — or even wait for items to go on sale.
This brings us to the next feature worth mentioning here — showcasing prices that feature discounts is a very persuasive technique, and it encourages purchases.
Product Page
We can see all the information a customer needs on the product page — in one place. Besides pictures from every angle, and SEO-optimized product description is placed discreetly under the gallery section — along with the sustainability credentials. Customers can see the colours and sizes available, along with a handy size guide.
Product selectors in the size guide are based on colour and size, and it only takes a click to select them, instead of going to the dropdown menu, scrolling, and selecting the option. It’s handy, saves time, and shortens the way to purchase.
The size guide loads in a pop-up on the same page without leaving the product page, saving time and not distracting the user from the purchase. It also has a friendly structure, illustrated parts and units of measure selection.
Close-Up Pictures of The Materials on The Product Page
It’s essential to showcase products authentically online — and close-up photos of the garments and their materials is a must.
Integrated Trustpilot Reviews
Customers appreciate reviews from fellow buyers, and they are even more likely to buy from a brand with great reviews.
Simple Checkout Process
John Smedley uses a secure checkout process — customers can pay with credit/debit card and PayPal. On the second/final checkout page, they have the opportunity to add a discount code and a gift card.
Features That Strengthen Brand Loyalty
Live Chat
Customers can reach out directly to the customer service team within working hours — this might be the fastest way to get in touch and get help from the brand.
Discover Page
The Discover page is full of exciting details about its history and physical stores, such as the Marylebone, Mayfair and St James’s stores.
Under the Quality Tab, we are navigated to a page where we get valuable information about product care and washing instructions and the background of production, such as cotton processing and Merino wool.
The Design Tab offers an insight into the Behind the Scenes of John Smedley. Here we can read about different collections and collaborations, interviews, and fashion weeks behind the scenes.
The Discover Page is an excellent tool for building brand loyalty as we can get an insight into how the brand works at the production level.
John Smedley On Mobile
The John Smedley website loads just as quickly as the desktop version. The site automatically determines the user’s location and offers to default, saving time at checkout.
The different sections look just as great — they use clean lines which are easy to look through. Pastel colours combined with rich blues create a natural and classic look, even on a smaller screen.
The mobile version shows the same information on products as the desktop version — even when customers are on the go, they won’t miss any important details about their order.
The search bar on the site is rapid to respond — the page offers excellent auto-suggested options within a few seconds, making it more efficient to find the perfect garments.
The mobile version of the John Smedley site has a smooth interface. Combined with rich colours and sleek sections, it is a breeze to navigate through the website.