Hi there, shoppers! It's your shop fairy Michelle with some news about our (long overdue) website overhaul coming at you this June 2024, just in time for our 10th anniversary in business.
What's new, you ask? Here's 5 "so-whats" from the big re-design:
1. Pretty Pictures
Herbs, wood, and crystals. Sunlight and flowers. Those artsy-fartsy styled shots you see on every listing were originally created for our Etsy shoppppppe (more p's makes it fancy, you see).
We've had a years-long relationship with Etsy, but I feel we may be drifting apart. (Pssst...Etsy, if you're listening: It's been real, it's been good, but it hasn't been real good.) So now, I have decided to adopt those photos for the main website. We hope you find our original product pics beautiful and inspiring as you browse the shop. For those listings that only have plain ole white-background photos, new piccies are on the way!
2. Improved Mobile Browsing
When we first launched GroveandGrotto.com in 2017, only about 5% of our traffic came from users on a tablet or smartphone. Today, unsurprisingly, that number hovers around 75%.
Our 2024 update comes with the latest mobile-optimized features to improve your shopping experience. Plus, some of the product photos wiggle and bounce when you touch them now--how cool is that?
3. Smart Search and Recommendations
Sandalwood...or is sandlewood? Dragon blood...or dragon's blood with an "s"? Now you don't have to be a spelling whiz to use our search function. A smarter, more responsive internal search engine makes filling your shopping cart a breeze. The new recommendation engine will offer intuitive suggestions based on heaps of customer browsing and purchase data. Both features are designed to reduce the frustration of scrolling through a large catalog, and save you time.
4. Product Reviews
Grove and Grotto has more than 13,000 post-purchase reviews (averaging 4.9 stars out of 5--go us!). Many reviews have helpful photos and product details provided by our wonderful customers. It took approximately forever, but we combed through all the reviews and linked them to products in the catalog. Now, each product page will display relevant review content to help guide your purchasing decisions.
5. Streamlined Customer Accounts
No more remembering or resetting passwords! You will now long into your Grove and Grotto account by receiving a one-time passcode via email. This new login method is easier for most folks and helps prevent unauthorized access to your account.
Existing customer accounts will be migrated over to the new site...there's no need to re-enter your personal information. You'll still have your order histories and saved items. Beginning the next time you log in, you will be prompted for an emailed code rather than your password. Guest checkouts will still be permitted if you just don't feel like registering.
Also new: Shareable wishlists! Coming soon: An improved feedback and returns system.
What Isn't Changing
You'll still find hand-picked Pagan gifts and altar supplies, with new items added weekly. You'll still get a real person when you email us--not a chatbot or some offshored customer support service. And we hope we will still be your trusted source for metaphysical goods online. Thanks for sticking around, and here's to 10 more years!
Past website designs (circa 2017 and 2020) courtesy of the Wayback Machine:
