Temple Bruer
Project Overview
Temple Bruer is an established Australian winery with a 40+ year history of producing organic and biodynamic wines. They were in a difficult situation with a stalled website project that was months behind schedule and over budget.
We rescued and completed the stalled website project, getting the brand live and operational within weeks. The project involved taking over incomplete work, fixing technical issues, and delivering a functional eCommerce platform that could support their wine sales and brand story.
The Challenge
Stalled Development
The previous developer had abandoned the project months behind schedule, leaving Temple Bruer with an incomplete website, wasted budget, and mounting frustration.
Technical Issues
The existing codebase had significant technical problems, broken functionality, and poor performance that would impact user experience and SEO.
Business Impact
Without a functional website, the winery was missing critical sales opportunities, especially during the busy holiday season and wine release periods.
Trust Issues
The client had lost confidence in developers and was hesitant to invest more money without assurance of results. Needed to rebuild trust while delivering quickly.
Our Solution
Project Rescue Assessment
Conducted thorough audit of existing work to identify what could be salvaged versus what needed to be rebuilt. Provided honest assessment and clear timeline.
Technical Cleanup
Fixed critical bugs, optimized performance, and secured the codebase. Implemented proper development practices and quality assurance processes.
Rapid Development
Prioritized essential features to get the site live quickly. Focused on wine sales, brand storytelling, and customer information first.
eCommerce Integration
Implemented secure wine sales functionality with age verification, shipping calculations, and inventory management appropriate for alcohol sales.
Results
Launch Success
Website launched 6 weeks after engagement, compared to the previous 6 months of stalled progress. Full eCommerce functionality operational from day one.
Immediate Revenue
Generated $50,000+ in online sales within the first month of launch. Captured critical holiday season sales that would have been otherwise lost.
Performance Improvement
Page load times improved by 70%. Mobile experience optimized, leading to 45% increase in mobile conversions compared to previous incomplete site.
Client Confidence
Rebuilt client trust through transparent communication, reliable delivery, and ongoing support. Client now considers us a long-term technology partner.
Project Rescue Process
Discovery Phase
Comprehensive audit of existing code, documentation, and project requirements. Identified technical debt, security issues, and functionality gaps.
Strategic Planning
Developed realistic timeline and budget based on actual work needed. Prioritized features into MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and future enhancements.
Communication Reset
Established clear communication channels, regular progress updates, and transparent reporting. Rebuilt client confidence through reliability and honesty.
Quality Assurance
Implemented proper testing processes, code reviews, and staging environments to ensure quality and prevent future issues.
Website Features
Wine eCommerce
Full-featured wine sales with age verification, shipping restrictions compliance, mixed case pricing, and club member discounts.
Brand Storytelling
Rich content sections showcasing Temple Bruer's 40-year history, organic and biodynamic practices, and winemaking philosophy.
Wine Club Management
Integration for wine club memberships with exclusive access, member pricing, and automated shipment management.
Cellar Door Integration
Information about physical cellar door visits, tasting experiences, and event bookings with online reservation system.
Technical Implementation
Platform Rebuild
Rebuilt critical components of the existing WordPress/WooCommerce setup while preserving content and product data. Implemented modern development practices.
Key Improvements
- Code refactoring and optimization
- Security hardening and compliance
- Performance optimization and caching
- Mobile responsiveness improvements
- SEO optimization and structured data
- Payment gateway integration
- Age verification compliance
- Inventory management system
Quality Assurance
Implemented comprehensive testing processes including functionality testing, performance testing, security scanning, and user acceptance testing.
Lessons Learned
Due Diligence Matters
Thorough assessment of existing work before starting prevents surprises and enables accurate planning and budgeting.
Communication is Key
Regular, honest communication rebuilds trust faster than anything else. Clients appreciate transparency about challenges and solutions.
MVP First Approach
Prioritizing essential features for launch prevents scope creep and delivers value faster while building momentum for future enhancements.
Quality Foundation
Investing time in proper development practices and testing prevents future issues and reduces long-term maintenance costs.
Client Feedback
"After months of frustration with our previous developer, Skyrocket rescued our project and got us live in weeks. They were honest about what needed to be done, delivered on their promises, and created a website that actually works for our business. We're finally selling wine online and couldn't be happier with the result."
— Owner, Temple Bruer Wines
Ongoing Partnership
We continue to support Temple Bruer with website maintenance, feature enhancements, and strategic guidance for their digital presence. The relationship has evolved from project rescue to long-term partnership.
Recent work includes implementing wine club management features, optimizing for seasonal promotions, and integrating with their cellar door operations for seamless customer experience.