Introduction
Overview
The web development industry is expanding, particularly in the culinary sector, where numerous restaurants and coffee shops are seeking an online presence. Developing an individual website can be expensive and requires prior technical knowledge.
Objective
Streamline website development by offering a pre-designed template on the Framer platform tailored for the culinary industry.
Outcome
I have developed "Foodsite", a culinary business website template on the Framer platform, designed for commercial sale in the digital market industry. It targets restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops looking to establish an online presence and is provided with a DIY user-friendly manual.
This project is a digital product available for sale in the market. It was part of the Digital Product Launch course at Quinnipiac University.
Background research
The web design and development industry is expanding due to the rising demand for a strong online presence, especially within the culinary sector. Developing website strategies falls within a spectrum that ranges from writing complete code to using a full website builder. The latter offers an easy-to-use, plug-and-play platform that allows novice users to drag and drop text and media content into a pre-designed system (e.g., Wix, Framer, Squarespace).
Digital products that support web development are gaining popularity, including website templates, tools, planners, and tutorials suitable for both beginners and experts. Market research has identified a specific gap in culinary website templates on the Framer platform, targeting experienced web developers as well as tech-savvy restaurant owners.
Problem
Design approach
I considered three potential digital products to support web development in the culinary industry: a tutorial e-book, a website template for the Framer platform, and a wireframe design kit for Figma. After extensive market research and several pitching presentations to my colleagues and potential customers, I narrowed down the list to the Framer template.
Foodsite Framer template development is scheduled to occur in three phases:
Phase 1: Planning and establishing the foundations
Phase 2: Building the digital product
Phase 3: Testing, iterating and packaging the final product
Phase 1: Planning and first building
In the initial phase, I built the foundation for Foodsite by mapping its information architecture, creating its sitemap, developing user journeys, designing wireframes, and selecting the color palette. Additionally, I began developing the initial template components, including buttons, navigation, and sections.
Phase 2: Building
During this phase, I developed the core pages of Foodsite, including the homepage, menu, news page, about page, and contact page. I added multimedia content and verified responsiveness across various platforms.
Phase 3: Test, iterate & packing
During this phase, I conducted user testing to gather feedback, analyze insights, make improvements, and refine the product. Based on the feedback, I added several features, including related menu items and an expanded, user-friendly manual. Once I refined Foodsite, I started packing it.
Observations from usability testing:
Both users noted that the "All" section in the menu was poorly organized. This feature needed a subcategory to reduce visual clutter and prevent all the products from being displayed together.
One user testing emphasized the need for a brochure or manual for users unfamiliar with Framer.
One user pointed out that the "related products" section on the product page wasn't working correctly and emphasized how important this feature is.
Overall, Foodsite received an excellent review from all user testing participants.
This website template, called “Foodsite,” is ready to use and allows users to easily drag and drop content to create their own website, saving time and effort. It also includes an easy-to-follow manual for setup and customization.
Marketing and launching Foodsite
Marketing strategy
I priced Foodsite at $40 for a single-use license and $200 for an extended commercial license. To reach web developers, I chose the Gumroad marketplace as the main selling platform because of its relatively low sales commission and growing popularity among template users.
To reach savvy tech business owners, I created a commercial video that highlights the key pain points many restaurants owners face and that Foodsite aims to solve. A user-friendly manual is included with every purchase. I also posted on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter (X) to target both specific audiences, as well as in particular Facebook groups to promote Foodsite to restaurant owners.
Foodsite sales page
Comments
These are a few comments from Gumroad buyers and social media users that I’m especially proud of, highlighting the positive impact and engagement Foodsite has created.
