A homepage with a purpose
Replaced the catalogue apology with a clear introduction, original Aztec fish imagery, and direct paths to the range, advice and store visit.
Aztec Aquarium / Website refresh briefing
Same aquatic world.
A clearer way in.
What we changed, why it matters, and what still needs the store’s input.
This refresh is based on the publicly accessible Aztec website inspected on 20 October 2026. It preserves the shop’s identity and product catalogue. The original WooCommerce store still owns prices, stock, customer accounts and checkout.
12Interface fixes
3Partial resolutions
4Operational checks
01 / Why it changed
Less searching.
More understanding.
The old homepage began with an unfinished-catalogue notice. Categories and products ran together, stock states were ambiguous, and store information was buried. On a 390px-wide screen the homepage measured 18,805px tall.
Before
Long catalogue page.
Mixed category labels.
“Read more” availability.
Pickup notice on the homepage.
Very little buying guidance.
In this refresh
Clear introduction and next steps.
Searchable, grouped catalogue.
Explicit availability labels.
Collection labels on relevant products.
Useful questions before purchase.
Basis: original homepage, Fish category, sampled product pages, desktop and mobile browser inspection. Improvements describe implemented behaviour, not measured sales uplift.
02 / Resolved in the new interface
Twelve practical improvements.
A manageable mobile catalogue
Products appear in two columns on small screens, with 12 shown at a time and an explicit “Show more” control. Category buttons form a compact two-column grid on phones, so every category is discoverable without horizontal scrolling.
363 products organised into 15 categories
Each product has one primary browsing category, shown with a product count. The default all-products view groups listings under category headings; selecting a category narrows the catalogue immediately.
Categories: Fish & invertebrates; Live plants; Aquariums; Filters & media; Pumps & aeration; Heating & temperature; Lighting; CO₂ equipment; Food; Plant care & tools; Rocks & substrate; Ornaments & decor; Water care & testing; Accessories; Gift vouchers.
Artificial plants are decor, fertilisers are plant care, automatic feeders are accessories, filter media are filtration, and rock kits are hardscape rather than livestock. Source-store categories remain unchanged.
Search, multi-select categories and sorting
Search names, source categories and SKUs. Select several categories to combine their products, then narrow them with search and “In stock only”. Select a category again to remove it; “All products” clears the category selection. Sorting and empty-result recovery work across the combined results.
Availability explained
Ambiguous “Read more” buttons are replaced by visible availability labels and a consistent product-details action. Listings disclose whether they came from a saved snapshot or a successful store refresh.
Collection information where it matters
Relevant product cards and details show collection guidance. The store address, telephone and collection advice appear together. Final eligibility is confirmed with the store.
Readable visual hierarchy
Darker body text, consistent typography, clear section headings, stronger buttons and predictable spacing replace the pale, undifferentiated catalogue treatment.
Consistent, lighter image presentation
Product images use a consistent frame and descriptive alternative text. Missing photographs are identified honestly instead of showing a faint logo as though it were the product. The logo and hero image are reduced from roughly 4.4 MB of PNGs to 72 KB of WebP files; unused catalogue fields are omitted from the downloadable snapshot.
These are file-size reductions, not a measured page-speed score. Original imagery is retained with the source.
A usable visit section
Added tap-to-call, directions, a clear opening-hours table and Adelaide-time context. Holiday exceptions remain explicit rather than promising the store is open.
A clearer options and shopping handoff
The product button distinguishes choosing options, viewing a product, checking availability and confirming an uncertain price. It opens the exact product on Aztec’s original store in a new tab, preserving the product dialog and catalogue selections here. Sizes, models, payment and stock confirmation still belong to that store.
Accessible interaction foundations
Added visible keyboard focus, named controls, a skip link, status announcements, reduced-motion support, and product dialogs with Escape dismissal and focus return. Product dialogs open at the top, prevent background scrolling and keep their close button visible through long descriptions. The guide resizes with a pointer or keyboard.
This is an implemented baseline, not a claim of a complete accessibility certification.
A reviewable change guide
This Toy Fair-style sidebar has a resizable edge, remembered width, an independent page, print support, and links to the source evidence. Resolved interface changes are kept separate from backend work.
03 / Partial resolutions
Some fixes need both sides.
The zero-price listing
The source kH powder product displayed a $0.00 minimum. This interface says “Confirm price” when any displayed price is zero or missing. The underlying WooCommerce variant must still be corrected by a store administrator.
Missing specifications and care information
Product details now surface available source descriptions and attributes, and provide questions to ask before buying. Manufacturer specifications, species-specific care, improved photography and inconsistent variant units still need verified source data.
Delivery, returns and privacy
The new FAQ explains collection and where checkout happens, and directs policy questions to the store. Approved shipping rules, returns terms and privacy wording have not been invented. The store must supply and approve them for publication.
04 / Operational checks still outstanding
What this release does not establish.
- Payment and order completion: confirm real WooCommerce checkout, mixed collection/delivery orders, taxes, confirmations and refunds.
- Source inventory and forms: verify stock synchronisation, source product accuracy and delivery of contact-form submissions.
- Platform maintenance: review WordPress/plugin updates, access permissions, backups and restore procedures.
- Measured assurance: run a full accessibility and representative performance audit; collect real-user loading data after launch.
The refreshed site is an alternate storefront. No claim is made that the original WordPress installation or its administration data has been modified.
05 / A two-minute review
Try the improvements.
- Open the catalogue. Search for “shrimp”, then clear the search.
- Select a category and toggle “In stock only”. Try sorting by price.
- Open a fish or aquarium. Notice the collection notice and buying questions.
- Search for “kH”. The problematic zero-price range should read “Confirm price”.
- Find the store. Check the directions, telephone and hours.
- Resize this sidebar using its left edge. Keyboard users can focus the divider and use arrow keys. Escape closes it.
Product purchases continue on the original store. No demo orders or invented payment confirmations are created here.
06 / Source and build
Keep the work traceable.
Business details and imagery come from Aztec’s public website. Product records come from its public WooCommerce Store API. Grouping, interface design and buying-question prompts are transformations of that source, not new product claims.
The guide interaction follows the Toy Fair implementation: a resizable right-hand panel containing a separately readable document.
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