CASE STUDY · ECOMMERCE · MAY 2026
KAISHA LANTERNS & FLORALS — CUSTOM SHOPIFY BUILD, SALES IN 24 HOURS.
An Australian handcrafted-lantern and floral brand. A stock Shopify template that didn't fit her brand. A custom build that did — and that started taking real orders inside the first 24 hours of going live. A short, honest write-up of what we built and why it landed.
Headline outcome
First-day sales
<24h
from launch to first order
Google review
5★
verified, post-launch
Build type
Custom
Shopify, brand-matched
Status
Live
kaishalanterns.com.au
CLIENT SNAPSHOT
KAISHA LANTERNS & FLORALS
Australian-handcrafted lanterns and bespoke floral arrangements.
- Industry
- Handcrafted lanterns & florals
- Platform
- Shopify (custom theme)
- Onboarded
- April 2026
- Project
- Custom website build
- Replaced
- Stock Shopify template
- Status
- Live & taking orders
THE BEFORE
A REAL BRAND. A STOCK STORE.
Kaisha had everything most small-business owners spend a year trying to build — a real product (handcrafted lanterns, bespoke floral arrangements, seasonal pieces), a clear visual identity, and an audience genuinely interested in what she was making. What she didn't have was a website that did any of that justice.
The starting point was a stock Shopify template — the kind of generic build-it-yourself default thousands of new stores launch on. Functional, technically “a website,” but completely flat. None of the brand voice came through. Customers landing on it had no way of knowing whether they were looking at Kaisha Lanterns & Florals or any other Shopify store running the same theme.
For most ecommerce brands that gap is invisible. For a handcrafted-product brand — where the look, feel and atmosphere of each piece is half of why customers buy — the gap was the whole problem.
THE APPROACH
WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID.
01
CUSTOM OVER STOCK TEMPLATE
Most ecommerce stores in Rocky launch on a default Shopify theme — Dawn, Sense, the same handful most agencies hand off. They look fine, but they all look the same. Kaisha needed her brand to be the brand, not a template carrying it. We built the front-end to match her exact vision rather than nudging a stock theme in that direction.
02
BRAND-LED DESIGN SYSTEM
Before any code went down, we locked in the colour palette, typography, product photography style and mood the site needed to communicate. Every section on the page rolls out of that system, so the site feels like one cohesive brand experience instead of a patchwork of widgets.
03
CONVERSION BUILT IN FROM DAY ONE
Trust signals, clear product layouts, frictionless checkout, mobile-first responsive behaviour — set up before the doors opened, not retrofitted after the launch. That's the difference between “a site that's live” and “a site that's actually selling.”
04
DIRECT, PATIENT COMMUNICATION
Every brief, every revision, every late-night question handled by Michael directly — no account managers, no agency handoffs. Kait's review specifically calls out the patience and willingness to listen, which is the part of the process most agencies short-cut.
THE RESULTS · LAUNCH WEEK
SALES WITHIN 24 HOURS OF LAUNCH.
DAY ONE
VerifiedFirst real orders came through inside the first 24 hours of the new site going live — before any paid traffic, before any launch campaign, just on the strength of an audience finally having a real shopfront to buy from.
That's the lift a custom build delivers when the demand is already there but the previous setup was friction. It's also the cleanest test of a website's job — does it convert visitors to buyers, yes or no.
POST-LAUNCH
VerifiedWithin days of launch, Kait Hawksford left a 5-star Google review for Michael Evans Media — calling out communication, patience, and the willingness to actually listen to the brief.
Public, verifiable, and — for a Rocky-based agency competing with larger Brisbane firms — a meaningful trust signal for the next prospect doing their due diligence before reaching out.
WHAT THIS PROVES FOR ECOMMERCE OWNERS
If you already have demand — an existing audience, repeat customers, or a brand people genuinely care about — the bottleneck is rarely traffic. It's friction. Replacing a generic stock template with a build that actually fits the brand can produce real revenue inside the first day. Don't wait for ads to fix what your storefront is breaking.
SEE IT LIVE
KAISHALANTERNS.COM.AU
Don't take our word for it — open the site, scroll around, view a product, walk through to checkout. See what a brand-matched custom Shopify build feels like compared to a stock template.
“Michael was absolutely fantastic to work with while helping us build the Kaisha website. He was incredibly understanding, patient, and genuinely willing to cater to our needs every step of the way. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble, and he took the time to listen to our ideas and bring them to life. His communication, professionalism, and willingness to help made the whole process so much easier. We truly appreciate all of his support and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for website assistance.”
— KAIT HAWKSFORD · GOOGLE REVIEW · MAY 2026
YOU SELLING ONLINE IN ROCKY?
Custom Shopify builds, brand-led design systems, and conversion-ready storefronts for Rocky and Central Queensland ecommerce brands. Public pricing, no lock-in, direct work with Michael.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CASE STUDY
FAQs.
How long does a custom Shopify build like this take?
Typically 3–6 weeks from kickoff to launch, depending on how much custom design work, copywriting and product photography is included. Kaisha Lanterns sat in that window. The variance is mostly driven by how quickly the client can supply product photos and approve key design decisions.
Why not just stick with a Shopify template?
Stock templates are a great starting point if you want to be live by Friday and don't mind looking like every other Shopify store. They become a problem when (a) the brand has a specific visual identity that doesn't fit the template's grid, (b) you need conversion-optimised layouts that aren't in the default theme, or (c) you want the store to be defensibly yours rather than recognisably Shopify-default. For Kaisha the brand was the whole point — a stock template would have flattened it.
What does a build like this cost?
Custom Shopify builds at Michael Evans Media start at $1,299/mo (Full-Service tier) which includes the build, hosting management, ongoing tweaks, and content support. Standalone project pricing is also available — typical range for a custom build like Kaisha's is $4,500–$8,000 depending on scope. Both are public on the pricing page.
Will the site keep working after launch?
Yes. Shopify handles hosting, security and uptime. We hand over admin access, write internal docs on how to update products and content, and stay available for tweaks under any of the public retainers. There's no lock-in — clients own the store, the theme code, the customer data and the domain. Always.
Did Kaisha pay for ads to get those first sales?
Not as part of this engagement. The first-day sales came from her existing audience — the customers and followers she'd already built up — finally having a real shopfront to buy from instead of DM'ing for orders. Paid traffic is the next phase if she chooses it. The lesson: don't underestimate the conversion impact of a properly-built site for a brand that already has demand.
Can you do a custom Shopify build for my business?
Yes — we work with Rockhampton and Central Queensland businesses across most categories. Best path is the free 15-minute call (book at /#contact) — we'll talk through what you sell, what you need, and whether a custom build, a tweaked template, or something else entirely is the right fit. Honest answer either way.
YOUR TURN.
Got a brand that deserves a real website instead of a stock template? Free 15-minute call. We'll talk through what you sell, what you need, and tell you honestly whether a custom build is the right move — and roughly what it would cost.