Website Development + SEO for a Branded Clothing, Footwear, and Accessories Website

About the Client

GKit is a Ukrainian online store specializing in branded clothing, footwear, and accessories. The project was founded to provide a transparent service for purchasing authentic goods. The company emphasizes that it works exclusively with verified suppliers and does not sell replicas or counterfeits.

The store offers products for men, women, and children:

• Footwear: sneakers, trainers, boots, sandals, and slides (popular lines: Air Jordan, Nike Dunk, New Balance 9060, and others).
• Clothing: t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, pants, shorts, jackets, and vests.
• Accessories: bags, backpacks, beanies, caps, socks, and balls.

Service and terms

• Delivery: available nationwide across Ukraine.
• Payment: cash or card (Privat24, Monopay, Visa, Mastercard).
• Guarantees: exchange and return within 14 days.
• Support: size selection consultations and the ability to source items on request.

Website Development Work

The site was built on OpenCart. Once the project entered development, our developer analyzed the existing mockup and provided revisions that simplified the technical architecture and ensured correct display across all device types.

Missing UI elements (UI Gaps)

• Language switcher: the dropdown design was missing a visual state for when it is clicked - this needed to be designed.
• Header indicators: the Cart and Wishlist icons were not displaying item counts (numeric badges). These elements needed to be added so users could see how many items were saved without navigating to those pages.
• Product card: a review submission form was absent, while users needed the ability to leave feedback directly on the product page.

UX optimization suggestions

Reviews page:

• Layout change (grid): we proposed displaying reviews in a 3-column grid format, ensuring interface symmetry and easier text scanning.
• Content optimization: product images and direct links to the relevant products should be added to the review listing. This would help users quickly identify the item and proceed to purchase.
• Button management: we proposed removing the "Add Review" button from this page, as product cards were intended to be the primary place for submitting reviews.

The full package of proposals was submitted to the client for review and implementation. Next up was an interim audit of the updated mockup.

Current state of the site at the time of the audit

• Categorization: 3 base categories had been created in the system: Accessories, Clothing, and Footwear.
• Product card: all available product information was limited.
• Position duplication: identical products in different sizes were entered into the system as separate SKUs rather than as variations of a single model.

Optimization proposals

We proposed consolidating different sizes and specifica

We proposed consolidating different sizes and specifications of the same SKU into a single product card using the modifications feature. Benefits of this approach:

• Database cleanliness: avoiding the creation of a large number of duplicate entries for the same product.
• Inventory management: easier to track stock for a specific model across sizes and colors.
• User experience: within the product card (when synced with the site), customers can select the required size without navigating to separate pages.

This solution will reduce the number of redundant product entries and ensure cleaner imports going forward.

Since the site was planned to be populated through a CRM system (the client chose KeepinCRM), we focused on building the data architecture - developing the logic for product option automation and defining the input data sources. The resulting vision was submitted to the client for agreement on the integration tech stack.

1. Option automation (size and color)

It needed to be confirmed whether product options (Size, Color) would be created automatically in both languages. If so, the corresponding fields in each product card within the CRM would need to be filled in. These fields would then serve as the basis for generating modifications during import.

2. Required field mapping

The client needed to specify which fields in the CRM (or export file) should be used as the data source for the following parameters:

Filters such as Size and Color would be generated based on product options. For all other filters, corresponding fields also needed to be created in the CRM: Delivery, Type, Collection, Season, and Purpose. We recommended using dropdown lists with predefined values in the CRM rather than free-text input fields. This would standardize value selection and speed up product data entry.

Core system principle: the CRM serves as the central hub for inventory management and product data. We proposed the following logic.

1. Product updates (CRM → Site). All inventory management is handled exclusively within the CRM. The update process works as follows:

• Sync marker: a dedicated control element (dropdown or checkbox) is created within the product card in the CRM.
  • Enabled: when changes are saved in the CRM, data is automatically pushed to the site.
  • Disabled: changes in the CRM remain internal only — no sync with the site occurs.
• Data priority: the CRM takes precedence. If an administrator modifies product data directly in the site's admin panel, a discrepancy will arise. However, the next time that product is updated from the CRM side, the site data will be overwritten with the current information from the CRM.

2. Order creation (Site → CRM). Order processing works in the reverse direction to support operational tracking:

• Automatic creation: as soon as a customer places an order on the site, the system automatically generates a new order in the CRM.
• Data transfer: a complete data package is passed to the CRM:
  • List of ordered items;
  • Quantity and price;
  • Customer contact details;
  • Delivery and payment methods.

Next, we developed a technical data optimization plan for CRM-to-site synchronization.

1. Product grid restructuring (eliminating duplication)

The core issue was the creation of separate product cards for each size, which cluttered the database and complicated site-side filtering.

• Transition to a "Product + Variations" model: instead of 5 separate products (e.g. sneakers in sizes 40, 41, 42, 43, 44), a single parent model card is created. Sizes and colors are moved into modifications (SKUs) within that card.
• Consolidation logic: merge duplicates based on the "Model + Brand" attribute. This would allow customers on the site to see a single product card with a size dropdown - significantly improving UX.

2. Implementing required fields (multilingual)

For correct product display on the site, the following fields needed to be configured in the CRM:

Identification and logistics:

• SKU: unique identifier (required for inventory sync).
• Model: grouping name for consolidating modifications.
• Quantity: current stock level.
• Price / Price 2 / Price 3: (e.g. retail, wholesale, promotional).

3. Category work

The existing 3 categories (Accessories, Clothing, Footwear) are insufficient for quality SEO and navigation. We recommended creating subcategories (e.g. Clothing → Hoodies / T-Shirts / Pants), which would allow products to be automatically assigned to the correct site sections during import.

4. Implementation steps:

1. Configure the "Parent Product — Modifications" relationship logic in the CRM (to be handled by the developer).
2. Audit the database, merge duplicates into single model cards, and fill in missing language versions (particularly product names and descriptions) - content manager's responsibility.
3. Determine whether all three price types (Price 1, 2, 3) should be exported to the site, or whether some are intended for internal CRM use only (to be decided by the client).

Technical requirements for Option and Filter fields in the CRM

1. Option generation logic. To display a single product card with selectable parameters on the site, rather than duplicate listings, automation based on specific CRM fields needed to be implemented.

• Automatic generation: we recommended creating options automatically during import.
• Required fields in the CRM:
  • Size: numeric or alphabetic value (e.g. 42, XL, 38).
  • Color (UA/RU): text field or reference list (e.g. Black / Чорний).
• Result: the system groups products by SKU/Model and converts the values from these fields into selectable buttons within the product card on the site.

2. Filter field structure. For site filters to function correctly, each attribute in the CRM must have a bilingual value. We recommended using "Dropdown" or "Multi-select" field types, as these eliminate input errors (for example, "Lviv", "lviv", and "Львів" would be treated as three distinct values if entered manually).

3. Benefits of list-based standardization

1. Data integrity: no junk filters on the site caused by typos entered in the CRM.
2. Content management efficiency: it is faster for staff to select a value from a list than to manually type text in two languages each time.
3. SEO optimization: filters with consistent, clearly defined names are indexed more effectively by search engines.

A checkbox or dropdown also needed to be created in the CRM: "Update product on site?" This would allow control over whether a product should sync during save.

During CRM setup, several forward-looking questions arose, for which we provided recommendations.

1. Where to store data (original files). Uploading photos directly to the CRM is not ideal for high-load projects, as CRM databases are not optimized to store and efficiently serve large media files.

Recommendation:

• The CRM acts as the "brain": only text references (URLs) to images are stored within the product card.
• Cloud storage (e.g., S3 or bunny.net) acts as the "warehouse": original high-resolution files are stored there.

2. How it works across the chain: CRM → Site → Customer. The logic is as follows:

• A manager uploads a photo. A script automatically stores it and writes only the link to the CRM: https://cdn.yourdomain.com/products/image_123.jpg.
• The site retrieves product data (name, price) along with this link from the CRM via API.
• When a customer opens the page, their browser requests the image not from your server or site, but directly from the CDN.

3. Benefits of using a CDN (using bunny.net as an example). The client proposed using image optimization ("resizing"), which is critical for SEO and page speed:

• Adaptability: a single high-resolution image is uploaded, and the CDN serves a 400px version to mobile devices and a 1200px version to desktop monitors.
• Formats: automatic conversion to WebP or AVIF, reducing file size by 30–50% without quality loss.
• Speed: thanks to a global network of data centers (PoP), a customer in Kyiv receives the image from a server in Eastern Europe rather than from the US.

4. Risks and considerations. For the system to run reliably, the following must be taken into account:

• File naming consistency: files in storage must follow a clear structure or use IDs that correspond to product IDs in the CRM, to avoid confusion.
• Optimization costs: services like Bunny Optimizer or Cloudflare Images are typically paid (e.g. $1/month per zone + traffic fees). However, this is cheaper than losing customers due to a slow site.
• Fault tolerance: if the CDN goes down (which is rare), the site will be left without images. It is therefore important to configure proper browser-side caching.

The provided recommendations were approved by the client but were not implemented due to a change in the project's business logic on the client's side.

The next step was to create and populate the required fields in the CRM. This work was handled by the client's team.

The following stage covered the specification of the required product card fields in the CRM.

For stable import and correct product display on the site (in both language versions), the following structure needs to be implemented:

1. Identification and inventory (system fields). These fields are critical for inventory and order synchronization.

• SKU: required - this is the unique product identifier. Without it, automatic price and quantity updates are not possible.
• Model: required - used for grouping variations (e.g. different colors of the same model).
• Quantity: required - current stock level must be known.

2. Pricing.

• Price (Retail): required (primary price displayed on the site).
• Price 2 / Price 3: optional (can be used for promotional prices, wholesale rates, or loyalty program tiers).

3. Content (Localization: UA / RU). To prevent empty pages on the site, these fields needed to be populated in both language versions.

• Product name: required.
• Description: required (for SEO and customer information).
• Specifications: required (material, size, composition, etc.).
• Brand: required (for site-side filtering).

We also recommended implementing a validation rule at the CRM level that would prevent a product card from being saved if the following fields were left empty: SKU, Price, Quantity, and Product Name (UA). This would protect the client from situations where a broken product — with no name or a zero price - gets pushed to the site.

*The display of additional price tiers (Price 2 and Price 3) was not implemented due to a revision of the project's commercial logic.

Option fields

It needed to be confirmed whether options (size, color) would be generated automatically. If so, the following fields need to be added to the CRM:

• Size
• Color (UA / RU)

Product options on the site are generated based on these fields.

Filter fields

For site filters to function correctly, the following fields need to be present in the CRM:

• Delivery
• Type
• Collection
• Season
• Purpose

All values needed to be specified in both languages. Important: we recommend using dropdown lists rather than free-text input. This standardizes the data and speeds up the workflow.

Data logic for product creation on the site:

• If the Brand (RU) field is empty, the value from the Brand field is used.
• If the Model field is empty, the value from the SKU field is used.
• If the Product Name (RU) field is empty, the value from the Product Name field is used.
• If the Description (RU) field is empty, the value from the Description (UA) field is used.
• Product specifications are populated based on the following fields: Type, Color, Collection, Season, Purpose.
• Filters are automatically generated based on specifications and options.

Additionally, we developed a module allowing the API key and other parameters to be configured.

Once the client had entered products into the CRM, we completed the technical integration between the site and CRM - fully automating the import of product catalog data and attributes (filters). For the next phase of work, we submitted an information request:

1. SEO data for filter pages (SEO-friendly URLs) 

The following needed to be prepared for each filter page:

• H1 heading and URL.
• Meta tags: Title and Description.
• Content: category text description.
• Technical: list of activated filters for correct menu logic.

2. Contact information and service pages

• Contacts: phone numbers, email, social media links.
• FAQ: prepared answers to common customer questions.
• About us: page copy.
• Legal: Terms of Gift Certificate Use, Privacy Policy, and Public Offer Agreement.

3. Content marketing and social proof

• Blog: article writing (copy and visual design).
• Reviews: populating the site with general store reviews and individual product reviews.

Following the implementation of the provided data, the client conducted a final site audit and submitted a list of last-round revisions. These were promptly addressed by our team.

The project launched at the end of February. The client then moved on to SEO optimization services, where we focused on ensuring a smooth transition through the release. Our team conducted both pre-launch and post-launch reviews, following which the necessary technical improvements were carried out.

SEO for the project

As soon as the project entered development and promotion, we conducted a thorough check of the client's chosen domain (gkit.com.ua) across the following areas:

1. Registration status: verification through imena.ua and whois.domaintools.com confirmed that the domain was available and free for registration.
2. Domain history: analysis via the Wayback Machine showed no archived versions of any previous site, indicating the domain had no prior owners and carried a clean history.
3. Legal check (TM): a search of the sis.nipo.gov.ua trademark database returned no registered trademarks for "gkit," minimizing legal risks associated with using the brand name.
4. Security: a malware and malicious software scan confirmed the domain was clean.
5. Sanctions and blocks: a check against prohibited resource registries confirmed the domain is not subject to sanctions and has not been blocked by any providers.

Conclusion: the domain was fully suitable for registration and subsequent use.

Following a review of the existing mockup, we also provided recommendations for improving the site's design and functionality.

1. Brands page: structure and navigation. To improve searchability and visual appeal, we proposed updating the brands page based on market best practices (drawing on the nearest competitor's approach):

• Visual hierarchy: place a tile grid of the most popular brand logos at the top of the page. Add a subtle hover effect for interactivity.
• Alphabetical index: below, display brand blocks sorted alphabetically. Implement alphabetical navigation (anchor links) for quick section jumping.
• Content block: add a concise introductory text above the brand grid (e.g. "GKit works exclusively with verified global clothing and footwear manufacturers"). This benefits both the user experience and SEO indexation of the page.

2. Article page: typography and visual emphasis. The existing mockup required adjustments to improve readability and audience engagement:

• Layout optimization: align the text block width with the banner to eliminate the compressed text effect and balance the page composition.
• Content structuring: add a Table of Contents block at the beginning of each article with clickable items for quick navigation.
• Visual emphasis: redesign the quote block. Rather than a purely decorative element, create a contrasting block with clear labeling: "Expert Opinion" or "Stylist's Comment".
• Heading treatment: the article title must always be duplicated as text before the main image, even when it appears as part of a graphic banner.
• Related news block: visually separate this section from the main content (use a different background or switch to a more compact card format) to avoid visual monotony.
• Social features and internal linking:
  • Add icons Share on social media.
  • Implement an internal linking block with other relevant articles.
  • Consider adding a comments section (subject to moderation capacity being available).

3. Blog page: expertise and audience retention

• Authorship: display the author's name alongside the publication date on each post — this builds trust (E-E-A-T signals) and adds a personal dimension to the brand.
• Traffic recirculation: add a dynamic "Popular" or "Latest News" block below the main article feed to encourage users to stay on the site longer.

All optimization proposals were submitted to the client's team for approval. We then conducted a comprehensive niche research and detailed audit of the nearest competitors — covering their backlink profiles, content strategies, and technical solutions. This work helped us define the project's development direction and propose solutions to make the project visible to the target audience from day one.

Niche Analysis

1. Key market players. The primary direct competitors ranking in the TOP search results for commercial queries (branded clothing, branded footwear) were identified as:

• yesoriginal.com.ua - steady organic traffic growth, focused on men's sneaker categories and specific collections (e.g. Nike P6000).
• allstars.ua - strong positions for Nike and Jordan brands, though a declining trend in organic page count was observed.
• answear.ua - a major player with high domain authority (DR 59), the largest volume of traffic to the homepage, and a strong presence for the Birkenstock brand.
• prm.com - focused on the premium segment and Adidas collections (Samba, Campus), with high domain authority (DR 58).

2. Traffic sources and structure

• Priority products: competitors drive the majority of their traffic to sneaker pages, particularly for Nike and Adidas brands.
• Query types: the largest share of visits comes from branded queries (store name) and commercial keywords in the Sneakers cluster.
• Language versions: competitors' homepages are often optimized around the brand name, with Ukrainian-language versions becoming the primary traffic drivers.

3. Technical and SEO characteristics

• Filter handling: Yes, Original demonstrates the most competent approach. They use human-readable URLs (HRUs) for filters that are open to indexation and carry optimized metadata, while unnecessary filters are blocked from crawlers.
• Content: most competitors do not use extended SEO texts on category pages, limiting themselves to optimized meta tags and price blocks.
• Menu structure: some competitors (e.g. Yes, Original) have non-clickable top-level sections such as Men's and Women's, directing traffic straight to specific footwear subcategories.

4. Link building strategies

• Answear.ua serves as the benchmark: regular acquisition of quality links (DR 30+) from .ua and .com domains.
• Negative examples: some competitors (yesoriginal, allstars) employ an aggressive strategy with a high share (over 80%) of low-quality donors and nearly 100% dofollow links, delivering short-term gains but significantly increasing the risk of Google penalties.

Key recommendations based on the analysis:

1. Optimize both language versions around the site name and "branded clothing/footwear" keywords.
2. Prioritize promotion of Nike and Adidas sneaker pages.
3. Apply Yes, Original's approach to filter indexation: open only targeted filters and block technical ones.
4. Build the backlink profile through trusted Ukrainian resources (blogs, media outlets), avoiding mass acquisition of low-quality links.

Site Structure

Drawing on experience from similar projects and detailed competitor research, we conducted a mockup audit at the prototyping stage. Our specialists compiled a list of recommendations based on the value of each element for both SEO and user experience (UX), intending to minimize the customer's path to purchase.

Proposed page prototypes:

Additional recommendations:

The following pages can be added to the footer:

• Delivery and Payment
• Privacy Policy
• Returns and Exchanges
• Public Offer Agreement
• Loyalty Program
• About Us
• Reviews
• Gift Certificates
• FAQ
• Gift Certificate Terms of Use

We developed the navigation logic based on the client's priority categories: Clothing, Footwear, and Accessories. The site footer features a static Catalog block serving as the primary navigation entry point. These 3 key sections became the foundation for building SEO-friendly URLs (HRUs), enabling automated creation of optimized pages for the entire product range. In parallel, we structured the service information block (contacts, working hours, email), ensuring quick access to store communication channels and improving user trust.

Key sales triggers should be placed within the first screen to maximize impact from the first seconds:

• Interactive brand carousel: highlighting globally recognized names — the cornerstone of the promotion strategy and the primary trust signal.
• Best Sellers block: placing top-selling products in the first scroll to drive immediate click-throughs and increase product card CTR.

The development audit phase followed, after which we provided code and structure optimization recommendations to ensure full compliance with search engine requirements.

Technical Audit

1. Urgent tasks (issues critically affecting site security and correct search engine perception):

• SSL certificate and HTTPS protocol: the site must operate on a secure protocol.
• HTTP to HTTPS redirect: a 301 redirect needed to be configured for all site pages to avoid content duplication and ensure user security.

2. Important recommendations affecting rankings

• Hreflang configuration: language versions and a default version (x-default) needed to be specified for each page to prevent Google from treating translated content as duplicates.
• URL formatting rules:
  • Use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_).
  • Avoid Cyrillic characters, spaces, and special symbols (%, &, +).
  • All URLs must follow a consistent format with a trailing slash (e.g. /choloviche-vzuttya/).
• Image optimization:
  • Use WebP format.
  • ALT and title attributes must be filled in for all images following the "Product Name" template.
  • Implement lazy loading (loading="lazy").
• Structured data (Schema.org): implementation of Product (for products), BreadcrumbList (for breadcrumbs), and Organization markup types was recommended.
• Homepage duplicate elimination: the homepage must be accessible via a single URL only. Variants such as /index.php must have a 301 redirect to the main domain.
• Canonical tags (rel="canonical"): for filter pages, the canonical URL of the parent category needed to be specified to remove parameters from the index.

3. Indexation and structure recommendations

• Indexation restrictions: cart, checkout, personal account, and search results pages needed to be blocked with a noindex, follow tag.
• Pagination:
  • Pagination pages (e.g. /page-2/) must be open for indexation.
  • Each pagination page must have a rel="canonical" pointing to itself.
• Lang attribute: the Ukrainian version must use lang="uk" in the <html> tag. Using "ua" was incorrect.

4. Functional and SEO features

• Product sorting: within categories, in-stock products must be displayed first.
• Dynamic pricing: implementing price adjustment logic based on stock levels was recommended (standard price when stock exceeds 2 units, elevated price when only 1-2 units remain) to avoid creating duplicate product cards for different sizes.
• Sitemap.xml: once all fixes are implemented, an up-to-date sitemap should be generated and a robots.txt file configured with the appropriate Disallow rules.

To track project performance and collect marketing data, we initiated the installation of a core Google tools stack, preparing technical briefs and detailed integration instructions for the client covering the following services:

1. Google Search Console (GSC). A tool for monitoring indexation and the site's technical health in search results.

• Implementation method: resource verification via uploading an HTML file to the site root (the /public_html/ or /www/ directory).
• Status: the verification file and official Google instructions were provided to the client for correct Search Console activation.

2. Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Setting up a modern analytics system for tracking user behavior and conversions.

• Implementation method: integration of the data stream ID directly into the site code.
• Support: a text file containing the tracking code, along with visual instructions (screenshots), was prepared and provided to the client for accurate script placement within the page structure.

3. Google Tag Manager (GTM). Implementing a tag manager for flexible marketing script management without requiring developer involvement in the future.

• Status: a technical brief for the GTM container installation has been prepared. Once the correct installation is confirmed, full access rights to all configured resources will be delegated to the client's email address.

The Ecommerce module was fully configured, and the first test transaction data has already started appearing in GA4. The GTM container has been optimized for e-commerce, and ownership rights in GSC have been successfully verified.

Semantics

Analysis of search results and competitor strategies clearly showed that in this niche, the homepage is the most powerful ranking tool. This is why we chose to concentrate the highest-volume and most impactful clusters (branded items and branded clothing) on the homepage. Since the homepage carries the most weight in search engines' eyes, this approach gave us a real opportunity to compete for TOP positions against established market players. At the same time, internal structure was not overlooked: a separate set of metadata was prepared for the Clothing section to clearly differentiate queries and prevent keyword cannibalization. To consolidate results and send the right signals to search crawlers, detailed content briefs were developed for copywriters - each category was to receive quality content that would work both for SEO and for building buyer trust.

Metadata

Optimized metadata templates were developed and implemented to ensure the correct display of all pages in search results.

Immediately after launch, a full technical audit was conducted, confirming the stability of all configurations. The project is currently in the active catalog population stage on the client's side. However, the first results in organic search are already being observed.

Organic Traffic

Thanks to a comprehensive approach, with both SEO and technical development handled on our side, we delivered a resource that began attracting targeted traffic from day one after launch. As a result, the site demonstrated the following traffic metrics in its first month after release:

Key Organic Search metrics:

• Sessions: 85.
• Engaged sessions: 50 (engagement rate of 58.82% - a solid result for organic traffic on a new site).
• Average engagement time: 1 minute.
• Key events (conversions): 2.

The graph shows a gradual increase in activity in the second half of March, with a peak in engagement recorded during the March 23–25 period.

• Total clicks: 42. 
• Total impressions: 2,600. 
• Average CTR: 1.6%. 
• Average position: 24.3.

The impressions graph (purple line) shows a steady upward trend beginning March 18, indicating that search engines are indexing the site more actively and surfacing it for a growing number of queries. The impressions spike is accompanied by rising clicks (blue line) toward the end of the month, confirming that the content is reaching the target audience. The new site ranks on average on page 3 of search results, with many queries already approaching the TOP-10. A CTR of 1.6% is a normal result for a page-3 position, but points to significant growth potential - once key pages move into the TOP-10, click volume will increase considerably.

As the screenshots demonstrate, the developed site is already showing strong click-through performance at the launch stage. The high level of search result engagement confirms that the chosen snippet strategy (Title/Description) is working effectively and attracting the target audience. Ongoing support and further development of the resource have been handed over to the client's in-house team.