Steep Soda Co had built a loyal local following thanks to their bold flavours, real fruit ingredients, and small-batch approach, but their website wasn’t doing their brand justice. 

Built on a basic Shopify setup, the old site felt more functional than inspiring. It lacked the personality and clarity that makes Steep Soda Co stand out, and it didn’t give new visitors a strong sense of who they are or what makes their drinks different.

The team wanted a refreshed site that felt true to their values, something that looked great, told their story clearly, and ultimately helped turn browsers into customers. And they wanted to do it without overcomplicating things or splashing out on a premium theme. The goal was to keep things clean, on-brand, and manageable long-term.

Solution

We started by exploring just how far we could take one of Shopify’s free themes. Instead of going straight to custom development or a premium template, we focused on stretching the built-in tools to create something visually distinct and tailored to Steep Soda Co’s needs, without making the back end harder for them to manage.

Design-wise, we gave the site a fresh look and feel that better reflected the brand’s energy: vibrant, friendly, and proudly local. We made space to highlight their values, like using real fruit and crafting unique flavour combinations, so that visitors could quickly understand what makes Steep Soda Co different. Throughout the process, we kept a close eye on how to guide users naturally toward making a purchase, without it feeling pushy or overly salesy.

We did run into a few unexpected technical moments, particularly when it came to managing domains from different providers. We needed to make sure the transition didn’t interrupt email functionality, which was really important for the client. With a bit of careful planning, we were able to handle the DNS setup smoothly, keeping everything running without any hiccups.

Results

One of the things that made this project such a success was the strong collaboration with the Steep Soda Co team. The team worked closely with the owners throughout, meeting face-to-face, listening to their ideas, and making sure their feedback was folded into every stage of the build. That close communication meant we stayed aligned from start to finish, and even launched ahead of schedule.

The feedback from the Steep Soda Co team was great. They felt the final site reflected their brand well, being simple, clean, and full of personality. It’s easy for them to update and ready to grow with them as the business continues to evolve.