Stores.theratraining.comBigCommerce Website Redesign
Therapeutic Training Center's owner, Robbin Blake, was spending hours writing code to update every class she offered. As a solo operator, this maintenance cycle pulled her away from growing the business. The broken mobile experience meant she was missing more than half her potential customers, and organic traffic had dropped to near-zero. After 4.5 months, MAK Digital delivered a website with custom developed automation that eliminated manual updates and restored mobile functionality. Robbin can now focus on expansion instead of website maintenance.
The Situation
Therapeutic Training Center provides continuing education courses for Licensed Massage Therapists in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. While the business is successful, owner Robbin Blake found herself spending more time maintaining the website than growing the company. As a solo operator with no employees, Robbin needed a website that wouldn't demand constant manual work. With plans to expand to multiple locations across Washington and add webinar content by 2027, she needed a platform that could scale with her ambitions instead of holding them back.
The Core Challenge
Their biggest problem was a time-consuming manual update system that made managing the website nearly impossible for a solo operator. Every class required Robbin to manually write custom CSS and HTML code to structure and display all the class details, from instructor credentials and CE hours to location information, pricing, policies, and customer reviews. Once coded, she had to manually copy all that information to the location's schedule page, add it to the instructor's profile page, and cross-check everything for errors across multiple pages. A single class update consumed hours of coding and repetitive data entry.
The outdated Blueprint framework compounded the problem with a mobile experience so broken that Robbin had to shut it down entirely, forcing mobile users to view the desktop version, which meant constant pinching and zooming just to read class details. This was critical: 55% of their purchases happened on mobile, meaning more than half her customers, many wanting to quickly sign up between massage appointments, couldn't access the site at all. The detailed class information that made them stand out from competitors was the same information that trapped Robbin in endless manual coding instead of growing the business.
Additional Obstacles
TTCI also faced other challenges that compounded the maintenance burden. The brand identity hadn't evolved since 2009, the outdated color scheme and logo no longer reflected the professionalism they had built over years. More critically, organic traffic had dropped to near-zero between November 2022 and March 2024, and revenue declined during and after the pandemic. These combined issues meant TTCI wasn't just dealing with a time-consuming website, they were watching their business visibility and revenue suffer while trapped maintaining outdated systems.
Custom Templates + Webpages:
Services Completed:
Applications & Integrations:
- BigCommerce - eCommerce Platform
- Searchanise - Complex Search Provider
- reCAPTCHA - Security
- Cloudfare - Content Delivery System
Our Approach
We migrated TTCI from Blueprint to BigCommerce Stencil while building custom automation to eliminate manual updates. Every decision focused on saving Robbin time, restoring mobile functionality, and creating a scalable foundation for expansion.
Platform Migration & Custom Automation
Robbin was trapped in a cycle where every class required hours of manual coding across multiple pages, the dynamic schedule system we built eliminated this entirely.
- Developed custom dynamic schedule system using BigCommerce custom fields, Robbin enters class details once and the system automatically populates location schedules, instructor profiles, and product pages site-wide
- Built automated content formatting that eliminates manual CSS and HTML writing, reducing multi-hour updates to simple form entries
- Created special messaging functionality allowing Robbin to add notices like "Class Full" that appear across all relevant pages automatically
Mobile-First Redesign
With 55% of purchases on mobile, restoring full mobile functionality was critical to business survival.
- Designed fully responsive experience working seamlessly across devices eliminating the pinch-to-zoom issue that was holding them back
- Implemented touch-friendly navigation and appropriately sized buttons for mobile interaction
- Ensured smooth mobile checkout flow, removing friction from the purchase process
Brand Identity Refresh
TTCI's 2009 branding no longer reflected the professional business Robbin had built over 15 years.
- Redesigned logo from vertical stacked layout to modern horizontal format
- Developed a new color palette inspired by the Pacific Northwest that evokes the calming, natural feel appropriate for massage therapy.
- Created consistent visual hierarchy presenting TTCI as credible, established training provider
- Unified design elements throughout site to reinforce professionalism and build trust
Streamlining User Experience
The site needed to work like a service business while guiding customers to read class details before purchasing.
- Restructured mega navigation to improve browsing and reduce wasted whitespace
- Created multiple course discovery pathways on the homepage, customers can browse by location, instructor, or course type, matching how they naturally search
- Redesigned product tiles to encourage reading class details before purchase, reducing support calls
- Delivered manageable backend where Robbin updates content and adds classes without technical assistance
Custom Features & Functionality
- BigCommerce Stencil build
- Complex drop-down mega navigation
- Custom integration with the Searchanise
- Custom Product page template
- Multiple custom category page templates
- Site re-design
Business Impact
The transformation completely changed what customers and Robbin experience daily. Massage therapists who once landed on a site that barely functioned on their phones, the primary way they browse between appointments, now navigate effortlessly on any device. Classes that used to be buried in broken layouts are now easy to discover by location, instructor, or date. The site that looked outdated now presents TTCI with the professionalism their 15 years of expertise deserves. For Robbin, the change was equally dramatic: hours spent coding HTML and updating multiple pages for every class became a few minutes filling out fields once. The daily dread of website maintenance turned into confidence that the site finally supports her business instead of consuming it.
The modernized platform delivered measurable business improvements. Organic traffic recovered from near-zero (November 2022-March 2024) back to pre-pandemic levels of 99-176 visitors per month. Revenue is trending back toward pre-pandemic benchmarks, positioning TTCI for continued recovery. Robbin received enthusiastic feedback from massage therapists praising how easy it is to find and enroll in classes and the overall customer experience. For a solo operator managing an entire business, the time savings freed Robbin to focus on growth.
TTCI now has a foundation built for the growth Robbin couldn't pursue before. Her 2027 expansion plans, multiple Washington locations and a full webinar platform, are now realistic goals instead of pipe dreams constrained by website limitations. Most importantly, Robbin no longer does the work of a web developer. The site scales with her ambitions, not against them. As Robbin Blake put it: "The new TTCI website exceeded my expectations, and my customers love it! MAK's vision, creativity, and commitment to keeping the class schedule format made all the difference. The site not only saves me time but also reflects their professionalism."
Ask away, we're here to help!
Therapeutic Training Center's BigCommerce Website Redesign: Everything You Need to Know About the Therapeutic Training Center's redesign journey
What's the difference between Blueprint and Stencil?
Blueprint is BigCommerce's older, outdated framework that's difficult to customize and doesn't support modern responsive design—which is why TTCI's mobile site had to be disabled. Stencil is BigCommerce's current framework, built for flexibility, mobile responsiveness, and easier customization. The migration to Stencil gave TTCI a modern foundation that supports custom development like the dynamic schedule system and works seamlessly across all devices.
Was there any downtime during the redesign?
No. We built the new Stencil theme and custom features in a staging environment while TTCI's existing Blueprint site remained live. The final deployment happened during off-peak hours to ensure students could continue browsing and enrolling without interruption.
Did you provide any documentation to help Robbin manage the site
Yes. We provided comprehensive documentation explaining how to use the custom field system, add new classes, manage instructors, and update schedules. The guides walk through each step so Robbin can confidently make changes without needing to contact support or figure things out through trial and error.
How does the dynamic schedule system actually work?
Robbin enters class details once using custom fields—instructor, location, CE hours, date,
Can Robbin update the site herself, or does she need a developer?
She manages everything herself. Robbin can add new classes, update schedules, modify content, and add special notices like "Class Full" without any coding or developer assistance. The custom field system we built makes it simple and fast.
How did you fix the mobile experience that was so broken it had to be disabled?
We migrated to BigCommerce Stencil, which is inherently responsive. The new design works seamlessly on all devices—no pinch-to-zoom, no broken layouts. Since 55% of TTCI's purchases happen on mobile, this was critical to restoring lost sales.
How much did a project like this cost?
Project costs vary based on custom development needs, automation complexity, and design requirements. TTCI's project included framework migration, custom dynamic scheduling system, brand refresh, and mobile restoration over 4.5 months. Complex automation like this is our specialty—we provide detailed quotes after understanding your specific challenges and goals. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your situation.
Can the dynamic schedule system handle complex scheduling scenarios?
Yes—complex scheduling automation is our specialty. The system handles multi-location classes, instructor assignments, CE hour tracking, special notices, and course prerequisites automatically.
